The first cricket Test between New Zealand and Pakistan is expected tobe shifted from Peshawar in the wake of a likely US attack onAfghanistan.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) refused to speculate on the change invenue, but a decision on the issue would be finalized in the next 48hours or maybe next week.Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium has been put on as stand-bye venue for thefirst Test which is to be played between Oct 2 and 6.The Kabul border is little over 50km drive from Peshawar and has beenan attractive tourists spot for all the visiting teams because of thehistoric Khyber Pass. The security aware Australians had spent a dayon the Kabul border when they last toured in 1998.However, the visit had ended in stern warnings by the AustralianCricket Board (PCB) to two of its players and manager Steve Bernardafter a foreign news agency released photographs showing thecricketers using sophisticated, modern and automatic guns on ashooting range.The drawn second Test of that tour in Peshawar is remembered for MarkTaylor’s 334 not out and also for the banner headline a localnewspaper gave on the day of the first Test. “Australian begin Testunder the shadow of gun” read the caption of match’s curtain raiser.Unconfirmed reports claim that the PCB officials discussed about thechange of first Test venue with New Zealand officials and assured themthat their demands would be accommodated if alarm bells rang inAfghanistan.United Nations and US have already started evacuating its people fromKabul but leading print and electronic news agencies have begundeploying its people to cover the anticipated attack. However it islearnt that the PCB were mentally prepared for the cancellation of thetour because of security fears.In the last 17 years, two tours have ended prematurely. In 1984-85,India had aborted the tour after Indra Gandhi was assassinated whilein 1990-91, England A returned without playing a match after Gulf Warbroke.Needless to say that New Zealand have already delayed their arrival inPakistan for at least 48 hours as they are said to be monitoringsituation.Meanwhile, Pakistan’s former Test cricketers urged New Zealand to goahead with the tour during which the tourists will play three Testsand as many one-day internationals.Former chairman of selectors Salahuddin Ahmad said: “Pakistan has avery safe history as far as cricketers are concerned. Never ever aforeign player or the team has been threatened in this part of theworld.”He said Pakistan had nothing to do with whatever happened in UnitedStates. “If New Zealand cricketers didn’t show any concerns in SriLanka when Colombo airport was attacked by Tamil Tigers, they have noreason to be scared about playing here.”Former captain Intikhab Alam felt after Pakistan has assured fullsecurity for the tourists, New Zealand should trust the hosts. “I amsure New Zealand cricketers are aware of the hospitality, respect,protocol and security they have got on their previous tours. This timeit will certainly be no different,” he said.”Cricket shouldn’t suffer because of something which has nothing to dowith either Pakistan or New Zealand,” he added.

Keen to overcome an opponent that has grossly frustrated it in each of the last two Finals of this competition, Victoria only encountered more annoyance on the second day of the Pura Cup match against Queensland at Punt Road in Melbourne today. On another day of variable weather, the Bushrangers made heavy weather of their ambitions, struggling to restrict two of the Bulls’ tailenders before being forced to turn their pursuit of first innings points into something less than a speedy one.By stumps on a day extended by 22 minutes to compensate for time lost to the elements yesterday, the Victorians were placed at 3/160 as they responded to Queensland’s 417.That the Bushrangers were not in a more favourable position owed much to the batting of Ashley Noffke (73) and Nathan Hauritz (41), each of whom registered their highest first-class scores in the course of adding a thoroughly unexpected 105 runs for the Bulls’ ninth wicket.Admittedly, it was Hauritz’s debut at this level and Noffke is no veteran either, having played just ten matches prior to this one. But it is hard to imagine either exceeding these new individual watermarks in a hurry.Their stand, fashioned from the ruin of a potentially crucial early blow as Matthew Hayden (147) was defeated by a Mathew Inness (2/71) inswinger, was as significant for its intelligent punishment of the loose ball as it was in inducing annoyance for the home team.Noffke was particularly severe on anything erring in length or width, even thumping Test off spinner Colin Miller (1/108) high over the leg side for two boundaries and a six from consecutive deliveries at one stage. More importantly, he also discovered the right balance between attacking and defending.Hauritz lost little by comparison. He played watchfully through the early stages of his innings, accumulating most of his runs from subtle pushes into the off side and glances off his legs, but became more expansive as his stay at the crease wore on to strike several drives and cuts off the back foot with commanding intent.The home side’s cause, all the while, was not being helped by the sight of catches being dropped: Matthew Elliott missing a chance to dismiss Hauritz at mid wicket at 11 and Shane Warne grassing an opportunity to catch Noffke (then on 34) at slip.As it began the reply, Victoria made sufficiently steady progress.There was a setback as Jason Arnberger (20) failed to fully capitalise on Jimmy Maher’s mistake in grassing a waist-high chance to his left at second slip, only adding another ten runs to his score before slogging an off break to mid on and handing Hauritz (1/35) his maiden first-class wicket.Yet the total reached 1/84 at one stage nonetheless, and the Bushrangers’ upper order batsmen looked to be finding life as comfortable on the pitch as their rivals had done yesterday.But once Andy Bichel (1/36) found the thin outside edge of the bat of Elliott (56), Queensland was successfully able to take the home team back to the trenches. Victoria’s scoring rate was reduced to little more than a trickle at various stages of the afternoon, as few as 39 runs coming from 22 overs during one period. Nearly half of the overs bowled to this stage of the innings have been maidens.Notwithstanding this, Brad Hodge (39*) enhanced his already lofty reputation with several beautifully crafted strokes amid gradually fading light. On his shoulders, there will rest hopes of better things for Victoria tomorrow.

A timely captain’s century by Northern Districts’ Robbie Hart revived his side’s fortunes against Otago in the State Championship match at Carisbrook in Dunedin today.Hart’s century, the second of his 71-match first-class career, made a mockery of the collapses that affected both sides in the match, and he commented afterwards that it had been a great thrill to complete the achievement, especially under the circumstances he found himself in.The drama started for ND when David Sewell had Mark Bailey and Scott Styris out from consecutive balls after only one run had been added to the overnight score of 69/1, which was 146 runs short of Otago’s first innings total.The Marshall twins, James and Hamish were then at the crease with Hamish avoiding the hat-trick and they added another 40 runs before the mini-collapse when four wickets fell for 13 runs, leaving Hart batting with the tail in a bid to restore some respectability to the situation.They were 123/7 when he and Graham Aldridge set about a stand that finally provided 64 runs for the ND cause.But when Aldridge was out, Bruce Martin had a record-breaking 96-run ninth-wicket stand for ND against Otago. They rubbed out the 85 scored by Brendon Bracewell and Peter Neutze at Gisborne’s Harry Barker Reserve in 1989/90.Martin scored 45 runs and when he was out debut player Ian Butler helped Hart add 20 runs for the last wicket. Hart was on 91 when Butler joined him and Butler scored nine in which time Hart reached 102 not out, scored from 157 minutes and in 205 minutes.ND had the first innings points and a lead of 88 runs. Interestingly, even freakishly, the only two Otago bowlers to take wickets, Sewell and Evan Marshall, both took five wickets for 79 runs, the both bowled four maidens and Sewell bowled 27 overs and Marshall 26.Brendon McCullum gave Otago another good start when attacking to score 41 from 37 balls and in an opening stand of 63, Otago was well on the way to wiping out the deficit.However, an untimely loss of three wickets for five runs just before stumps saw Otago slump to 100/4, a lead of only 12 runs with six wickets left. Key batsmen Chris Gaffaney and Andrew Hore were out for 0 and four respectively, leaving Craig Cumming needing to find a solid partner to try and build a solid position for Otago to put the pressure back on ND.Styris did the damage for ND by claiming two wickets for four runs from six overs. His first victim was Robbie Lawson who was caught behind for 37 and then he trapped Gaffaney leg before wicket.

The South African victory in the first Test was expected. What wasunexpected was a nine-wicket win with more than a day to spare.

There were really too many factors ranged against the Indians on theeve of the game. For one thing, there was the wide disparity in thepast records. Not having won even one of the seven Tests in SouthAfrica over the two previous visits, the Indians were at a seriouspsychological disadvantage. The South Africans, besides being aformidable outfit at home, were also aware that they had bearded theirrivals in their own den, sweeping a two-Test series in India 20 monthsago. Secondly, the visitors were badly affected by the pre-Test tourgame being washed out. The right build up is all-important, and a oneday competition is hardly the right way to prepare for a Test series.Moreover, there was nothing in India’s recent away record in Zimbabweand Sri Lanka to inspire confidence.When a team has so many factors going against them, it is imperativethat nothing is done to weaken the side further. The strongestpossible outfit must be played, the batsmen and bowlers must do theirjob in exemplary fashion, and half-chances have to be taken in thefield. Then, with some luck, maybe the Test can be saved.Unfortunately, things did not quite work out that way. True, eve-ofthe-match injuries to Sameer Dighe and Harbhajan Singh were, as thecliché goes, circumstances beyond anyone’s control. But Dighe couldnot have done any better than Deep Dasgupta, who in fact had a fairlygood match, and Harbhajan’s presence would not have made muchdifference to the final result. So marked was the difference betweenthe two sides in their approach that, at most, the victory marginmight not have been so wide and the match might have gone to the fifthday. For, if anything, the problem lay more with the batting than thebowling.True, the bowling was generally way off the mark. When the bowlersconcede a total of 563, it does put pressure on the batsmen. Certainlythe bowling quartet ­ three of whom conceded over 100 runs each andthe fourth gave away 98 ­ will not remember Bloemfontein with anysense of pride or satisfaction, even though Javagal Srinath emergedwith some credit. But then, what are the other options available tothe team management? The attack has to have two seamers and twospinners, and this would have been the case had Harbhajan been fit.But the seam attack is so weak that Anil Kumble and Harbhajan wouldhave to be at their absolute devastating best to do an adequate coverup job. Kumble would have to rework the Kotla magic of 1999 andHarbhajan the kind of wonders he pulled off against Australia earlierthis year. Unfortunately, as everyone knows, these are once in alifetime achievements.And now to the batting. I wonder whose bright idea it was to ask RahulDravid to open the batting. He is not a guinea pig to be tested in arole in which he has already shown his distaste and in which positionhis record is woeful. In the past, the guinea pigs were players likeNayan Mongia and MSK Prasad ­ and even VVS Laxman before he came goodin the middle order. Since when are highly successful middle-orderbatsmen, established players who are among the top two or threebatsmen in the team, with an average of 50 plus, used for lab tests?Let us stop these foolish experiments pronto. A specialist openingbatsman has been picked for the tour. Does he not deserve a chance?A disturbing point to ponder over is that there are not many optionsfor the team management as regards the composition of the finalplaying eleven. In the absence of an all-rounder, the only two choicesare six batsmen and four bowlers or five batsmen and five bowlers.Both options are fraught with danger given the Indian team’sinconsistency. But having gone in for the first choice and lost badly,perhaps there is no way out but to opt for the second choice, hope forthe five bowlers to dismiss South Africa twice, and hope that the fivebatsmen avoid the mistakes they made in the first Test. Or is thishoping for too much?

Having shown glimpses of fine form in his previous match, Jammu &Kashmir batsman Kavaljit Singh translated it into a big knock againstServices on Day One of their Ranji Trophy league match at Delhi.Winning the toss, Jammu & Kashmir opted to bat, a departure from thepolicy they have being following of late. They were rewarded for thisexperiment, however, as Sabir Kanth and Kavaljit batted resolutely toreach a score of 237/1 by stumps.Although opener Raju Sharma departed early, Kanth and Kavaljit put on217 runs for the second wicket. Kanth, the slower of the two, wasunbeaten n 69 off 268 balls, while Kavaljit had made more than doublethat score. He was on 148 off 254 balls at the close of play.

Nashua WP selectors have named a fifteen man squad to play the Titans and Boland in Standard Bank matches this week.

MEDIA RELEASE:NASHUA Western Province Squad Vs Northern TitansNewlands 26th December 2001ANDNASHUA Western Province Squad Vs BolandB.O.E. Park 28th December 2001STANDARD BANK CUP:NASHUA Western Province Squad:1) Graeme Smith2) Neil Johnson3) Andrew Puttick4) Hylton Ackerman ( C )5) Ashwell Prince6) Jonathan Trott7) Lloyd Ferreira8) Alan Dawson9) Thami Tsolekile10) Renier Munnik11) Roger Telemachus12) Charl  Willoughby13) Paul Adams14) Quentin Friend15) Paul HarrisCricket Manager:  Vincent Barnes: Eric SimonsARTHUR TURNERCEO – WPCA

A brave fight-back by Zimbabwe’s adhesive openers on the third day of thefinal Janashakthi National Test match saved the visitors the ignominy offollowing on and sent Muttiah Muralitharan to bed still dreaming of his400th wicket.Stand-in opener Stuart Carlisle and Trevor Gripper had frustrated Sri Lankafor three and a half hours as they posted a record 153 first wicket stand.However, on the brink of tea, Sri Lankan skipper Sanath Jayasuriya luredTrevor Gripper out of his crease for a stumping that triggered an all toofamiliar collapse. Five wickets fell for 18 runs and suddenly Zimbabwe,still 47 runs adrift, looked unlikely to avert the follow-on.But the experienced pair of Grant Flower and Heath Streak then batted outthe remaining 84 minutes before the close, saving the follow-on in theprocess, to leave the visitors on 230 for five with their best chance of adraw so far in the series.Indeed, Zimbabwean captain was bullish afterwards: “Who knows, we might beable to get in front of them and then the whole pressure will reverse. Wewill be hoping for a big partnership from Heath (Streak) and Grant (Flower)and than have Dion Ebrahim and Douglas Marillier still to come.”He was delighted with the spirit displayed by his side during the firstthree days: “It was very clear in our minds that we had to come out here inthe third Test meaning business so that we could finish going in the rightdirection. There was plenty to gain with the forthcoming tour of Indiaaround the corner.”The key to the opening pair’s success was twofold. First, the pitch may havepowdered, but it was so slow and low that it was rarely dangerous,especially during the first half of the day after the deadening effect ofthe heavy roller before play.Second, they learned from their early encounters against Muralitharan andemployed a simple but effective strategy against the off-spinner. Rarely didthey go back and only reluctantly was a big shot aimed. Patience was the keyand they didn’t give two hoots for the miserly run-rate.Nevertheless, Muralitharan, wheeled away almost without a break as his team,the crowd and the sponsors, who had bedecked the stadium with celebratoryballoons, willed him on to the 400 mark.He bowled an exhausting 47 overs in the day with up to six squawky closefielders breathing down on the batsman’s toes. He beat the bat frequentlyand greatly impressed umpire David Sheperd, who looked on eagerly like achild at his first magicians show, but increasingly looked unlikely tobreakthrough.At the other end Jayasuriya relied mainly on his pace bowlers, but theyfailed to swerve the old ball as dangerously as had been hoped and theZimbabwean pair crawled onwards.Zimbabwe scored 73 runs in the morning and then raised the tempo slightly inthe afternoon, as they passed the previous best opening partnership of 113against Sri Lankan compiled by Grant Flower and M.H. Dekker in 1994/5.Zimbabwe’s all-country first-wicket record (164 by Dion Ebrahim and AlaisterCampbell against West Indies last year) also looked in danger as Carlislemoved past his previous Test best (62 not out) and Gripper plodded towardshis second Test century.But, belatedly, Jayasuriya decided the time had come for his skidding,low-armed darts. Gripper greeted him with a lofted drive before beingstumped for 83 minutes before tea.Suddenly, fresh life was breathed into the previously despondent Sri Lankansand Craig Wishart (1) succumbed when he shouldered arms to a straight ballfrom Jayasuriya.After tea the slide continued. Carlisle was finally pinned to his backfootby Muralitharan to be adjudged lbw for 64 and Jayasuriya had Gavin Rennie(7) snapped up at short led.Five minutes later Andy Flower had edged Muralitharan to second slip -wicket number 397 – and supporters started preparations for the 400celebrations. But, as Carlisle said afterwards: “They will have to put awaytheir balloons for another day.”

A statistics student with an interest in demography could have taken it on as a case study. What percentage of Nagpur-ites, with India in a strong position and Sachin Tendulkar undoubtedly looking for quick runs on a Sunday morning, cancelled plans of going boating or amateur orange picking and instead packed picnic lunches before making a beeline for the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium?A less exhaustive prospect for research would be to ask what percentage of the stadium crowd was disappointed that Sanjay Bangar acted as understudy for Tendulkar on the fourth morning. After three days of batsmen grinding out runs reluctantly, Bangar’s stroke-play could not have been more welcomed than five-star A-grade manna to a famished Moses.Tendulkar scored only 39 runs on the day, and it is not often that he contributes as many out of a stand of 110. More credit, then, to a man whose selection ahead of Virender Sehwag expended much newsprint across the country. Fresh from a double century on the domestic circuit, Bangar made his maiden Test hundred in only his second match, batting with a quietude that many hardened veterans would find tough to match.The century almost did not come, however, as India lost both Tendulkar (176, 316b, 23×4) and Zaheer Khan (0, 2b) with the score on 547, Ray Price scalping the little master to get his second five-wicket haul in Tests. Anil Kumble, however, hung around for 15 balls and added 13 runs, enabling Bangar to get to three figures. Sourav Ganguly declared on 570/7 as soon as Bangar hit his 100th run off his 155th ball; his knock featured 12 boundaries, many of them just chipped cleverly over the infield, and two sixes.Zimbabwe faced a deficit of 283 runs, a situation that shut out any thoughts of victory from their minds. Their openers, then, played accordingly; Stuart Carlisle, in fact, looked positively dashing in comparison to Trevor Gripper, who seemed to have decided that it was time for all stolid men to come to the aid of the party. Carlisle’s innings, however, ended just after lunch when a Zaheer Khan delivery pitched outside leg and rapped him on the pads. Umpire Venkataraghavan upheld the loud appeal, and India had gotten rid of their first-innings thorn in the side.Gripper and Alistair Campbell almost saw their side through to tea safely, Campbell in particular looking comfortable against spin and rapidly outpacing his companion. In the last over before tea, however, he failed to get to the pitch of a Kumble delivery; the ball struck the shoulder of his bat and VVS Laxman completed an easy catch at first slip.Andy Flower’s tenure at the crease in the second innings was less momentary that the first, but he always looked shaky and vulnerable, his confidence dented by his recent lean patch. His dismissal loomed not too far on the horizon, and when he was caught by Rahul Dravid at short leg off Kumble, he had made 8 off 41.With Gripper still propping up one end, Gavin Rennie played with some elan, pulling out the sweep shot to good effect against Kumble and Tendulkar. He struck three fours, all swept to square leg or mid-wicket, and rotated the strike nicely otherwise. But just when it looked like the pair would walk out the next morning unscathed, Kumble struck again, having Rennie caught by substitute Virender Sehwag at short leg.India could not get rid of night-watchman Price before the close of play, even though Ganguly stationed, at one point, seven men around the bat. Or perhaps he reasoned that close-in fielders had a chance of taking any catches that Deep Dasgupta grassed; three chances went down today behind the stumps.Zimbabwe start the final day precariously perched on 152/4. They can still pull off a draw in this match, and that will be a creditable achievement indeed. Gripper looks in the mood to bat implacably for another day, and Price, Grant Flower, Heath Streak and Travis Friend can hardly be called mugs with the bat. But India hold two aces Kumble and the unlucky Harbhajan on a pitch that is increasingly lending itself to turn.

If there was any doubt that early 2002 is the time of a changing of the guard in Australian cricket, then today’s developments represent the most indisputable evidence of all.The decision of national selectors Trevor Hohns, Allan Border, Andrew Hilditch and David Boon to relieve Steve Waugh of the country’s one-day international captaincy is a clear statement of their determination to start rejuvenating a team that is showing signs of fraying at the edges.It also signals that no player is potentially immune from their axe. Because, if Australia’s most statistically successful long-term limited-overs captain can be dropped, then no-one can assume their position in the team to be safe.This new year started with Australia looking as invincible as ever, its completion of a 3-0 series whitewash of South Africa a comprehensive re-assertion of its superiority over its rivals in the Test arena.But, in the weeks since, it has been impossible not to detect hints of deterioriation in the performances of the country’s limited-overs line-up. Nor to imagine that the decisions of the team’s selectors over the next few months will be anything other than crucial to its hopes of success in the years ahead.In finishing behind both South Africa and New Zealand in the recently-concluded VB Series, Australia not only failed to qualify for a home one-day international finals series for just the third time in 22 years. But its batsmen also struggled to produce large scores on a consistent basis; a number of its biggest names endured lacklustre individual campaigns; and its policy of rotation – of which Waugh has generally been a strong advocate – did not work well.Against that background, impressive performances from a range of players pushing for inclusion in the team helped to foster the sense that some form of renewal might be required.Through this period, the symbolism of thumping wins by Australia ‘A’ – a collection of the nation’s second-tier players – over each of the two touring teams was especially hard to ignore.Outstanding cricket at domestic level from youngsters like Shane Watson, Paul Rofe, Michael Clarke and Sean Clingeleffer, meanwhile, effectively poured cold water on claims from some quarters that Australia might not have the depth to effectively cover the eventual loss of its senior players.The country’s unbeaten run at the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand has been another telling recent development.In itself, Waugh’s swift demise as one-day leader represents a major shock.He has been one of the world’s most distinguished players and it is not as though his recent performances have been in any sense underwhelming. The second-most capped player in one-day international history, he has scored 387 runs at an average of 48.38 in his last 11 innings; guided the side to 22 wins from its last 29 matches; and been far from the worst of its players.Waugh’s ruthlessness, his drive and his iron-willed determination were also crucial factors behind Australia’s World Cup wins of 1987 and 1999 and the acquisition of its mantle as the world’s number one side over recent years.Yet pressure was always likely to remain centred on his team for as long as it even gave the impression of toying with decline. And, if the selectors hadn’t detected the message during recent weeks that at least some tinkering with the side was needed, then any ambitions of a successful World Cup defence might as well have been surrendered.It is likely that Waugh won’t be the only player to experience first-hand the impact of such changes. His brother, Mark, is another for whom hope of a sustained career at one-day international level must now be cast in grave doubt. The futures of all-rounders Ian Harvey and Andrew Symonds will doubtless also be carefully considered.But, as captain of the side, the buck has most immediately stopped with him.At some point in the early part of this decade, Australia’s selectors were always likely to have to confront the stomach-churning decision of knowing when to end Waugh’s one-day international career.In attempting to determine exactly how Australia’s limited-overs fortunes will shape up without him, they have decided there is no better time than the present.

MELBOURNE, Dec 28 AAP – All-rounder Craig White is the latest victim of the injury curse that has plagued England throughout this Ashes tour.A scan last night showed White had suffered a tear to his side muscle, meaning he might not bowl for another six weeks.White has been England’s best player in this fourth Ashes Test with three wickets in Australia’s first innings of 6 (dec)-551 and a top score of 85 not out in England’s reply of 270.”It could be six weeks before I’m right to bowl again. We’re going to wait and see after this Test and see how it feels,” he said.”I’ve bowled a few overs on this tour, so I think it’s just wear-and-tear.”White added it was “probably touch and go” as to whether he would be fit to bowl in the World Cup in two months.He said he first felt a twinge on day one of this Test.He needed strapping and painkillers yesterday and bowled at half pace.He also felt pain while playing cross-batted shots in his innings.White felt bowling in his current state would be like asking someone to bat with a broken thumb.He was also doubtful as to whether England would play him as a specialist batsman after his form at the crease in this Test.”That could be the case, but I’m in the team as an all-rounder,” he said.”So if I’m not bowling, I don’t think I will be playing.”Despite this setback, White was pleased with his form on this tour.He was not in the original Test squad and was in Australia to prepare for the one-dayers.White is England’s leading wicket taker with 14 and his unbeaten knock here represented a return to Test batting form.Playing in a Boxing Test also fulfilled a long-standing dream for White.He was raised in Australia, wearing his England T-shirt 20 years ago as he watched the tourists win the Boxing Day Test by three runs.After two matches for Victoria in 1990 as an off-spinner, White moved to England and made his Test debut in 1994.”It’s gone well personally, I was in Adelaide just to prove my fitness for the one-day tour … it’s nice, a good feeling,” he said of this tour.