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Zaheer Khan, India’s left-arm fast bowler, will take time to regain full fitness according to Venkatesh Prasad, the bowling coach.”I have been talking to him (Zaheer),” Prasad said. “As far as I am concerned, when you get a break, you have to work that much harder to get back into rhythm. He is working hard on fitness and bowling. It will take time.”Prasad also said that Anil , the Test captain, and Gary Kirsten, the newly appointed coach, will take a decision on whether Zaheer needs to be a part of the team for the first two Tests against South Africa starting March 26.Zaheer dropped out of the team after the first Test against Australia last year with an ankle injury, and has since visited the Centre for Sports Medicine in Johannesburg for rehabilitation.”When you are coming back after injury, you need to be slightly cautious as to how you are going to push,” Prasad said. “Zaheer is working hard on his fitness and slowly raising the load factor and am sure he will be fit for the Test matches.”Prasad also confirmed that he had formally signed on as coach with IPL’s Bangalore Royal Challengers and said that he had not heard from the BCCI in this regard. “I have no communication with board about this (IPL). I personally feel it should be OK.”The Indian Board had earlier told Cricinfo that they were yet to take a decision on allowing the Indian coaching staff to tie up with IPL teams, fearing a clash of interests.Prasad was speaking to reporters along with Bangalore’s IPL captain Rahul Dravid and their Chief Cricket Officer Martin Crowe hours before the Royal Challengers officially launched their team.While Crowe said Dravid would “reignite the great skills he has got in Test cricket in Twenty20”, the former India skipper said he was excited about “the chance to share a dressing room with international stars like Jacques Kallis”.”We are very conscious of the fact that they are going to come at the last minute because of international commitments,” Dravid said. “It is going to require some interesting moments. We are conscious of that fact that we wanted to pick people who will believe in the concept of a team, who gel well. We had a chance to interact with some of the players we picked, and all are excited to be part of it.”Among Bangalore Royal Challengers’ overseas signings are Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Cameron White and Misbah-ul-Haq.

Darrell Hair, the Australian umpire at the centre of the Oval controversy last month, has hit out at suggestions that his decisions which led to the forfeiture of the Test were hasty, and, even worse, motivated by racism. In a detailed interview in , Hair said he was forced to intervene because he absolutely had to, and that there were no other extraneous factors which influenced his decision-making.”The umpires intervene only when they decide the game is not being played within the spirit of the game,” Hair said. “People will tell you in matches I have umpired in the past 20 years that I have shown considerable restraint. There have been many times when official action could have been taken but wasn’t because you try to control the issue and resolve it on the pitch.”All good umpires will have a quiet word rather than jump in. I prefer the principle of non-intervention. That is a preferable route compared with someone making a song and dance about something that could be resolved quietly. But the decision to intervene finally depends on the seriousness of the matter.”Hair also said he was deeply hurt by accusations of racism, and by comments that his offer to the ICC – that he would quit umpiring if offered 250,000 pounds – were motivated by personal greed.”It really upsets me when people describe me as racist, because they have no idea how I spent my childhood and how that shaped my beliefs in adult life,” said Hair. “How can people judge me to have prejudices when I went to school in Australia alongside Chinese children, Hungarian refugees and all manner of other nationalities? I grew up in Orange, in central New South Wales, living next door to a large family of Aborigines. I had some of my happiest times playing rugby and cricket with the children. They were like brothers and sisters to me.”It’s particularly hurtful when I count as some of my closest friends the Pakistan umpires Aleem Dar and Asad Rauf, and the Sri Lankans Asoka de Silva and Peter Manuel. We are men from different cultures drawn together by the game of cricket. We exchange views and I have always found men of that calibre tremendously supportive.”Denying the charge of greed, Hair said: “Money has never been a driving force in my career as an umpire. No umpire I know does it for money. I can honestly say I am earning less than half I could have commanded in salary had I stayed in the private sector as sales manager of a clothing manufacturer in Melbourne.”Hair also admitted that some of the comments made after the incident had upset him and Amanda, his wife. “Amanda has been affected by this,” he said. “Normally she is very strong, an implacable woman. I think it has affected her because she knows a lot about cricket. She has spent a lot of her time on cricket committees and has a passion for the game herself. Some of the ill-informed comments made have upset her deeply. No matter how much I tell her not to worry, she does worry because she does not like to see what she perceives as injustice.”Despite all the controversy, Hair maintained that he was gratified by the amount of support he had received. “I can honestly say that all the letters, emails and text messages I have received have been supportive. The vast majority of people who have written, I have never met. A lot of them clearly do support the role of the umpire. None of the letters have been abusive. The messages I have received from official cricketing bodies around the world have been very encouraging.”Hair has had controversial moments with the teams from the subcontinent in the past as well, but he insisted that he enjoyed officiating there. “Pakistan is particularly receptive to a visiting umpire like myself,” he said. “Their idea of a venue for a chat about umpiring is one of their wonderful restaurants. They are very hospitable people and the discussion goes on all night. The subcontinent has so many happy memories for me and officiating in that region has been instrumental in improving many aspects of my umpiring.”The hearing against Inzamam will take place on September 27 and 28, and the outcome could well determine if Hair continues as an international umpire. “My wish is to carry on and enjoy the rest of my career as an umpire,” Hair clarified. “That is what I would like to do. My contract runs to April 2008. After that, who knows? How I am involved in cricket after that date is in the mixing bowl.”

Shahid Afridi has announced a temporary ‘retirement’ from Test cricket. In an announcement that caught many in Pakistan by complete surprise, Afridi said that he was planning to concentrate only on ODI cricket to ready himself for the World Cup in 2007. But, in a typically Pakistani twist, Afridi said that he would reconsider his ‘retirement’ from Tests after the World Cup.Speaking to Cricinfo, Afridi played down the news: “It’s not such a big decision. I want to concentrate on one form of cricket till the World Cup and that is ODIs. I will reconsider the decision to play Tests after the World Cup. As it is there aren’t too many Tests till the World Cup so it isn’t such a big deal.” Pakistan are due to play at least nine Tests between now and next March.Afridi cited a variety of reasons for his decision, though foremost among them, he blamed the increasing workload on the modern international player. “There’s just too much cricket happening at the moment. The international schedules are completely packed and there is hardly any time off. It’s all good that we earn good money but there is just too much cricket.” Afridi added he wanted to spend more time with his two daughters and his family, something “I haven’t been able to do for some time.”Pakistan has just finished a full, cramped home season with two full series against England and India, followed almost immediately by the tour to Sri Lanka. In between, many of the national team’s players were contracted to appear in the domestic Twenty20 tournament and though there is a break in the schedule till June, when they fly out to England, they are due to play two ODI matches later this month in Abu Dhabi against India. Afridi missed part of the ODI series against India with a side strain.He had been thinking about the decision for a few months and is thought to have decided finally, only after consultations with some close friends earlier this evening. “I have been thinking about it seriously since the series against England. I was thinking of doing it then, but with India coming over so soon after, I decided to hold back until that series was over.Typically, given the situation, there has been speculation that he had taken the decision after having been dropped from the last Test against Sri Lanka in Kandy, a Test Pakistan ultimately won. One senior journalist told Cricinfo that Afridi had been angry with the team management over his axing and decided, in the heat of the moment, to `retire.’ Television commentators had also expressed considerable surprise over the decision and given how valuable a Test player he had been since his recall, the reaction wasn’t a surprise. Afridi though was quick to deny this: “No, absolutely not. There was no pressure, no spat. It is just too much cricket and that is it. It is not a permanent thing anyway.” Afridi earlier told a local television channel that he hadn’t yet informed the PCB of his decision although he had discussed it with Inzamam-ul-Haq, who told him he would respect any decision taken. Inzamam told “I would not like to create any pressure on him to do something he does not want to do at this stage.”The format he has chosen to take retirement from is particularly surprising given that in the last year, Afridi has become one of Pakistan’s most valuable Test players. In fact, since his recall to the Test squad in January last year against Australia, in ten Tests, he has averaged 47.44 with four hundreds and three fifties. Some of his innings, such as the 58 against India in Bangalore last March, have changed the course of the Test and with 23 wickets, he finally appeared settled in the Test side. In contrast, in 43 ODIs since Bob Woolmer’s arrival as coach – when Afridi was recalled to the ODI side – he averages just under 23 with the bat, with only three fifties. His solitary century of course was the 45-ball special against India. But with the ball he has been a revelation and his bag of leggies, offies, wrong `uns and quicker ones has resulted in 51 wickets.Afridi was adamant, however, that he had no regrets over his decision to leave the Test side just when he seemed settled. “I have no regrets, I mean it’s only a temporary decision, but I just want to concentrate on one form of cricket for the moment.” Given the sudden timing of his announcement, however, and the fierce speculation now surrounding the circumstances of his axing from the last Test, it is unlikely that we have heard the last of this.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Short Cuts

England’s bowlers did their level best to atone for another underwhelming batting display, reducing Australia to 4 for 155 in reply to 291, but Mike Hussey and Andrew Symonds batted through to the close of another rain-interrupted day at Sydney, adding another 33 runs in a tricky mini-session to leave their side just 103 adrift with six wickets in hand. Hussey, who suffered his sole failure of the tour at Melbourne last week, was unbeaten on 37 at the close, with Symonds standing firm on 22 alongside him.It was, however, yet another day of Australian dominance in this series, and it was always destined to be as such after a catastrophic morning session for England. After resuming on 4 for 234 overnight, England lost their last six wickets for 57 in 23.2 overs, with only Andrew Flintoff providing any resistance. He was the ninth man out for 89, his highest score of the series.Flintoff had been desperately out of sorts as a batsman on this tour, making just 158 runs in the first four Tests at 22.57. But having found his feet in an unbeaten 42 overnight, he was back to his most solid and reliable in this innings, stroking his boundaries rather than chasing them in the manner that he had done earlier in the tour. But Kevin Pietersen would doubtless sympathise with the lack of support he received – England’s last five batsmen mustered four runs between them.Not even Justin Langer’s second and third drops of the match at third slip could prevent Australia seizing control. Langer reprieved Paul Collingwood in the very first over, bowled by Brett Lee, but Collingwood had added just two to his overnight 25 when Glenn McGrath, armed with the new ball, got one to climb at his outside edge, for Adam Gilchrist to complete a simple catch.Chris Read came and went in an unconvincing hurry. Lee this time found that trampoline bounce outside off stump for Read to fence loosely to Gilchrist again, and with his very next ball, Lee found himself on a hat-trick, as Sajid Mahmood was squared up by a hip-tickler that looped off a leading edge to Hayden in the gully.Harmison hung around for 24 deliveries – long enough for Flintoff to clobber consecutive boundaries off Lee to move into the 70s – but he became Clark’s second victim of the morning (and third of the innings) when he missed an attempted yorker that was zeroing in on leg stump. And once Flintoff had gone, caught behind flailing in vain at Clark, Monty Panesar became the 1000th international wicket for an otherwise out-of-sorts Shane Warne.

Australia’s reply started positively, with Langer crashing four fours in four overs in what could yet be his final innings in Test cricket. He was eventually strangled down the leg-side by James Anderson for 26. It was not the best ball he had received, but it was still a deserved wicket for Anderson, who shared the new ball with his captain, Flintoff, and found a tight line with a hint of movement to concede just three runs from his first five overs.Hayden had hardly played a shot in anger when he was joined by Ricky Ponting, but he came out of his shell as the shine went off the new ball, and helped to add 66 for the second wicket, before wafting inexplicably at a wide one from Steve Harmison, and offering catching practice to Paul Collingwood at second slip. It was a timely wicket for England who were in need of a lift after their morning meltdown, but once Ponting had got into his stride, it seemed nothing could slow the Aussies down.Nothing, that is, except for a run-out. On 45, Ponting pushed Panesar into the leg-side and set off for a suicidal single. Anderson, fielding at mid-on, picked up the ball and threw down the stumps in an instant – Ponting’s second run-out in the 40s against England, to go alongside his infamous Pratt-fall at Trent Bridge last summer. This aberration didn’t look like being quite as costly, however, not even when Harmison, in the midst of an attacking spell, found some extra lift outside Michael Clarke’s off stump to give Chris Read a simple catch behind the stumps.The players immediately left the field for a lengthy rain delay, but upon the resumption, Hussey and Symonds batted resolutely to the close, to ensure that Australia remained on course for their coveted whitewash.

Short CutsShot of the day
Most of the fielders were back for Andrew Flintoff when he forced Brett Leeoff the back foot to one of the few gaps at deep cover. A straight-drivenboundary next ball was also impressive.Wicket of the day
Shane Warne’s lbw of Monty Panesar was not a spectacular dismissal, but itearned Warne his 1000th international wicket.Gaffe of the day
Richard Branson might understand a lot about airlines, but what he knowsabout the Ashes couldn’t be written on a sick bag. While unveiling his planfor keeping the urn in Australia he made more mistakes than a steward on alow-cost carrier.Quote of the day
“Why the **** should we keep them. It’s the Ashes. We’re not playing for abox of chocolates.” Ian Botham

Hampshire’s Rose Bowl will host its maiden Test match in 2011 when Sri Lanka tour England for a three-Test series in May and June. The decision was announced by the England & Wales Cricket Board as they unveiled their schedule for the next three seasons.”This is a truly historic day for The Rose Bowl and Hampshire Cricket,” said the chairman, Rod Bransgrove. “Staff, players, members, supporters, commercial partners, in fact anyone with an association with this fantastic ground can feel a huge sense of pride in what has been achieved.”The Rose Bowl has been fighting for Test recognition for the past four years, and in 2006 it suffered a major setback when Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens jumped the queue to land a prestigious Ashes Test for next summer. There was a feeling that the ground was hamstrung by a lack of direct transport links, not least during the Champions Trophy in 2004, but Bransgrove believes that a corner has been turned.”This is the culmination of an enormous amount of hard work and dedication and yes, it is the fulfilment of a personal dream,” he said. “It is important that this is not seen as ‘mission accomplished’ though, as we fully intend to be a permanent fixture on the Test-match calendar from 2011 onwards.”Bransgrove added: “This allocation of matches was hard-fought and demonstrates that with our new £45million development, turning the ground into the first ever model Test match ground, we are now one of the major sports and entertainment venues in the country. The allocation perfectly matches our proposed development timescale, due for completion in the summer of 2010 and fully tested, well before our historic first Test match in 2011.”The Rose Bowl will become the tenth Test venue in England and Wales, after the decision was reached by the independent Major Match Group, chaired by Lord Morris of Handsworth, and endorsed by the ECB Board which met at Lord’s this week.”We were presented with a more than 200 excellent and professional bids for the ECB major matches until the end of the 2011 season. It demonstrated to us the ever growing strength of international cricket in England and Wales.”We were delighted to note the increasing quality and quantity of world-class facilities provided by our venues,” said Lord Morris. “The MMG examined each and everyone against our balanced scorecard which specifically rewards grounds for the excellence of their facilities. We have nominated the venues that were best suited and most deserved to be awarded the major matches.”

Leicestershire have signed Adam Griffith, the Tasmanian fast bowler, as cover for Mohammad Asif, who is away on national duty, for the remainder of the domestic season.Griffith, 28, was the leading wicket-taker in the 2005-06 Pura Cup season with 45 from nine matches, an aggregate that earned him the state’s Player of the Year accolade. Overlooked by Australia’s national selectors despite his impressive domestic statistics, Griffith’s accomplishments overshadowed the likes of Andy Bichel, Jason Gillespie, Stuart Clark and Michael Kasprowicz.Tim Boon, Leicestershire’s coach, pointed out that Griffith had a point to prove. “Adam still has strong ambitions to play international cricket and believes that the chance to play county cricket gives him the ideal opportunity to strengthen those claims,” he told the ECB’s website. “He is a bowler of proven calibre, but he is hungry to achieve more success to push himself into the frame for a call-up. All the coaches we have spoken to about Adam gave us the green light to proceed with our interest and his Tasmanian team-mate Michael Di Venuto gave him a glowing endorsement.”He will be training with us this week before heading back up north to play his final match for St Annes in the Northern League, but the fact that he has made it his business to get to know his new team-mates really demonstrates his determination to perform well here.”Griffith takes over from Asif, who returned home to attend a training camp ahead of Pakistan’s forthcoming tour of England. Griffith has been slated to make his Championship debut against Gloucestershire at Grace Road.

Bermuda have opted for youth in their side for the forthcoming trip to Kenya and Dubai.The 15-man squad includes five members of the Under-19 team – Malachi Jones, Rodney Trott, Tamauri Tucker, Kyle Hodsoll and Kian Butterfield. Irving Romaine remains as skipper while David Hemp, returning after playing for Glamorgan during the summer, is the new vice-captain.Janeiro Tucker also returns to the squad after missing the European tour, despite again being hauled before the board on disciplinary charges, but there is no place for fast bowlers George O’Brien or Ryan Steede.The squad will depart on October 15 to play two one day matches against Uganda (October 20 and 22), a three-match ODI series and a four-day Intercontinental Cup clash with Kenya. They move on to Dubai on November 5 for a four-day Intercontinental Cup game with the United Arab Emirates.Bermuda squad
Irving Romaine (capt), David Hemp (vice-captain), Dwayne Leverock, Lionel Cann, Jekon Edness, Stephen Outerbridge, James Celestine, Kevin Hurdle, Rodney Trott, Malachi Jones, Tamauri Tucker, Jeneiro Tucker, Kyle Hodsoll, Azeem Pitcher, Kian Butterfield.
Coach: Gus Logie
Assistant coach: Herbert Bascome
Manager: Lionel Tannock
Physio: Craig Brown

Reserves
Jason Simons, Arthur Pitcher, Dennico Hollis, Khiry Furbert

Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa’s CEO, has criticised the team’s mental strength and inability to build on recent successes following their seven-wicket thrashing by Australia in the World Cup semi-final. A statement issued by him less than 24 hours after South Africa exited the tournament pulled few punches, saying the board was “deeply disappointed in the performance in the semi-final and at the World Cup in general.”South Africa, he pointed out, had failed to reach the final despite being offered assistance of every conceivable kind. “No stone was left unturned over the past two years in preparing them for this World Cup. In addition, they were given a professional support staff of 12 for the World Cup. So against this preparation and support background, we have to find out why they were so inconsistent and put remedial measures in place.”Majola outlined where he felt the team fell down. “Other general weaknesses facing South African cricket lie with mental strength, swing and spin bowling,” he said. “We must remember that this is virtually the same squad that won 13 matches on the trot and established themselves as the world’s best ODI exponents over the last two years. We have to find a way of taking this consistency into tournaments because this World Cup has shown an alarming inconsistency in the performances.”Plans are already in place, he said, to try and solve the problems. “We are dealing with these issues at the High Performance Centre. In addition, CSA and the boards of Pakistan and India have agreed to an academy exchange programme.”This will enable us to send a squad of spinners to the subcontinent for specialist coaching and for selected batsmen to learn to play spin in those conditions. Pakistan and India will then be able to use their bowlers and batsmen to train in our quicker conditions.”

Scorecard
How they were out