Lara and Inzamam vow to return to cricket

The cricket World Cup held every four years brings unprecedented honour and pride for the winners and varying degree of joy for the teams reaching the semi-finals. It causes disappointment to the teams that get ousted in the preliminary round and humiliation to the team hitting the bottom. The worst effect of every World Cup competition is the massacre of some outstanding players whose ouster takes away lot of thrill and excitement from the game. The bottom teams lose faith in their players and adopt the tedious process of rebuilding their squads by inducting young players. They ignore the facts that the world-class teams are not rebuilt in a year or even in four years and that there being ‘no short cut to experience’, showing the door to senior players is a costly exercise.

The World Cup 2007 caused a lot of casualties, the top among them being the two skippers, Brian Lara and Inzamamul Haq. Since they were not yet the ‘spent force,’ not only that they have a burning desire to stage a come back, even the cricket lovers around the globe wish them to renounce their retirement and take the field to enthrall them with their magnificent stroke play.

In a recent statement, Lara stated that despite the fact that he was instrumental in bringing many victories to the West Indies, there was a group of self-seekers in the team who did not like his presence in the side. He was in his top form and sincerely felt that he could play for another 3-4 years. The World Cup disaster combined with the displeasure of this gang compelled him to announce his retirement. There is no doubt about the greatness of Lara. He was the top batsman with the highest scorers in Test cricket and also for creating some world records. Such players are born once in a century.

His Pakistani counter-part Inzamam is a player of no lesser merit. Having scored 8813 runs in 119 Test matches including a triple century that made him the second Pakistani to do so after Hanif Muhammad rendered him eligible for placement in the distinguished category of world’s cricketers. He was not wholly responsible for the Pakistan team’s World Cup disaster. To some extent the team management and the board were evenly responsible for the fiasco. There may have been some lapses in his command and control and possible flaws in tactical handling of the team but as a player he was certainly not yet down the hill. The pressure of unexpected disaster combined with the media hype and criticism compelled him to resign from captaincy as well as one-day cricket.

As for the Test cricket he considers himself fully fit to continue. He is only 20 runs short of Javed Miandad’s Test total of 8832 runs. Inzamam has a burning desire of not only crossing this figure but also achieving the land mark of 10,000 runs in Test cricket, that will certainly be an honour for Pakistan. Having made his intentions clear, he is not only practicing regularly but also attending a gym to keep him physically fit. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has, however, not yet given a positive response to Inzi’s desires, aims and objectives. Initially, they were very reluctant to have him back in the game. With a slight change of heart, the selection committee has now linked his return to Test cricket with his form and fitness. Knowing the calibre of the young crop of players, one does not find an outstanding youngster to replace Inzamam in the Test side. It will thus be in the best interest of Pakistan cricket to let him be a part of the Test XI. The two great players’ vow to return to cricket is luring them towards the Indian Cricket League (ICL) planned to be staged in India in October 2007. The contest is a purely private venture sponsored by India’s biggest media firm, Zee Telefilms. The Twenty20 tournament will be an international sort of a competition between six teams composed of two Indian internationals, four overseas players and eight juniors in each side. The ICL organising committee is approaching the former top players of the world to participate by offering lucrative financial terms. Although not approved by the BCCI, the contest has stirred the cricket world by evoking visions of a Kerry Packer style circus.

Lara who is a free man since his team’s defeat in the World Cup was the first foreign player to enlist himself with the ICL while Inzamam is still considering the offer. When questioned on the subject he remarked, ‘they have been in touch with me and I am considering the offer. If the terms are right, I will play’. The ICL has also invited a few more Pakistani players who are not a part of the present team. The PCB has, however, forbidden the contracted players from playing in this contest but has kept the door open for the ex-internationals. Still it is a dicey situation for Inzamam. He must get proper clearance from the board. Considering his future plans of returning to Test cricket, he should not take any risks. Among other internationals, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Stephen Fleming have accepted the offer while Jonty Rhodes is considering the same. While Kapil Dev is a director, Tony Greig and Dean Jones are members of the ICL Board. Explaining the aims and objectives of the contest Kapil said that the idea was to spread the game and give players an opportunity to make a living. I, however, feel that it is a wonderful means of promoting veterans’ cricket at international level.

Sledging healthy for cricket: Andy Bichel

London, Aug. 3 (PTI): Far from being a menace, sledging is a "healthy" way of putting the opposition off their game, feels Australian pacer Andy Bichel.

"I think sledging is healthy for the game. I don't really call it sledging - at the end of the day it is gamesmanship," Bichel was quoted by 'The Guardian' as saying.

"These mind games will always go on when you are out there fighting for your country. There is a lot at stake," he added.

However, Bichel admitted that taking things too far can backfire and players should know where to draw the line.

"...you have to be careful as it can all too easily be portrayed in the wrong light with the number of cameras on the players able to play everything back from all different angles," he explained.

"I have never agreed with personal sledging, no Australian has, but everyone will try to throw another cricketer off their game if they can. The only two people who actually know whether something has gone too far are those involved out on the field," he added.

Referring to the jelly bean prank played on Indian pacer Zaheer Khan by England during the second cricket Test at Trent Bridge, Bichel said the episode was a perfect example of how sledging can backfire.

"In the second Test at Trent Bridge the sledging may have fired Zaheer Khan up. It can work in a bowler's favour because they have six chances to then get the sledging batsman out in every over and it only takes one bad shot."

"The sledging probably did backfire, but the conditions were in his favour and very few batsmen in the world would have been able to handle that situation," Bichel said.

Cricket: Curry aims to spice up North West showpiece

The biggest crowd of the season - including Ireland internationals in Belfast - will converge on Eglinton over the next two days for the Northern Bank Senior Cup final between Limavady and Glendermott.


Limavady, captained by the legendary Decker Curry, will be favourites because of the strength in depth but Hasan Raza, who played Test cricket for Pakistan at the age of 14, is in the Glendermott line-up and is hot favourite to be the top individual scorer in the match.

Unlike their counterparts in the Northern union and Leinster, North West still play four limited overs innings in the cup final and with huge neutral support it is still proving as popular as ever.

With the bating on both teams much superior to their bowling, a high-scoring final is promised and the attraction of the best batsman playing for the underdogs sets up a showdown which will not be as clear-cut as the last cup final meeting between the teams in 2003, when Limavady won by 10 wickets.

The action today and tomorrow starts at noon.

Lord's, London Home of Cricket, to Host Skating, Shakespeare

Aug. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Lord's is prepared to become more than just the ``Home of Cricket'' by opening the 193-year-old London stadium to public skaters, tennis players and Shakespearean actors, its owner said.

``We need to be more inclusive,'' Keith Bradshaw, chief executive officer of the Marylebone Cricket Club, or MCC, which owns Lord's, said in an interview. ``I aspire for us to be like a Nike brand.''

International match day at Lord's in north London has been central to the U.K. sports calendar for more than a century, luring some of the top names in finance and entertainment. MCC members, who wear ``egg and bacon'' yellow-and-red striped ties and blazers, include former Vodafone Group Plc CEO Christopher Gent, ex-Prime Minister John Major and rock star Mick Jagger.

Bradshaw wants to open a store selling Lord's apparel such as straw panama hats on London's Oxford Street and to build a temporary ice rink for the public this winter. The MCC needs to increase sales outside cricket because the 28,000-seat Lord's stadium may lose one of the two elite five-day matches it stages every year. The venue makes about a third of its annual sales of 25 million pounds ($51.1 million) from such so-called Tests.

A private box at Lord's, which can accommodate 18 people and includes a buffet-style lunch, cost as much as 7,500 pounds for last week's Test against India. The cheapest ticket is 40 pounds.

New Locations

The England & Wales Cricket Board has earmarked Cardiff and Durham as new venues in a bid to spread matches around the country. The board's agreement with Lord's expires in 2009.

``I'd be a fool not to think there's a danger'' of losing a Test match, Bradshaw said. ``We're trying to remind people that this is where Test cricket should be played.''

Bradshaw, a 43-year-old Australian, is the first non-English chief executive of an organization that began as a gentlemen's social and gambling club in 1787 and is now synonymous with English cricket. Until 10 years ago, national team players wore the MCC colors on the field during overseas tours and before 1998 the only woman allowed in the pavilion during play was Queen Elizabeth II.

As part of his vision to make Lord's a brand as recognizable as Nike Inc., the biggest maker of athletic shoes, Bradshaw set up a ``Master Plan Working Party'' to look into proposed redevelopments.

``I have a very heavy responsibility in terms of shaping the future both in a traditional sense and a commercial sense,'' said Bradshaw. ``The members will embrace change as long as they have input into that change.''

Archery, Shakespeare

Among the ideas are adding 10,000 seats to the arena, building hotels and apartments, and creating a cricket academy. This summer, matches will be interspersed with international archery tournaments and a production of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. The venue's first cricket contest under floodlights is scheduled for September.

``We have to move with the times,'' David Weston, an MCC member for 20 years, said between sips of pink champagne at the India match. ``I'm not sure about baseball but I think an ice rink and archery would be absolutely splendid.''

Meetings will be held in October to gauge the views of the 18,000 members, who only voted to allow women to join their ranks in 1998. There are limits to what they'll bear, Bradshaw said.

``We're not going to stage an AC/DC rock concert,'' he said. ``But perhaps we could have opera.''

Bradshaw is talking with the Lawn Tennis Association about building a temporary court on the field. Companies may also be invited to stage corporate matches on the Lord's square.

Spiderman, Razorlight

Bradshaw showed his intention to get the message out during England's two Test matches at the ground this summer. He hired an aircraft to fly over London with a banner declaring ``Lord's: Home of Cricket'' and children at the event were offered erasable tattoos bearing the motto.

He also invited `Spiderman' movie actress Kirsten Dunst and her boyfriend Johnny Borrell of pop group Razorlight to join MCC members in their box during May's match against the West Indies.

Dunst and Borrell weren't allowed in the 127-year-old terracotta Pavilion, which is strictly for players and members. Anyone seeking to become a member faces an 18-year wait and must be proposed, seconded and sponsored by insiders.

Haydn Turner, who coaches children's teams at Lord's, backed Bradshaw's plans, so long as they don't turn the ground into ``another Blackpool,'' a reference to the U.K. seaside town known for amusement arcades, roller coasters and low-grade hotels.

``I don't want swings and roundabouts but a tennis court and an ice rink would be a lot of fun,'' he said. ``Cricket on ice? Why not?''

Pakistan consider Proteas venue change

Karachi - Pakistan cricket officials said on Thursday they might move two matches against South Africa from Peshawar and Rawalpindi, but denied any action would be linked to security concerns.

"There may be changes in two venues of one-day internationals in the home series against South Africa but it's an internal decision and has nothing to do with security," Pakistan Cricket Board director of operations Zakir Khan told AFP.

South Africa is due to tour Pakistan in September-October to play two Tests and five one-day internationals.

They were scheduled to take part in a one-day match at Peshawar, where they refused to play in 2003 because of security fears due to its close proximity to Afghanistan.




They are also due to play a match in Rawalpindi, twin city to capital Islamabad, where violence has erupted in the aftermath of a raid on a radical mosque last month that left more than 100 people dead.

Recent reports from South Africa suggested the team had concerns over playing in Pakistan because of the deteriorating security situation.

Cricket South Africa general manager Brian Basson told a newspaper earlier this month that cricket bosses were worried about the situation in Pakistan but their tour was still on.

South Africa have confirmed a tour itinerary in which they play a Test in the southwest city of Karachi, where they also refused to play on security concerns four years ago.

More than 40 people were killed in Karachi two months ago in some of Pakistan's worst political violence.

Khan said the possible venue change was an internal matter.

Meanwhile, a Cricket Australia delegation was in Pakistan to assess security and venue arrangements for next month's A team tour and an under-19 team tour in October.

Pakistan had to play their home series against Australia and the West Indies at neutral venues in 2001 and 2002 as both teams refused to tour the country for security reasons.

New Zealand agreed to tour in 2002 but were forced to cut it short after a bomb blast near their hotel killed 14 people, including French naval staff. South Africa then refused to play any match in Karachi on their tour in 2003.

The Proteas are due to arrive in the last week of September and open the Test series with the first Test in Karachi from October 1. - Sapa-AFP

'Godfather' David English continues cricket aid

David English, founder of the ESCA Bunbury Under-15 festival, held his hands up yesterday and admitted that the seeds of England's "great jellybean mystery" could never have been sown at a Bunbury festival.

"Barging and nasty sniping, vindictive, bully-boy tactics are something we would never condone at a festival," said English yesterday. "Cricket must remain a gentlemanly game, played with humour but in the right spirit. We try and educate our boys that there is no room for sledging in the game."

English, regarded by many senior cricketers in the land as "the godfather of English cricket," oversaw the 21st staging of the Bunbury Festival this year in Kingston-Upon-Hull.

For those 21 years, English cricket's avuncular figure has assisted in the development of 178 15-year-olds going on to play first-class cricket, with 48 of those players earning full England caps. He is still in contact with many of the England senior team.

There were no jelly beans evident during play this year, but there were plenty of visits to the tuck shop at Hymers College in Hull, with play interrupted by rain.

At the close of the festival, when the England under-15 squad was announced, four boys were chosen as Bunbury/Telegraph scholars and they will attend the ECB National Academy at Loughborough University early next year with senior England cricketers.

This is the fifth year of the Bunbury/Telegraph scholarships, and the boys who have attended the week have been greatly influenced by those they rub shoulders with. Several of the scholars are already making their mark. Four years ago, Adil Rashid was the Telegraph 'outstanding player of the tournament,' and he has gone on to become the Amir Khan of English cricket: a knock-out talent with both bat and ball.

Another scholar, James Harris, of Glamorgan, became the youngest cricketer to take 10 wickets in a match, aged 17, for his county on debut earlier this season. Other scholars are also making their mark: Rory Hamilton-Brown has been selected to captain England under-19s, with fellow scholars Stuart Meaker, Greg Wood, Alex Wakely and Billy Godleman also selected for the side.

This year's quartet heading for Loughborough are Adam Davies, a wicketkeeper/batsman, from Brighton College, who has recently set a record score of 177 for his school, to eclipse the 149 mark set by incumbent senior Test wicketkeeper Matt Prior when he was at the College.

The second scholar is Lewis Gregory, a batsman, from Hele's School, Plymouth and Plympton Cricket Club. His top score is 125 and his hero is Michael Vaughan.

Matthew Dunn, a bowler from Bearwood College and Egham Cricket Club, plays for Surrey.

Dunn has best figures of seven for 21 in an eight-over spell.

The fourth scholar is Zafar Ansari, the first Bunbury cricketer to be awarded the scholarship two years running and who was also named England U-15 captain at the closing ceremony. He was 14 when he went to the ECB Academy earlier this year with Joe Root (batsman, Yorkshire), Michael Bates (wicketkeeper, Hampshire) and Nathan Buck (bowler, Leicestershire).

Ansari, who attends Hampton School, is a formidable all-rounder (although he is still the smallest of the four scholars this year), with a career best 145 not out against Cornwall, for Surrey, and figures of 20-6-33-6 for the South against the Midlands in the Bunbury Festival. By all accounts, he has magic not only in his fingers for spinning the ball, but also he is a gifted concert pianist. Some guys have all the luck.

Cricket: World Cup elite target a Cup fillip

The Bob Kerr Irish Cup semi-finals tomorrow will be a not-so-mini World Cup reunion with no fewer than nine of the 15-man squad from the Caribbean involved.


Match of the day is North County, the winners in 2001, '03 and '05 against holders Railway Union and as Paul Mooney, one of those World Cup heroes, put it this week:"Any one of 12 players could win this game."

It is likely it will be more than one but with Andre Botha and the Mooney brothers on one side, not to mention emerging Ireland A all-rounder Reinhard Strydom, up against the Railway quartet of Ireland captain Trent Johnston, Kenny Carroll and the O'Brien brothers plus Roger Whelan, another full international, there is an all-star cast to decide a match which would have graced the final.

Having said that, the other 'semi' is a pretty good second with Ireland's openers in the West Indies, Jeremy Bray and William Porterfield on opposite sides when The Hills face last year's beaten finalists, Rush.

The Hills were the last quarter finalists to be decided but they did it in emphatic style last Friday, beating Malahide by 10 wickets, despite a victory target of 189. Bray scored 109 with seven sixes and 13 fours in his 68-ball century. Patrick Byrne finished 62 not - it was over in 23 overs.





WEEKEND FIXTURES:

TODAY: Ulster Bank Premier League: Bangor v Civil Service North (1.00), Waringstown v Lurgan (1.45).

TOMORROW (12.00): Bangor v North Down, Carrickfergus v Civil Service North, Downpatrick v Lisburn, Instonians v Lurgan, Waringstown v Derriaghy.

Section Two: Armagh v Dunmurry, CIYMS v Woodvale, Cliftonville v Cooke Collegians, Holywood v Muckamore, Laurelvale v Ballymena.

Section Three: Academy v Drumaness, Larne v Dungannon, Portadown v Millpark, Saintfield v Donacloney, Templepatrick v Dundrum.

Section Four: Donaghadee v BISC, Victoria v PSNI.

Bob Kerr Irish Cup semi finals (1.00): The Hills v Rush, North County v Railway Union.

Goldblatt McGuigan Junior Cup final (11.00): North Down II v Lurgan II (Wallace Park).

Intermediate Cup Final: Civil Service II v Derriaghy II (Pollock Park).

SUNDAY (12.00): Ulster Bank Premier League: Carrickfergus v Instonians, Civil Service II Waringstown II.

Section Two: Cliftonville v Holywood, Cooke Collegians v Dunmurry, Woodvale v CIYMS.

Section Three: Drumaness v Millpark, Dundrum v Larne, Saintfield v Academy.