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Shaun Pollock has said any team could fancy their chances at the ICC World Twenty20, because of the quick-paced nature of the game.”It’s too fast,” Pollock told the . “It’s a bit of a sprint. If one-day cricket is an 800-metre race, then Twenty20 is 100 metres.”If you get off to a bad start you can lose the game regardless of who you are playing.”The South African team have been called ‘chokers’ in the past, due to their inability to succeed in the World Cup for the 50-over format. However, Pollock indicated that the possibility was less in Twenty20. “I don’t think there’s really time to choke, everything happens so quickly,” Pollock said. After a infamous rain-rule denied them a final berth at the 1992 World Cup, South Africa have stumbled ever since in the World Cup, having twice missed out against Australia – a thrilling tie in 1999 and a lop-sided contest earlier this year in the West Indies.Pollock was also the captain of the team that had a disastrous tournament at home in the 2003 World Cup, which they exited in the first stage. Many critics felt the commitments to organisers and sponsors distracted the players then, something Pollock said has been avoided this time around. “We are very focused on making sure all our commitments are out of the way.”South Africa wrapped all their media and sponsorship obligations in Johannesburg before they left for a training centre in Potchefstroom, where they are undergoing preparations for five days in the lead-up to the tournament. Australia, winners of the 2003 World Cup, also trained in the same centre ahead of their victorious campaign.”We can go off to Potch and prepare for the tournament for five days leading up, where we just focus wholly and solely on cricket,” Pollock said before the team left. “Hopefully that bears fruit in the time to come. Being the host nation, there are always more commitments, so to get them out of the way and be able to concentrate on cricket is what we’ve learnt from last time.”Pollock also said that he would like to move up the batting order as he felt that four overs of bowling would not be enough for him to feel involved in the game. “It would be nice to be put up the order and be able to express yourself,” he said. “That’s the one bonus. If you were only a bowler in this form of the game it would be pretty depressing.”He also expressed his views on the omission of Jacques Kallis from the team. “It’s obviously a big call by the selectors,” Pollock said. “He has voiced some disappointment and you can understand that. “Kallis has been South Africa’s batting mainstay over the years and was the team’s top run-getter at the World Cup earlier this year. “Usually he’s the first or second name put down on a piece of paper when you’re selecting the side, so he would have been very surprised by the fact he wasn’t included,” Pollock said. “Being a home event, he would have loved to play in front of his own home crowd, so that would have added to the disappointment. The big plus from the way he has reacted is that it answers the question about what the guys think of a Twenty20 tournament.”Pollock said Kallis’ displeasure at not being selected was an indication of the team’s eagerness to perform well at the tournament. “If Jacques, after all the cricket he has played and all he has achieved, is disappointed about not being part of it, then you realise it is going to be a special event. We’re going to be really trying hard to try to win it.”

Habibul Bashar, Shahriar Nafees and Enamul Haque are being added to New Zealand’s squad for the two-Test series starting January 4. The three players will depart on December 28 while four cricketers from the ODI squad will return home after the completion of the ongoing series.As expected, veteran wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud along with ace left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique were ignored for the New Zealand tour with the selectors showing faith in the young wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim and allowing him to continue on tour. The Rafiqul Alam-led selection panel opted for Bashar, Bangladesh’s former captain, Nafees, left-handed opener, and Haque, the left-arm spinner, got the nod over Rafique for technical reason.”We had conditions in mind rather than going for only experience while taking the decision of leaving out two of our most important performers,” Rafiqul said. “Mushfiq is already accustomed to the conditions and his last Test performance in Sri Lanka was also not bad. That’s why we didn’t find any reason to send Mashud despite his good form in the national league and in addition we have yet to get a full fitness report on him.”In Rafique’s case, what we felt was that a spinner like Enamul who can bowl a little slower would be more effective than him. Enamul has already proved his worth as a longer-version bowler and his performance in the national league was also noteworthy.”On the other hand we still believe that Rafique has been completely out of sorts since the last home series against India and his performance in the domestic competition and attitude towards the competition also forced us to take the decision.”The former national player also explained the reason behind the selection of Bashar and Nafees, who got the nod because of his late comeback in the National Cricket League.”The time has yet to come to think about the Test fate of Bashar because we don’t want to forget his contribution as a Test batsman. On the other hand we always believe that Nafees is a very important player for us. We dropped Nafees from the one-day squad because of his woeful performances but he has returned among the runs lately to get back his place.”The second and final Test, also the last match of the tour, starts in Wellington on January 12.

David Smith will take over from Paul Maylard-Mason as Leicestershire’s chief executive in January.Smith, who played for Warwickshire, said: “This is a great opportunity to build on the good work undertaken by the club. In Tim Boon, we have an outstanding cricket coach – he and I share a vision for the club to establish a sustainable development pathway which gives young Leicestershire cricketers the best opportunity to represent their county at first-class level.””David brings a rare set of credentials to the post,” Neil Davidson, the chairman, said: “A successful playing career at first-class level, experience of cricket administration and a successful business career in a highly relevant industry.”

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An unbeaten half-century from Brad Haddin and strong performances from Ed Cowan and Daniel Christian steered New South Wales to a tight four-wicket victory against South Australia at Adelaide. Chasing a healthy 7 for 251, the Blues were cruising half-way through the innings before Darren Lehmann struck twice and Cowan was run-out for 74.However, Haddin, batting at No. 5, quickly re-floated New South Wales with a 47-ball 56 and secured the victory with four balls remaining. The performances of Cowan and Christian, who scored his first half-century, were also important as they replied to a Redbacks total set up by Lehmann.South Australia were in difficulty at 3 for 49 before Lehmann arrived for a 107-run partnership with Callum Ferguson (64). Lehmann, who won the toss and batted, was dismissed in the 49th over for 86 but his effort with bat and ball was not enough to stave off the challenge of Haddin and Co.

Steve Elworthy’s nine-wicket haul spearheaded the Northerns Titans’ 139-run victory over the Highveld Strikers in their Supersport Series match at the Wanderers on Monday.Elworthy swept through the Strikers’ batting order with 5-81 on a final day when the Strikers, chasing a victory target of 421, were bowled out for 281 with 16.5 overs to spare.Elworthy took 4-34 in the first innings, and a consummate bowling performance by the Titans veteran was matched by an equally impressive display with the bat in the Titans’ first innings. Elworthy scored an unbeaten 75 in the innings, earning him the man of the match award.”I think the 75 runs gave me more pleasure than the wickets. It was great to do that in a Derby like this against the Strikers, and I’ve always been lacking with the runs in the past,” Elworthy said.This is the Titans’ second successive victory in the Supersport Series, after they beat the Griqua Diamonds the week before. But while Gerald Dros could not have asked for a better start to their season, his captaincy in this match was called into question. Dros was criticised for an elaborate waste of time in compiling a lead of 420 runs on Sunday, a decision that nearly came back to haunt him on the final day.The Strikers resumed on 30 for one, and put on only 90 runs in the first session. Daryll Cullinan’s dismal performance in this match continued – he was dismissed for 12 on the back of his duck in the first innings. Andre Seymore fared only marginally better with 16 to see the Strikers at 120-3 at lunch.But Zander de Bruyn began rattling the first ghostly chains in Dros’ ear with a defiant 66, including 13 fours off 138 balls and in 182 minutes. De Bruyn and Andrew Hall put on 72 runs for the fifth wicket to further frustrate the Titans.There were still a few flicks of the Strikers’ tail to come. Nic Pothas added a valuable 60 runs off only 97 balls, and shared in a 65-run stand for the eighth wicket with David Terbrugge. But when his wicket fell, Elworthy wrapped up the tail with ease and his captain could breathe again.”We’re still a young side and we’ve got a way to go,” said Dros, preferring not to focus on whether this could turn into a championship season for a side that is one the rise. “If the youngsters can continue to learn as quickly as they have, then I’m sure we’ve got a chance,” said the skipper.

Nuwan Kulasekera and Lasith Malinga, two young fast bowlers from Galle, were the surprise inclusions in the 22-man squad announced today for Sri Lanka’s forthcoming series against England.Kulasekera and Malinga performed well for Sri Lanka in the recent Emerging Trophy tournament against Pakistan and India, and they have carried their form into the current domestic competition. Last weekend the pair combined to help beat title-contenders NCC – who included Hashan Tillakaratne, the Test captain, Kumar Sangakkara and Upul Chandana – by an innings.Meanwhile, Russell Arnold, Nuwan Zoysa, Lanka de Silva, Michael Vandort and Rangana Herath have also been rewarded for impressing on the recent tour to South Africa and Kenya. De Silva has been picked ahead of Prasanna Jayawardene, the wicketkeeper, and may even make it to the starting XI if Romesh Kaluwitharana fails to recover from a hamstring injury.Kaluwitharana has been named in the squad subject to fitness and de Silva, who batted well in South Africa, was chosen ahead of Prassana Jayawardene because of his better batting ability.The surprise exclusion is that of Jehan Mubarak, who scored centuries in South Africa and Kenya. Mubarak’s place has gone to Chamara Silva, a middle-order batsman who has been in the runs this season. “We have got reports that Mubarak is shaping up well and we don’t want to shatter his confidence by playing him too soon," Lalith Kaluperuma, the chairman of selectors, said. "He will be sent to India with the Sri Lanka A team next month and if he shows good form there we will recall him for the Test series against England.”The one-day squad will be picked next week.England, who are currently touring Bangladesh, are due to arrive in Sri Lanka on November 13 for a series of three ODIs and three Tests.Squad Hashan Tillakaratne, Marvan Atapattu, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Romesh Kaluwitharana (subject to fitness), Lanka de Silva, Upul Chandana, Kumar Dharmasena, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dinusha Fernando, Nuwan Zoysa, Nuwan Kulasekera, Chamara Silva, Tilan Samaraweera, Dilhara Fernando, Michael Vandort, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga, Russel Arnold.

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The left-arm spin duo of Suhrawadi Shuvo and Mehrab Hossain jnr captured seven wickets between them to lead the Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy to an innings and 68-run win over the South Africa Cricket Academy in their four-day match at the Shamshul Huda Stadium in Jessore.The South Africans were left to bat out a little less than two sessions on the final day after Bangladeshis declared their first-innings on 507, but they folded up an hour after tea. Nazmul Hossain trapped Sammy-Joe Avontuur, after which Shuvo claimed three wickets in succession as the South Africans fell to 39 for 5. Wicketkeeper Bradley Barnes scored a 59-ball 54 and added 61 runs for the sixth wicket with Richard das Neves (21) but once das Neves was bowled by Mehrab, the Bangladeshis quickly wrapped things up.Earlier, Naeem Islam, who began the final day on 96, extended his innings to 136 while Mushfiqur Rahim struck an unbeaten 53 off 63 balls to take Bangladesh past 500. Dolar Mahmud, batting at No. 9, ensured some late-order fireworks by blasting three sixes in his 26.Bangladesh were in total command on the third day, as they rode on Imrul Kayash’s 151, which featured 25 fours and a six, to amass 319 runs for the loss of four wickets in 92 overs.Prior to that, the South Africans put up 311 in their first innings after the entire first day’s play was washed out. Reeza Hendricks did the bulk of the scoring with 131 off 188 balls and was partnered by Shadley van Schalkwyk (54) in an 84-run fifth-wicket stand. Nazmul, the right-arm seamer, stood out with figures of 4 for 63.

Close Australia 400 for 5 (Ponting 176*, Katich 75, Langer 58) v India
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A scintillating unbeaten 176 by Ricky Ponting was the outstanding performance of the day as Australia made full use of winning the toss at the Adelaide Oval. At close of play on the opening day, they had raced to 400 for 5 – the highest total in a day at this venue, beating Australia’s 387 on the second day against West Indies in 1968-69 – with useful contributions from Justin Langer (58) and Simon Katich (75).Apart from Matthew Hayden, all the Australian batsmen got starts, but Ponting capitalised on it, racing to his hundred off just 117 balls. He slowed down noticeably after reaching 150, despite which Australia finished the day with a run-rate of nearly four-and-a-half an over. All the Indian bowlers toiled – rather unsuccessfully – to beat the daunting combination of a flat pitch, a fast outfield with short square boundaries, and an awesome opposition batting line-up.Coming in at the fall of an early wicket, Ponting started off with an all-run four down the ground, before peppering the square boundaries on the off side with some sumptuous drives off either foot. He had a couple of reprieves early in his innings: on 12, a close lbw shout off Ajit Agarkar was turned down, while Virender Sehwag dropped a head-high chance at third slip off Irfan Pathan when Ponting had added just six. Once past those early jitters, though, Ponting didn’t give the Indians much respite.The tone for the day was set early when both the Australian openers drove through the line of the ball, trusting the even bounce and the lack of movement off the pitch. Sourav Ganguly packed the off side, and his bowlers largely stuck to an off-stump line, but the batsmen still threaded the gaps – in fact, every single one of the 16 fours Ponting struck in his first 100 runs were on the off side. Ganguly didn’t help the Indian cause by keeping the third-man region vacant for most of the day.These were ideal conditions for Hayden’s plonk-the-front-foot-and-drive-through-the-line style of batting, but Pathan – making his debut after Zaheer Khan missed out due to a strained hamstring – nailed him with one in the corridor which shaped away and kissed the edge of the bat (22 for 1).The dream start for Pathan and India soon went sour as Ponting and Langer went about their merry ways, cashing in on all the bad balls and sometimes putting away the good ones as well. Anil Kumble was soon pressed into service, but that only inspired Langer to go into overdrive – in one over he smote Kumble for two sixes and two fours. Kumble struck back in his next over, though, when Langer miscued a sweep to Sehwag at midwicket (135 for 2).That dismissal, which came at the stroke of lunch, was some respite for the Indians, but it only meant that one effective run-scorer was replaced by another, more graceful one. Martyn was in fantastic touch from ball one, stroking some gorgeous drives through the covers off Agarkar and Pathan, who, after an impressive first spell, fell away, struggling to find the movement he had obtained with the new ball. A big score was there for the taking, when Martyn (30) threw it away, steering a wide one from Nehra – the first ball of a new spell – to VVS Laxman at second slip (200 for 3).Steve Waugh smote a few through the off side in his 30, but was sorted out by a clever piece of bowling by Nehra. Bowling from round the wicket, he dug a few in short, then slipped in a full-length ball on middle. Waugh, weight on the back foot and probably expecting another short one, played all over the ball as it crashed into his stumps (252 for 4).A feature of this innings was the partnerships that the Australians put together for every wicket, and Simon Katich now joined Ponting to add the biggest one for the day. Katich first dug in, then showed that he could play a few strokes too, the most emphatic of them being a pulled six off Nehra, who came in armed with the second new ball. Galvanised by that shot, Katich raced along, even as Ponting quietened down and seemed to set his sights on his double-century.The 138-run partnership was finally broken off the penultimate over of the day, when Katich top-edged a pull and was caught spectacularly by Sehwag, diving full length and coming up with the ball in both hands (390 for 5). In walked Adam Gilchrist, and promptly dispatched the second ball he faced to the cover fence, and then pulled Kumble for another boundary before bringing up the 400 with the last ball of the day. In four Tests at the Adelaide Oval, Gilchrist has scored a mere 145 runs at 24.16. Time to set the record straight?

The International Cricket Council has dismissed reports from Sri Lanka that the Anti-Corruption & Security Unit has finalised its recent investigations into the Marvan Atapattu cash-in-the-bedroom incident.During England’s recent tour of Sri Lanka, 1.1 million rupees ($24,000) were discovered in a Kandy hotel room that had been occupied some days beforehand by Atapattu, Sri Lanka’s Test vice-captain and one-day skipper. Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the ICC, said that he has written to Sri Lanka Cricket to establish if it had issued any media statement suggesting that the matter had been concluded.”If, as has been reported, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) issued a statement suggesting that this matter has been finalised, I would be concerned,” said Speed. “Not only is it inaccurate to make this suggestion, it is also inappropriate for a Board to usurp the role of the Anti-Corruption & Security Unit, which is an independent body that makes its own judgment about these issues and reports to the ICC.”SLC’s statement, released last Tuesday, stated that members of the Anti-Corruption Unit had met with officials of the board and that “as there was no evidence of any breach of conduct on the part of the player concerned, there was no necessity to conduct an official inquiry.”But Speed disagreed with that interpretation. “This is not an area that is within the jurisdiction of an individual board,” he explained. “If any board made inappropriate or inaccurate comments about the work of the ACSU I would take the matter up directly with the board involved. As far as the inquiry is concerned, Marvan is a widely respected and senior player, and it is important that this matter is thoroughly investigated to establish the full factual situation of what has taken place.”What can be said with certainty at this stage is that the investigation is on-going and that the ACSU is continuing with its inquiries in order to establish these facts. I hope this matter will be resolved quickly.”

Otago 127 for 9 (Todd 46*) v Wellington. Match abandoned
ScorecardCentral Districts v Canterbury. Match abandonedNorthern Districts v Auckland. Match abandonedThe last matches of the calendar year in New Zealand cricket should have been the time when the record books were being sought for relevant happenings in the calendar year. But the more likely consultation going on is seeking when there might ever have been a worse summer than that which is masquerading as the current cricket season in New Zealand.More appalling weather cut out all but one game in the domestic one-day competition, the State Shield, and even the holiday dry spot of Alexandra in the Otago hinterland could not provide a match that went its full duration.Not that the Otago side minded too much. Having chosen to bat first against Wellington at Molyneux Park, they were in deep trouble with only 127 runs on the board and one wicket standing when the last shower of the day put paid to the match.The only shining light was a career-best score of 46 not out for Greg Todd, who has transferred to Otago from Central Districts in a bid to get himself more cricket. All of Wellington’s bowlers managed a slice of the action, but the most successful in personal and team terms was Jayesh Patel, the offspinner. He took 3 for 19, his career-best figures, while James Franklin looked to be regaining some of his best bowling touch with 10 overs that cost him 23 runs and brought him one wicket.Another round of games is scheduled for New Year’s Day, but – you guessed it – the weather forecast is not great then either.