The Pakistan team dished out an appalling performance at Cape Town, casting gloom over an entire nation of passionate cricket. It was not just the defeat, but rather the manner in which it came about that has infuriated all and sundry. The batting line-up failed yet again, proving their incompetency against the swinging ball, something that has been highlighted over the past couple of years. There is no point in making excuses this time, by blaming the conditions under lights at Cape Town. It would be fair to say that batting became a bit tougher under lights, but certainly not difficult enough to warrant the display put up by the Pakistan batting line-up. At the same time full marks to the England bowlers who kept a tight line and deservingly used the conditions to their advantage.Pakistan is a team that consistently throws itself at the mercy of the toss, with a chance of victory only culminating in the event of batting first. The batsmen can only be described as “paper tigers”, simply resting on the laurels of their past achievements. The decision to persist with Shahid Afridi was mind-boggling.In the past six months there has hardly been an occasion where he has crossed the 30 run threshold while starting off the innings. Of greater surprise is that the decision was made at the expense of Saleem Elahi, the only batsman to have showed any proficiency with the bat in the tournament so far. The team management must answer one critical question: is Afridi worth being included for just his bowling capabilities? I believe that he is not a good enough batsman, and picking him as a specialist sixth bowler is ludicrous.The news regarding Inzamam in the media, prior to this match, was even more shocking, where it was announced that he refused to participate in practice as that would make him “more hungry for runs” in the matches, a theory credited to Imran Khan. It was said he tried that on batsmen who were out of form on the field but fine in the nets and the stories say it worked.Surely, if something is going wrong, the net sessions are the ideal place to iron it out, not the match! Saeed Anwar looked scratchy all through, falling over consistently, and was lucky not to have been bowled behind his legs or found leg before much earlier. Youhana got out to a magical delivery, but one fails to understand why he was looking to play his first delivery through mid-wicket, under such evidently bowler friendly conditions? The only thing that brought a smile to the faces of Pakistani fans was the lusty hitting by Shoaib Akhtar at the end, but the match was all over by then.The performance in the field, could be described as two extremes, swinging from brilliance to total disarray. Shoaib Akhtar may have finally proven to the world that he is capable of breaching the 100 mile an hour barrier, but it came at the expense of a wayward and indisciplined spell. His famous yorker was nowhere to be seen, something that has brought him much glory in the past.There are no complaints regarding captaincy on the field though, Waqar kept ringing in the changes and it worked most of the time. Restricting the opposition to 246 on a placid pitch was a reasonable effort, though the bowlers could have wrapped up the innings for under 200 had they shown some urgency. However, in view of the batting performance that may have not been enough anyway.After this crushing defeat Pakistan have nowhere to hide, they must win all their remaining matches (by good margins too), pray for rain to stay away and basically hope for a miracle. The net run rate has been badly damaged by this performance, and in the event of a tie in the points column, Pakistan are likely to suffer either way. If Australia forfeit their match against Zimbabwe, that might deal the killer blow to any remaining chances that Pakistan has.The management needs to re-think their policy yet again. The opening slot requires two genuine batsmen, and at the moment Saleem Elahi is badly needed. Anwar may look in some sort of form, but we have limited options, so they will have to stick with him. The decision to drop Inzamam will be a hard one, but it is time to make this tough call, maybe he will be hungrier to bat well again?I consider it pointless to pick individuals on past reputation as it doesn’t get the team anywhere in the present situation. If Pakistan somehow manage to squeeze their way to the Super Six, maybe Inzamam might be geared up for the challenge at that point. That leaves Taufeeq Umer as the only option, and the team will have to figure out where to slot him in the batting order. Youhana needs to get in at three, and there are no two ways about it!At this point in time its hard to have a positive outlook on future games, but there is a lot to play for, and pride is right at the top of that agenda!Ed: If readers wish to correspond with the author, please email Taha Noor

Cricket fans can now purchase their tickets for the Cable & Wireless 2003 Cricket Series involving West Indies, Australia and Sri Lanka, and get a chance to win a brand new Suzuki Vitara XL7!This year, the West Indies Cricket Board and series sponsors, Cable & Wireless, are running the “” promotion.One fortunate patron from each venue hosting a match in the Cable & Wireless 2003 Cricket Series will have an opportunity to drive away with the Suzuki Vitara XL7 during the First Test against Sri Lanka in St. Lucia.Game pieces are available with the purchase of tickets for matches in the Cable & Wireless 2003 Cricket Series and entries close on Sunday, June 1.On Tuesday, March 18, all regional ticket offices will start selling tickets for the six Tests and 10 limited-overs internationals.So hurry, , and get your tickets now!

New Zealand Cricket’s web site, Wisden CricInfo New Zealand, had another record season over the summer.A total of 61,265,127 page impressions were made for the six months from October 1 to March 31.That was up from 47.5 million last year, and ahead of the record of 52.2 million of the summer of 2000/01.December’s traffic on the New Zealand site of 35,558,347 was a record month, ahead of the previous best of 23.2 million recorded in March 2001 when the Pakistan Test series was played here.The January figure this year of 20,452,633 was the third best month in the New Zealand site’s history.Both Test matches against India broke records for the matches most-followed in New Zealand. Previously the second Test against Pakistan at Christchurch in March 2001 with its 8.2 million impressions was the best.However, the first Test against India, at the Basin Reserve this summer resulted in 10,313,781 impressions and the second Test at Hamilton 12,383,355!The fifth One-Day International, played at Wellington and which saw 4,575,738 impressions broke the record for ODIs of 3.4 million for the fifth and deciding match against Pakistan in Dunedin in February 2001.A feature of the season was the 943,699 impressions for the World Series of Women’s Cricket.Each of New Zealand’s domestic association had increases on their sites during the summer which produced a net overall increase of 60%.Northern Districts increased by 174%, Wellington 66%, Central Districts 60%, Canterbury 59%, Otago 54% and Auckland 23%.The number of New Zealanders visiting the Wisden CricInfo site is also on the rise. An average of 51,000 unique users were recorded each month during the 2002/03 season, up 6% from 2001/02.

Contrasting centuries from Brian Lara and Daren Ganga gave WestIndies a handy lead by the end of the third day at Bourda. Some moreapplication is needed, though, as the pitch is benign and the new ball,just a few overs old, is swinging appreciably. Australia, who will have asecond bite of that new ball tomorrow morning, are still slightfavourites, although their fallibility in fourth-innings run-chases will beunder scrutiny again.Lara’s was the innings of the day, studded with trademark whippedstrokes and some savage sweeps. He took a good look at the bowling,taking 73 balls to reach 40, but then cut loose ­ sweeping orpull-driving the spinners ­ and sprinted past Ganga, his partner in astand eventually worth 185. It was Lara’s 19th Test century, and one ofhis finest, played under pressure from the match situation and thecrowd, which again gave him a mixed reception when he came out tobat, because he has replaced the local hero Carl Hooper as captain.For a while it was Trinidad v Australia, as Lara and Ganga battedthrough the middle session without being parted. Lara passed 2000runs against Australia on his way to his seventh century ­ and hisfourth in successive home Tests ­ against them. He had reached alyrical 110, with 20 sumptuous fours, when he was out in a peculiarway. He tried to sweep the left-arm spinner Brad Hogg, but the balllooped up off his forearm and was caught by Matthew Hayden, runninground from slip. The fieldsmen appealed for that, but Adam Gilchristhad noticed something even more final: Lara had lost control of his bat,which just brushed the stumps and dislodged a bail (295 for 3).Marlon Samuels didn’t last long, edging Stuart MacGill low to a divingRicky Ponting at second slip (303 for 4). Samuels then nearly featuredin an even odder dismissal than Lara’s. While acting as ShivnarineChanderpaul’s runner, Samuels dozily wandered over the line asGilchrist whipped off the bails with Chanderpaul firmly rooted in thecrease. But the TV cameras were watching the batsman, not the runnerat point, and the case was not proven. Chanderpaul, the first-inningscenturion, lived to fight another day.Shortly after that Ganga’s long vigil came to an end after 511 minutes.Ganga had underachieved in his previous 17 Tests, making only threefifties and sometimes struggling to get the ball off the square. Buttoday, in his first home Test, he found his feet and moved them smartlyto the pitch of the ball. He happily played second fiddle to Lara, butoccasionally unrolled a classic cover-drive or perky pull. He extendedhis maiden Test century to 113, with 19 fours and a clunking six off aMacGill long-hop, before he tired of being tied down by Lehmann andchipped to midwicket (295 for 3) ­ a rare case of Darren bewitchingDaren.Lehmann was only bowling because the Australian attack ­ lackingthose 400-wicket men McGrath and Warne ­ had an off day. Therewere more no-balls than usual ­ 18 in all, 10 of them from Brett Lee ­and even the fielding was uncharacteristically leaky. Waugh had atrundle himself, despite having to leave the field for a while to havestitches in the webbing of his left hand after a misfield in the covers.The batsman who inflicted that injury was Devon Smith, the 21-year-oldGrenadian playing in his first Test. A toothy left-hander with a tendencyto forget his feet-movement, Smith’s aggressive 62 included a dozenmeaty fours, the pick of them a perfect straight-drive that whistled backpast Lee before he could react.Smith eventually feathered Jason Gillespie to Gilchrist (110 for 2). Hehad put on 58 with Ganga, and earlier had dominated an openingstand of 52 with Wavell Hinds, who plodded to 7 in 55 balls beforeMacGill turned one across him. He was adjudged lbw by Asoka deSilva although the ball seemed to be turning a long way down the legside. He didn’t have too much to complain about, really ­ in the firstover of the day he was trapped plumb in front by Lee, but de Silvashook his head that time.West Indies are not out of the woods yet: an early wicket or two with thenew ball will expose the injured Ridley Jacobs and that oh-so-flimsytail. But honour has been restored, and at a pretty fair lick of more than3.5 an over. The scoring rates have been so fast in this match that it’shard to believe there are still two days to go. It all means that thereshould still be a result, if the weather holds.

The ECB Southern Electric Premier Cricket League has been sent reeling by a third successive weekend of wet weather.All 17 of Saturday’s scheduled matches were either postponed or abandoned – play did begin on five grounds – leaving clubs counting the cost."I suppose the players did have the consolation of watching Saints in the FA Cup final on television," remarked Premier League chairman Alan Bundy."But, generally speaking, its been a pretty horrendous start, particularly after the superb pre-season weather we enjoyed in March and April, when the pitches would have been hard."Bundy revealed that Saturday’s complete washout meant that 26 out of 47 scheduled Premier League matches so far this season had fallen foul of the elements."And in the 21 matches that actually finished, 12 have been affected by the weather, with games determined by faster overall scoring rates."Worst hit have been 2001 Premier champions BAT Sports, who have so far managed to play just 11 overs and 40 minutes league cricket this season."Our first game at Bournemouth was called off, then the Portsmouth game was abandoned after less than an hour."We mutually agreed that yesterday’s game at Andover could be put back 24 hours so the lads could watch the cup final, but, not surprisingly, London Road was waterlogged after the rain of the previous two days," moaned BAT skipper Richard Dibden.Bournemouth have fared little better, playing – and significantly – beating South Wilts in only one of three scheduled starts.Their visit to Portsmouth on Saturday was postponed, as was Bashley-Rydal’s home game with Liphook & Ripsley.It was Bashley’s first postponement – the Foresters having beaten Calmore, but lost to Havant in a 29-over match.Both of Lymington’s home matches at the Sports Ground have been called off.They were due to have entertained Old Tauntonians & Romsey.New Milton have managed to start both of their Premier Division 3 games, but Saturday’s visit to Havant was abandoned with Milton 118-4 (Richard Wilson 36) after 36 overs.Flamingo’s decision to delay their home match with Waterlooville paid dividends – the Corhampton club winning a low scoring affair by four wickets at The Holt.Dave Wright (5-18) and Stuart Brittan (3-30) combined to dismiss Ville for 70 – a total Flamingo hardly looked capable of bettering when Andy Love (4-18) ran through the top order.But cousins Kevin Brewster (24) and Ian Hitchings (19) lifted Flamingo from a desperate 25-5 to within touching distance of a crucial win.Mr Bundy pointed out that the bad weather hits cricket clubs hard, particularly in the pocket. "Most of the Premier League clubs only open their bars at weekends when there is cricket on."Places like Bashley, Havant, Lymington and Romsey are real social focal points after matches, with players from three or four teams all congregating after games."On a nice summer’s day, the places are buzzing, with vital income going across the bar. No cricket means no money – and that’s worrying," he said.On Saturday, Calmore Sports got started at Lower Bemerton and were 64-2 when their visit to South Wilts was called off after 21 overs.Newly promoted Gosport Borough had reached 44-1 at Sparsholt when the rains came down, while Ventnor were well placed at 107-2 when play against South Wilts II was abandoned.Play also began at Hungerford and New Milton, before the weather took a winning hand.

Simon Jones suggested he could be back playing cricket in two months time as his recovery from a horrific knee injury continues to make good progress.He had a major operation to rebuild his knee in February after he tore the ligaments in the joint during that sickening tumble in Brisbane on the opening day of the 2002-03 Ashes series.Talking in Cardiff after a brief bowl in the nets with his leg heavily-strapped, Jones said: “Things are going well and I’m happy.”Reflecting on the injury, he said: “It was an absolute nightmare but it’s all in the past and I am looking to the future. I’ve had a chat with the physio and the medical staff around here and maybe I could play again at the end of August.”However, after such a serious operation, an August return might be pushing it a bit, and Jones did sensibly offer a note of caution: “If I’m not right I won’t play, but I’ll be looking to go to Australia for the winter.”

It’s amazing what a sporting gesture can do these days. There aren’t many, but Adam Gilchrist’s decision to walk against Sri Lanka in the World Cup semi-final has opened doors for a place in the corporate world.It was announced today that Gilchrist has joined Travelex, the foreign-exchange company, as a non-executive director. Travelex already sponsor Gilchrist and the Australian team, but they said they chose him for this position after he walked despite being given not out.Lloyd Dorfman, the company chairman, said Gilchrist showed strong ethics in a high-pressure situation: “Here you’ve got a guy who is prepared to walk himself out in the critical moment in the semi-final of a World Cup tournament, and in terms of integrity I don’t think you can do much better than that.”Gilchrist’s appointment is believed to be the first of its kind, and he was suitably shocked at the news. He said, “My reaction was, ‘What have I got to offer?’ When I walked in that game I certainly didn’t think it would lead to something like this.””I’m no expert on foreign exchange or the corporate world,” added Gilchrist. “What he has in mind is bringing in someone with a totally open mind, open eyes, fresh ideas, sitting in a boardroom asking the simple and obvious questions, the dumb questions that the experts might overlook.”Gilchrist surprised even his team-mates when he gave himself out in the match at Port Elizabeth last March. On 22 at the time, he tried to sweep Aravinda de Silva and was caught behind by Kumar Sangakkara. The Sri Lankans appealed, but umpire Rudi Koertzen turned them down, only for Gilchrist to head back to the dressing-room anyway. After the game, de Silva hailed Gilchrist as a gentleman, saying “It is very rare to see batsmen walking off. There are still some gentlemen in the game.”

Politicians faced with crises crawling out of the woodwork in the manner that has afflicted Shane Warne this week would have applied some spin to managing the fall-out, but the greatest spinner of them all can’t extract any advantage from the flat track of controversy.While all the allegations against him are still in the unproven category, there’s a fair bit of combustion building up amid the smoke of suggestion. Troubled not only by allegations of phone-text harassment of a 45-year-old South African divorcee, Warne is a key participant in an alleged blackmail case against Cricket Australia that involves his tongue-kissing a teenager, whose uncle allegedly tried to get CA to match a magazine offer of $5000 for the story. Now, a stripper has alleged that she had been having an affair with him until a month ago.Compounding this is the revelation from a former employee at Cricket Australia, or the Australia Cricket Board as it was then known, which suggested that Warne had been the subject of almost daily complaints for several years.To cap it all, the Australian Government has finally entered the saga, over the arbitration ruling that allowed Warne to play charity cricket, and to practice with the Australian team.The Minister of Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp, who stayed out of the row that developed over a week ago when the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) was highly critical of the ruling that allowed Warne to play charity matches, told Australia’s parliament yesterday that the Australian Sports Commission would be speaking with Cricket Australia about the matter. He wanted to see Warne prevented from training for club, state or country.”It is the advice that I have received that playing in charity teams and taking part in practice matches with the national team is contrary to the anti-doping code,” he said. “I believe that those (anti-doping) codes should be enforced and I believe they will be enforced.”Meanwhile, James Sutherland, CA’s chief executive, confirmed the statements made by Peter Young, the general manager, to Wisden CricInfo last week, that a review of the drug policy will be undertaken before the start of the season.

Which wild-eyed, world-famous, charismatic Australian bowling larrikin said this? “I don’t try to be Joe Blow the superstud – it just happens.” Or this? “I’ve taken out some real dolls, like beach beauties and models. They’re the best.” Which bowler bragged shamelessly about sheilas of “all shapes and sizes with just one thing in common – they wanted my body”?Guilty on all counts was Jeff Thomson who, according to urban legend, struck fear into even more English girls’ knickers than he did batsmen’s hearts on the Ashes tour of 1975. Thomson’s punishment was a snigger here, a chuckle there and to be branded a rebel, a lad. Twenty-eight years on and Shane Warne, Thommo’s spiritual successor, faces exile for his excesses.Switch on the radio and you would think Warne was the most evil, hated person in Australia, worse than the politicians who lie or the churchmen who prey. Open a newspaper and you risk concussion by columnists united in their outrage. Warne, they huff and puff, must either bow out in shame or be booted out in disgrace.Now Warne is many things. He is a man out of his time, out of his depth and, so far as his wife Simone is concerned, out in the doghouse. Conceivably, under the present strain, he is out of his mind; certainly he has been out of order. None of which means he should be out of the team.Two crucial differences separate Thomson and Warne. The first is to do with them: Thomson was single at the time, Warne is married. The second is about us.As society has become more liberal Australia’s social commentators and moral myth-makers have grown more pompous, more puritanical, and never more so than when the integrity of a cricketer – strewth, a cricketer of all people – is at stake. What was OK for Thommo would probably be OK for Rupert Murdoch or John Howard or Russell Crowe. But never, under any circumstances, for Shane Warne.Our cricketers are expected to be whiter than their white flannels, cleaner in demeanour than any other public figures or prominent sportspeople. In the week before all hell broke loose in Warne’s World a former rugby league star, Darrell Trindall, pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman in a Sydney bar. It stirred barely a murmur. That, apparently, is just what former rugby league stars do.Warne, by contrast, has committed no actual crime. The jury is still out on the 16-year-old girl he allegedly tongue-kissed. The stripper from Melbourne and “hairy-backed sheila” from Johannesburg took their complaints to the media, not the police. Warne’s great sin, say the pompous and puritanical, is to set a bad example to children.Warne is guilty of that, no question, but many others have done much worse. When Greg Chappell ordered his brother to bowl underarm he introduced to youngsters the concept of winning at any cost. When Rodney Hogg kicked down his stumps, and when Dennis Lillee booted Javed Miandad, they legitimised violence as a form of protest. Ian Chappell showed children a thing or two about decorum by swearing at umpires and dropping his strides during Sheffield Shield games; Allan Border taught them petulance when he arrived late on the field one morning because his good pal, Geoff Marsh, had been left out. When Darren Lehmann yelled out an epithet preceded by “black” against Sri Lanka last summer he gave comfort to racists everywhere.Lillee, Hogg and Greg Chappell have all made good livings as coaches. Ian Chappell is a distinguished commentator. Border is a national treasure. And Lehmann is still in the team. Warne deserves the same chance.Among his multiple misdemeanours, firing off salacious text messages ranks somewhere in the middle: more damaging than being sprung smoking at an inopportune moment, but some distance behind consorting with John the Bookmaker and repeatedly telling the South African opener Andrew Hudson exactly where to go. It is true that in this celebrity age a player’s off-field behaviour is relevant like never before. It is equally true that his on-field conduct remains far more likely to lose him friends and influence people.Consider the furore that engulfed Glenn McGrath when he tongue-lashed and finger-bashed Ramnaresh Sarwan three months ago. Back then, the letters pages drowned in outrage. Now they’re awash with jokes. McGrath’s actions made tomorrow’s Test cricketers more likely to crack under pressure. Warne has made more them more likely to crack gags.Only among journalists – mostly non-cricket ones, interestingly – is the mood more hostile than humorous. They have set up camp outside Warne’s home. They have sneaked sleazy photos of him puffing on a fag in his own backyard. Their ignorance has been exposed by their indignation – as if no cricketer ever shagged himself silly on tour back in the good old days – and compounded by their descriptions of Warne as a fading force, barely worth his spot anyway, what with Stuart MacGill taking wickets on autopilot.MacGill is an excellent bowler with a big legbreak. Warne is a once-every-200-years freak. He rarely gets his wrong’un right and seldom lands his flipper. But instead of one standard legbreak he now has at least three: one that spins a bit, one that spins a lot, and another that keeps going and going and going. He mixes them up at will.There’s his stockpile of straight balls: the slider, zooter and toppie, one that drifts in, one that slopes out and another that doesn’t budge at all. Then there’s his hypnotic presence. He bluffs and blusters, grins and grimaces, flights and foxes. He doesn’t so much take wickets as cajole them. And in his last dozen Tests he has cajoled 78 of them at 20.56, while averaging a Benaudesque 24 with the bat. Once he was in the same legspinning ballpark as Grimmett and O’Reilly. Now he is in a galaxy of his own.Come February, after 12 months’ resting an old shoulder and testing some new tricks, he might even be better still. In the meantime he should follow his mum’s advice – something else he’s good at – and keep his brain switched on and mobile turned off. And stop texting strange ladies.”The man is a giant sleazy hamster with terrible hair,” a female colleague e-mailed yesterday. Well, yes. Good reason, then, to stop playing the field – but to carry on playing on the field.

Stephen Fleming was mobbed so hard by the media on arrival at the Chennai airport that he decided to call a press conference first thing on Monday morning at the team hotel. Along with Ashley Ross, the coach, and Nathan Astle, the star batsman of the side, he spoke about the importance of planning and the challenges of playing in India. As usual, though, it was the articulate Fleming who spoke for the team.The difficulty of playing in India is something that has come under scrutiny recently, and Fleming underscored this point. “Playing India in India is a greater challenge than Australia in Australia because you have to make adjustments on and off the field. Australia is very similar to New Zealand in terms of lifestyle. The greatest challenge in India is to adapt to nature off the field, to the culture changes we have to live with – don’t get me wrong about it, we are all very excited. I think it’s one of most marvelous tours you can go on. The cricket on the field is only a part of it.””The greatest challenge in India is also to keep the crowd quiet. If we do that, we know we’re doing well. I’ve played in games here where the atmosphere has been absolutely electric. When the likes of Tendulkar and Ganguly are doing well, the crowds really appreciate it. But we are also appreciated as players. The crowds are very knowledgable about their cricket and coming from a rugby nation we find it very refreshing.”India’s heavy loss to New Zealand when they toured last has prompted talk of a revenge series. Fleming, though, will have none of it. “It’s not a confrontation between captains. I respect Sourav’s ability as a leader and as a player. It’s not a revenge match up between the two captain. There are a lot of good players in the Indian side that we need to focus on as well.”Ross’s early arrival in India has already helped the team. “We woke up at 3.30 this morning and watched a bit of the Irani trophy match on TV. We were pretty impressed with some of the things we saw. The coach has illustrated that pretty clearly but we are a prepared side. We pride ourselves on that. When you go up against the best, you have to prepare yourself a little bit harder and a little bit better.”He adds that the home series was a vital experience for the New Zealand team too. “It was a pretty humbling experiece for a lot of quality batsmen, some of the best batsmen in world cricket. We have come to India with the expectation that the wickets here will be dry and take turn.”Fleming conceded that the series is going to be a tough one. “India has always been a very proud side at home. With a billion people who love cricket, it’s understandable. But what we do bring is a group of young players who have experience in the subcontinent. We have come off a tour of Sri Lanka that we are pleased with. We have developed since then under Ashley [Ross] and the management staff. So we come to India with high expectations but are also realistic about what it’s going to take to win a series here.”The absence of Shane Bond and Chris Cairns will make things tougher for Fleming. “You can’t replace a Bond or a Cairns but what we can do is create some opportunities. There are some young players in this side who can take those opportunities, and make a name for themselves in the toughest conditions in which they’ll play. They are very excited about it, and it will make us a better side when Bond returns and Cairns joins this team later in the tour.”