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Even as ITC's withdrew its sponsorship from sports after the Indian government's decree, sponsors continue to follow Indian cricket. There will be a new sticker on Sourav Ganguly's bat this season, as his contract with Britannia expires in February. Hero Honda is all set to take guard. The company is also keen to sign up Orissa's SS Das, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan.  Young Tamil Nadu leg-spinner WD Balaji Rao is being watched closely by the selectors and coach at the Chennai coaching camp as he is seen as India's next leg-spin prospect. However Borde added "its not the question of leg-spin or off-spin, we want to select the best". He also added that Nayan Mongia is very much in contention with Dahiya for the keepers spot. The probables underwent a grueling 5-hour session at the IIT-Chemplast ground. Former India skipper K Srikkant was a visitor at the camp. For Tamil Nadu all-rounder Rajat Bhatia it has been a valuable experience bowling at the nets to the Indian batsmen. India may play Pakistan in Morocco, Africa in a tri-nation Tournament despite sports minister Ms Uma Bharati's opposition to sporting ties with the country. The cricket boards of India and Sri Lanka have agreed to send their "A" teams. The dates for the matches will be known soon. The Amarnath brothers Mohinder and Surinder are coaching the Moroccan nationals while former Baroda Ranji Trophy player Narayan Satam is helping with the ground and wicket. 
No details of players or individuals will be discussed when a progress report of the Anti Corruption Unit's investigations is revealed to the ICC executive board in Melbourne on Saturday. Sir Paul Condon, the former commissioner of London's police force who is heading the unit, will give an update on the investigations of allegations contained in a report by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ongoing support for current inquiries in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Pakistan. A detailed report and recommendations from the ACU are due to be submitted by Condon to the ICC code of conduct commission in April.
Ajay Jadeja's appeal against the five-year ban from the game over match-fixing will be heard in March, his lawyer said. The court has given March 29 as the date and issued notices to the respondents. The BCCI has been issued a notice as to why the ban should not be revoked and the Government of India will respond to the notice as to why the Arjuna Award has to be withdrawn from Jadeja. Salim Malik the former Pakistan skipper who was banned for life from the game following allegations of match-fixing is likely to migrate to Canada. Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas while terming match-fixing as betrayal of a nation wants betting to be legalised in Asia. "Betting is legal is so many countries, so why can't it be so in Asia." He further added that it is a shame if a player indulges in a match-fixing. He also felt sorry that cricketing ties between India and Pakistan are frozen. 
England fast bowler Darren Gough escaped without reprimand after making arbitrary comments and threatening a player with a bat in the two-day tour opener against Sri Lanka Colts XI at Moratuwa. Darren reacted to derogatory remarks made by the opposition after being given out. He has not been reprimanded because the BCCSL has not made any formal complaint about the matter. BCCSL secretary Mohan de Silva said they didn't want to press the issue further and spoil the good relationship both sides enjoyed at present.
The ICC anti-corruption head Sir Paul Condon will visit New Zealand as part of his inquiry. He will meet the members of the New Zealand Cricket Boards commission of inquiry. It is not know if he would be meeting Martin Crowe one of those named in the CBI report. Manvinder Bisla of Haryana will lead a 14 member India Under-17 to play in the ICC-ACC Under-17 Asia Cup, at Dhaka between February 15-25. Wicket-keeper batsman Partiv Patel of Gujarat will be his deputy. Muttiah Muralitharan confirmed that he would be returning to play county cricket for Lancashire in the coming season. Muralitharan, voted Player of the Year 1999 by the Lancashire members, after claiming 66 wickets in only six Championship matches, will complete the second year of a two-year contract. Murali has confirmed that since New Zealand have pulled out of the planned Test matches he would be able to join up with Lancashire earlier than expected. England's left-arm spinner Ashley Giles wants to continue with Warwickshire for the next five years. He has already signed a three-year contract but now seeks a two-year extension. Giles, 27, is currently on England's tour of Sri Lanka, said: "I wasn't offered an extension at the end of last season but I've approached the county about a long-term deal and I am keen to secure my future." Warwickshire's cricket committee is expected to give Giles a reply before the start of the next season. In the meanwhile, it seems Graeme Hick's appointment as the Worcestershire captain will depend on his being awarded an ECB contract this summer. If the contract is awarded then Worcestershire will appoint another player as captain since Hick may be not be available full time for the county. Last season wicket-keeper Steve Rhodes led the county for most part of the season in the absence of Hick. Warwickshire has signed former West Indian all-rounder Vasbert Drakes as their overseas player for 2001. Drakes, 31 who appeared in five one-dayers in 1995 had a successful season with the South African state side Border. He replaces South African fast bowler Allan Donald. Drakes incidentally has also represented Sussex in 1996 & 1997 and Nottinghamshire in 1999. Middesex has finally appointed their former England off-spinner, John Emburey, as coach in succession to Mike Gatting, who was relieved of his duties at the last August. Emburey, 48 was the coach of Northamptonshire from 1996 to 1998.
Bat manufacturers Gunn & Moore are offering £ 100, 000 to the amateur with the highest league batting average in next season's league cricket. The prize is open to players in leagues of all levels in the UK and Ireland, so that the third-team players will set off on an equal footing with their first-team club mates. Of-course there is a catch. It is only available to home-grown amateur players, who must surpass the averages of all professional and overseas players in the league cricket throughout the British Isles from at least five completed innings. And each innings must be played using a Gunn & Moore bat purchased after December 1, 2000!
Pakistan captain Moin Khan will ask for the clarification of bad light rule during the meeting of Test captains in Melbourne to be held on Fenruary 12, after bad light aided England's Test victory in December. Moin complained about the rules after the tourists won the third Test in Karachi in December, as the ball barely visible by the time the winning runs were hit. Moin's appeal for bad light turned down three times by West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor, but the efforts of the fielding side to extend the match as late as possible with slowing tactics were also criticised by onlookers. Currently the laws only allow for the batsmen to be offered the chance of going off for bad light, but Pakistan complained that their fielders could not see the ball during that match. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will submit its own 10-year plan at this weekend's International Cricket Council meeting after it rejected the itinerary prepared by the ICC. The original itinerary, in which Pakistan was scheduled to play five series with India, with three of those at home, was turned down after the Indian government forced the cancellation of a planned tour in December. The ICC hope that all ten Test-playing nations will approve a plan to see each team play the other nine at least in a three-Test series at home and away during the 10-year cycle, and also that an official world ranking system will result. North Zone won the All-India Vizzy Trophy, the national zonal tournament for universities by defeating West Zone in the final played at the IPCL ground at Nagothane, Raigad, Maharashtra. Carlton Series (2nd Final) At Melbourne Australia: 338-6 in 50 overs (ME Waugh 173, RT Ponting 63, MG Bevan 58; M Samuels 3-71) West Indies: 299 in 49.3 overs (WW Hinds 60, MN Samuels 63, RD Jaccobs 59; S Warne 4-48) Result: Australia won by 39 runs (Australia won the best of three finals 2-0) Man of the match: ME Waugh (Aus) Man of the Series: BC Lara (WI) Yesterday's News News Roll archive
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
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