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New Zealand umpires DB Cowie and SR Dunne have expressed their concern to match referee Ranjan Madugalle regarding the bowling action of Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar. In the deciding match between New Zealand and Pakistan, Shoaib appeared distinctly uncomfortable bowling from a short run up and dropping two catches. This is the second time this injury prone fast bowler has been pulled up for a suspect action. Shoaib is to return home after the one-day series.  Commentators and officials alike are accusing England of being poor losers and asked them to stop complaining and concentrate on the job on hand. This was in reply to England skipper Nasser Hussain contradictory statements that his team had lost to a better side and at the same time questioning many of the umpiring decision.
The policemen at Kandy, the venue of the second Test between England and Sri Lanka will be armed with blankets. This is because of the potential threat from streakers (foreign tourists). In a rugby match in Kandy last year two foreign tourists were fined after they ran onto the ground. The blankets have been provided to the ring of policemen on the boundary ropes to cover such streakers as soon as they appear on the ground.
The organizers of the Georgetown Test between South Africa and West Indies beginning on March 9 face a new threat. The crowd has threatened to boycott the Test if local hero Carl Hooper is not named captain of the West Indies side. The staging association has absolved itself from any boycott saying it is a threat of the locals alone. This is the second time such a boycott is being planned by the fans in the Caribbean. In 1992 the Barbados Test which incidentally was the first between West Indies and South Africa also faced a similar threat after local Andy Cummins was left out of the side.
Jimmy Adams who led West Indies in their most disastrous run of losses has been left out of a squad of 16 to attend a training camp at Port of Spain preceding the home series against South Africa. The 16 selected are Courtney Walsh, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brian Lara, Wavell Hinds, Chris Gayle, Leon Garrick, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Carl Hooper, Ridley Jacobs, Dinanath Ramnarine, Colin Stuart, Cameron Cuffy, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Nixon McLean, Reon King.
The funeral of Sir Donald Bradman, will be held in Adelaide on Thursday. This was announced by his son John at a press conference at Adelaide. Bradman will be cremated at a private service at Centennial Park. A procession will be taken out from the Bradman home in Kensington Park to the venue. A service open to the public would be held on March 25 at the St Peters Cathedral and will be broadcast live all over Australia. Former Australian skipper Richie Benaud and Australia's Governer-General will be amoung the speakers at this service. The Bangladesh national team have a new coach in Australian Trevor Chappell. The team will also have a new physiotherapist also an Australian John Glaster. This is part of the agreement signed by the Boards of Australia and Bangladesh last month where Australia will cooperate for the development of cricket in the country. The duo are to start work on the team soon. The hosts for the 2006 Commonwealth Games - Melbourne have put up a strong lobby for the inclusion of cricket. The game was played in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games but many nations did not send their teams and others fielded weak and second string teams. The crowd pulling capacity and popularity of the game in Australia has had the Australians pushing for the inclusion of the game in the 2006 event. They are also seeking an assurance from all cricket-playing nations that the best team will be sent to Melbourne, as the crowds that turned up in Kuala Lumpur were almost negligible. South African Daryl Cullinan who will take Rahul Dravid's place as the overseas player for Kent has clarified that he had not other option but to turn to county cricket after the UCBSA reduced the value of his contract. This was done after he conveyed his inability to play any one-day internationals. He said the drastic reduction in match fees, guarantee money and bonus left him not much to take home.
The BCCI has still not approved a proposal to provide two sporting wickets in each of the zones in the country. The Board's pitch committee observers, M/s Kasturirangan and former India all-rounder Dhiraj Parsana said that the Board is evaluating the proposal and they hoped it will be soon initiated.
Australia in India 1st Test at Mumbai(1st day) India:176 (SR Tendulkar 76; GD McGrath 3-19, S Warne 4-47) Australia:349 (M Hayden 119, AC Gilchrist 122, SK Warne 39; Harbhajan Singh 4-121)
Pakistan in New Zealand
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
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