March 6, 2001
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England's century maker in the first test at Galle, left-hander Marcus Trescothick goes into the second Test at Kandy with a niggling knee injury. Trescothick injured his knee while fielding in the one-day match against the Colts XI. After umpiring decisions became the talking point of Sri Lanka's victory in the first Test at Galle, Indian match referee Hanumant Singh has urged the umpires to make use of the third umpire as often as possible in case of doubts. This was done in view of the objections raised by English officials and journalists. The umpires for the Kandy Test are South African Rudi Koertzen and local BC Cooray. 
The Australians seem to be going into their second tour match against a Board President's XI at New Delhi in a relaxed state of mind. Most of the players took time off practice to visit the world famous Taj Mahal at Agra. The Indian selectors on the other hand are faced with numerous dilemmas in a bid to find the combination that not only restore lost pride but also stop the Aussie run. Many youngsters in the Board Presidents XI side (Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Sridharan Sriram, Vijay Dahiya, Vinayak Mane, Mohd. Kaif, Sarandeep Singh and Jacob Martin) will be looking to make an impression. For veteran leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani, this match is of importance since he will be looking forward to bowling against this Australian team for the first time. Meanwhile Australian all-rounder Ian Harvey said he hoped to be included in the side for the five-match one-day series in India. Harvey had earlier this month fractured his thumb. The ACB doctor said it would take up to three weeks for Harvey's injury to heal. Daniel Vettori New Zealand's left-arm spinner has been ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan, beginning in Auckland from March 8. This is due to a stress fracture in his back. Leg spinner Brooke Walker has been added to the team. Meanwhile the New Zealand selectors have brought in veteran all rounder and off-spinner Grant Bradburn, 35, into the squad. Bradburn last appeared for New Zealand in December 1992 in Sri Lanka. Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar and all-rounder Azhar Mahmood are to fly back to Pakistan after all three have various injury complaints. Akram has suffered a side strain while Anwar has groin and hip problems and Mahmood has foot and groin injuries. Their replacements for the tour are batsman Faisal Iqbal and pace bowler Fazle Akbar, who are being rushed to New Zealand with just a few days to go for the first Test. It took just 25 minutes and 27 balls for New Zealand A to inflict defeat on an injury struck Pakistan side at Lincoln. The visitors overnight 108-4 crashed to 124 all out leaving the home side victors by an innings and 54 runs. Saeed Anwar could not bat due to the worsening of his groin injury. A desperate Pakistan coach Javed Miandad has meanwhile lashed out at his players for a lackluster performance in New Zealand. He is said to have told the team that if they did not play to their potential they would become the laughing stock of the cricket world. While advising the team not to panic, Miandad was confident that a young Pakistan side would bounce back for the first Test. The first Test which begins at Eden Park in Auckland from March 8, will be the first ever Test match to be played on mobile pitch. The concept of playing cricket on portable pitches is specially used in New Zealand in view of its temperate climate. The mobile pitches are grown and prepared separately and once it is ready for use it is transported then fitted into ground or stadium where such pitches are required. Meanwhile, the New Zealand Cricket Council has sought the approval of the ICC for it to be used for the Auckland Test match. The South Africans managed to score 271-9 at close of play during their first tour match against a Busta XI at Georgetown, Guyana. Wicket-keeper Mark Boucher was the only batsman to reach a fifty. He made a quick-fire 56 which helped the visitors to recover from 135 for four to a decent total at close.
Ten cricket bats worth $40,000 signed by the cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman have been stolen from a collector's home in north Sydney in New South Wales. The cricket bats kept in wooden cases were limited editions issued in the past 10 years. English fast bowler Dean Headley has been forced to retire from cricket because of a back injury. Grandson of former West Indian legend George Headley, Dean has appeared in 15 Tests from 1997 to 1999 for England capturing 60 wickets (avg. 27.85). He also played in 13 one-day internationals while capturing 11 wickets. Last season he was given a contract by the ECB but did not play a single first-class match due to the injury. Kiwi all-rounder Chris Cairns who recently underwent an operation on the patella tendon in his right knee hopes to be back in action for New Zealand's September tour of Pakistan. Cairns who underwent a similar operation in his right knee some years ago was out of action then for 9 months. He however hopes to recover faster this time. Sri Lankan students took to the streets denouncing Arjuna Ranatunga and his family for beating up four students. The clash between the Ranatunga household and the students took place after the latter hit a cricket ball into the Ranatunga house. The injured atudents are still in hospital. Earlier, the Education ministry hoping defuse the situation ordered indefinite closure of the Asoka College which instigated the warring students. The BCCI pitch committee chairman G Kasturirangan while inspecting the pitch at the Nehru Stadium, Indore expressed satisfaction over the work being done for the forthcoming one-day international match between India and Australia to be played on March 31. The National Cricket Academy (NCA) committee meeting will be held in Pune a day or two before the second ODI match, which begins at this venue on March 28. Raj Singh Dungarpur will chair the meeting that would decide the venues for setting up of Zonal Cricket Academies and nominate a new director for the NCA, among other things. The Mumbai Cricket team will play a limited-over competition comprising national champions from different countries in Perth, Australia from March 29 to April 4. The tournament, to be played under floodlights, is being organised by the Western Australian Cricket Association, under the aegis of the Australian Cricket Board (ACB). In view of this, Mumbai's Ranji Trophy quarter-final encounter scheduled from March 22, is likely to be advanced by few days. Yesterday's News
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
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