The troubled North Indian state of Kashmir, at the heart of innumerable border disputes with neighbouring Pakistan, may soon be playing host to international cricket, if the region’s chief minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, has his way.”I will take up with the BCCI president, Jagmohan Dalmiya, the state’s demand to allot at least one match to Kashmir,” said Sayeed in a prepared statement, which comes in the aftermath of the BCCI’s decision to award Kashmir two matches in this year’s Ranji Trophy. Jammu & Kashmir will take on Orissa and Himachal Pradesh at the Sher-e-Kashmir stadium in Srinagar later this year.Dalmiya, who gave a positive response to a similar request last year, was warm to the idea. “The state government has told me the time is ripe to bring back big cricket to the valley,” he told AFP. "We may decide to host a Test match or one-day international there in the near future, but all factors will be taken into account before that happens.”

Australia and New Zealand’s women’s team will play three one-day internationals in March 2005, just before the start of the World Cup. The series, called the Rose Bowl Series, is played annually between the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars and the White Ferns.All three games will be played at Perth; two at the WACA ground and one at Lilac Hill. Women’s cricket will be returning there after a gap of seven years, and it was a move that Belinda Clark approved of. "It is exciting to be playing matches in Perth again, and in particular, to be playing at high quality venues like the WACA and Lilac Hill. The matches will be the last opportunity for our players to fine tune their skills before heading off for the World Cup."What makes the clash more mouth-watering is that New Zealand and Australia are the latest winners of the World Cup. While Australia won it in 1997, New Zealand triumphed in 2000.Schedule
1st ODI 10 March, 2005 Lilac Hill
2nd ODI 12 March, 2005 WACA Ground
3rd ODI 13 March, 2005 WACA Ground

Henry Olonga and Stuart Carlisle, two former Zimbabwe cricketers, have spoken out in condemnation of ICC’s finding that there was no evidence of racism within the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU).”It’s a way out for the ICC in one way, they’ve washed their hands of it,” Olonga told yesterday. “The ICC were in a very difficult position if the ZCU were found guilty of racism, not only on the rebel players, but in selection in general.”Carlisle, one of the 15 rebels who walked out of international cricket this April, was more forthright. “There’s racism all over the world,” he told , “and the fact that you can categorically state that there is no racism in Zimbabwe Cricket is a joke.”Although Carlisle revealed that the number of rebels has been reduced to just “myself, Trevor Gripper and Heath Streak”, he remained adamant that “the ZCU might have won the battle but they’ve lost the war for cricket. Zimbabwe cricket is the loser.”The conclusion of the ICC investigation has almost quashed any lingering hope of the rebels resuming their careers. “I don’t really know where we go from here,” Carlisle said. “We probably could still go to arbitration but there’s almost no point in that.”But at least one option remains open: “I think we should have a chat with [Richard] Bevan in the next day or two and see if there is a way forward for us.” Bevan is currently assessing the security situation in Zimbabwe for England’s tour there next month, in his role as the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association.”The ICC has sat on the fence in the past few months,” added Carlisle. “They’ve swept the problem under the carpet. They think it’s going to go away, but it won’t.

Glenn McGrath
On comparing a fifty to a big wicket haul
It’s nearly better. When I hit that one and realised it was going for four it was a pretty good feeling.On working on his batting
I probably didn’t do as much work on it [in the past] as I do know. My three highest scores have always been with Dizzy [Gillespie], he’s good at hanging around. When I’m hitting them well the batsmen get out or I get a good one early – it’s tough work batting at No. 11.On his batting practice
When I was injured I was going to the nets twice a week with my trainer and he’d feed the ball machine. I’d probably hit 500 balls a week, which is more than I’d do in one month, two months – actually, that’s being kind, 12 months.On hitting a six
It was my first one in a Test. A few of the boys were ribbing me that my Test wickets had nearly reached my runs again. I had a look at them and it was 477 to 454, but that six brought up 25 and 500 Test runs. Unlike Matthew Hayden, who doesn’t know how many runs he’s got, I pretty much knew where I was.On when he thought he could reach fifty
At 34 I thought it could be today. The next thing is to get Dizzy to his fifty. I started to get nervous for the first time after I’d made mine – he’s in the 40s, I’ve got to get him to the 50s.On his team-mates’ reaction
They reckon it was some of the most exciting cricket they have ever watched. It’s always quite funny when the tail is batting and making runs. The response from the crowd was quite amazing as well. I wasn’t too sure how to celebrate. The whole crowd just cheering was something I’ll always remember.

Daniel Vettori
On the team’s mood
We were pretty happy until the last session, obviously it’s not easy watching that partnership develop and we need to get that wicket quickly tomorrow. The track’s reasonably good so we need to bat for a long time and put a score on the board that is competitive.On the strong lbw shout when Gilchrist was 7
It was pretty frustrating, especially when he goes on to make a hundred. It was a pretty big momentum shift for the day, but it’s something that you really can’t control.On Clarke’s innings
I’ve seen him a few times in one-dayers and understood that he’s a pretty fair player, has all the shots and looks to play them. He’s obviously got a good future for Australia.On the speed the game changed
Everyone in world cricket knows how threatening Gilchrist can be. Not only did they hit boundaries, but they ran well between the wickets. It’s all good stuff that you want from your middle order and they managed to do it todayOn his bowling form
Yeah, I’m comfortable with where it’s at. Obviously I’d have liked to pick up one or two more wickets. The biggest thing that we didn’t do was bowl in partnerships. To beat the Aussies you need 11 guys at once.On the team’s confidence levels
They’re pretty good and it only takes a little bit of time to turn them around. Nine and eleven don’t often put on that many runs so it’s obvious that there’s some frustration around and we dropped some catches.

South Africa 332 and 21 for 1 need another 357 runs to defeat England 139 and 570 for 7 dec (Trescothick 132, Strauss 136, Thorpe 118*, Flintoff 60, G Jones 73)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A superb unbeaten hundred from Graham Thorpe put England in the driving seat as South Africa ended the fourth day needing a mountainous 357 to win at Durban. There were hard-hitting half-centuries too for Andrew Flintoff and Geraint Jones, before Michael Vaughan made a positive declaration at 570 for 7. South Africa, chasing a distant victory target of 378, had a tricky 35-minute session to negotiate before the close. But they didn’t survive intact: just before the end, Matthew Hoggard took the prize wicket of Graeme Smith.But this day was Thorpe’s: he played just the kind of aggressive, focussed innings that was needed as England marched to a commanding lead after an early-morning wobble in which they lost three wickets for 33. He steadied the ship with Flintoff – they added 114 – then hit full throttle as Jones joined him for an entertaining stand of 132.Thorpe played in positive fashion throughout, punching a bevy of boundaries, and was generally in the mood to take the attack to the bowlers. He and Flintoff brought up their fifty partnership just before lunch. And they strode on undeterred for the first part of the middle session, as Smith mixed up his bowlers. Makhaya Ntini did his best to ruffle Flintoff’s feathers, extracting some life from a flat surface and a softening ball. Flintoff played and missed more than once, but responded in true Freddie fashion, taking England to 400 with a leg-side four, then adding a meaty pulled six. He did the same in Ntini’s next over, cracking a cover drive to bring up his half-century, then easily clearing Hashim Amla on the leg-side boundary.He seemed to have timed his gear-change perfectly, each boundary despatched with consummate timing, but then, after a patient innings, he was deceived by a quicker ball from Smith, which he edged to AB de Villiers. It was just reward for Smith, whose part-time offspin had initially troubled Thorpe as well, as he had done at Port Elizabeth. But one aggressive strokemaker was replaced by … another aggressive strokemaker, as Jones – spurred on by Thorpe – went on the offensive from the start, smacking boundary after boundary. He brought up his half-century from 71 balls, just before Thorpe reached his 16th Test hundred. Jones added two hooked sixes off Dale Steyn, which sailed over the despairing Amla, before he finally fell to the perspiring Nicky Boje.Thorpe and Jones took advantage of some tired bowling late on, from Shaun Pollock – who was slapped for three successive fours – and the hapless Steyn in particular. Steyn repeatedly found Jones’s edge, but could only watch, frustrated, as more than once the ball flew behind the keeper to the boundary, where Jacques Kallis was eventually employed in the unusual position of long-stop. But Boje’s battered figures of none for 154 from 43 overs of left-arm spin were made marginally more respectable as Jones holed out to long-on for 73. Steyn got a consolation wicket, too, as Ashley Giles edged to de Villiers without scoring.

But England didn’t have it all their own way. The match has seesawed throughout, and South Africa had the better of the morning, when their triple strike set England wobbling. Ntini dismissed both Vaughan and Andrew Strauss, then Mark Butcher fell to Jacques Kallis just after drinks.With the reliable Pollock tucking up one end, the batsmen were forced to play shots at the other. They didn’t always come off, however, and Ntini took advantage with two well-deserved wickets. Strauss had only added four to his overnight 132 when he flashed hard at a good-length delivery which flew straight to Martin van Jaarsveld at third slip. Not long after, a climbing delivery brushed Vaughan’s gloves on the way through to de Villiers as he tried to guide the ball to leg (306 for 3). Vaughan, who had struggled a little against the still-new ball, made 10.Kallis was brought into the attack, immediately troubling Thorpe with a close shout for lbw, which was judged to be just a shade high. He also worried Butcher, who swung and missed at his first two deliveries. And when he eventually did connect, a thick outside edge flew to van Jaarsveld for a second good catch (314 for 4). Butcher made only 13, but this did include his 1000th Test run against South Africa – which came up in bizarre fashion. His block was scooped up by Pollock and lobbed towards the stumps in nothing more than a warning measure, but the ball sailed way over de Villiers’s head and rolled away to the boundary for a bonus four. That was the easiest of the 77 boundaries rattled up by England in their innings, as South Africa’s bowlers were ground down.When England finally took to the field, for what turned out to be a nine-over blitz, Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard were immediately on target. Herschelle Gibbs had a let-off at 6, when he was dropped off a perfect outswinger from Harmison by Jones, diving in front of Marcus Trescothick at first slip. He also survived a confident caught-behind shout – the ball possibly flicked his arm-guard, or possibly his right hand which he’d taken off the bat – and Gibbs managed to see out the mini-session – but Smith was not so lucky. He was trapped plumb in front by Hoggard on 5 to complete a dispiriting day.Jenny Thompson is assistant editor of Cricinfo.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has clarified that it will not initiate any investigation into the rape allegation against one of its players, which came to light yesterday. In a press release, the board said that a preliminary inquiry had been conducted by the team management, and stated that since no formal complaint had been made about the incident, the board wouldn’t press charges. It also warned that legal action would be taken against any report which made “defamatory references” against a player.”Despite the passage of a month, no formal complaint has been lodged either with the police or with the female harassment centre against any member of the team,” the press release stated. “In the absence of a formal plaint there is no legal basis to press further charges.”Legal opinion has been obtained through the Pakistan High Commission in Canberra and the team management on the uncorroborated and sensationalist reports by a small section of the Australian press and it is confirmed that legal notice will be served for any defamatory reference to the team or to individual players regarding an incident that has no basis in law. Cricket Australia have also been informed of the developments.”The press release went on to dismiss the allegation by stating that it could be a plot to demoralise the Pakistan team. “It is generally known that the tabloid press across the world has sometimes reported sensationalist items about visiting sports stars to undermine their morale. On other occasions the complainants seek personal publicity and notoriety by reporting such events to the press.”In a separate release, the board also clarified that Shoaib Akhtar’s return to Pakistan had nothing to do with this incident. Certain sections of the media had linked the two, but the PCB emphatically denied it: “The PCB wishes to clarify that the decision to recall him was taken in order for him to achieve full fitness in readiness for the India tour. His recall has no connection whatsoever with the uncorroborated and sensationalist reports relating to an incident in Melbourne.”The allegation first came to light on January 21, when it was revealed that the woman involved had reported the incident to a suburban Centre Against Sexual Assault, but had not made a formal police complaint. The incident was alleged to have happened during the team’s stay in Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test.

ScorecardKerry Walmsley and Tama Canning rocked the Otago top order, reducing them to 137 for 8 at one stage. Otago had won the toss and opted the bat, and despite the start, Warren McSkimming and Bradley Scott vindicated that decision. The two batsmen added 208 for the ninth wicket before McSkimming was bowled by Aaron Barnes for 111. Scott remained not out on 96, but with just one man for company on the second morning.
ScorecardMichael Parlane and Matthew Bell put Wellington comfortably on top in the match at Napier, adding 215 runs, Wellington’s highest partnership for the second wicket against Central Districts.Bell finished the day unbeaten on 114, while Glen Sulzberger was the most successful bowler, with 2 for 52 to his credit.
ScorecardCanterbury got off to a wonderful start at Gisborne, where they won the toss, chose to bat, and notched up 103 runs for the first wicket. But the opening partnership between the Papps brothers, Tim and Michael, was broken when Tim was caught behind off the bowling of Te Ahu Davis, and the innings unravelled thereafter. Michael Papps made 74, but Andrew Ellis, with 68 not out, was the only other batsman to hang in there. At close of play, Canterbury were 265 for 8, a far cry from where they had appeared likely to end up after the first third of the day.

Sanath Jayasuriya has signed a short-term contract to play for Somerset, as a replacement for Australia’s captain, Ricky Ponting, who was unable to confirm his availability. Jayasuriya, now 35, was reported to have been approached by Scotland but apparently turned down the offer.”This is a very exciting short-term signing,” said Peter Anderson, Somerset’s chief executive. “His availability has to be ratified by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board but we are not anticipating any problems.”Jayasuriya is expected to depart for Somerset straight after Sri Lanka’s postponed tour of New Zealand which finishes in mid-April. He will be available for five Frizzell Championship fixtures, four Totesport league matches and the early rounds of the C&G Cup, and is expected to make his debut against Yorkshire at Headingley on April 20.His contract runs only until the end of May, when South Africa’s Graeme Smith takes over after the completion of his international commitments. Albie Morkel, Somerset’s other prospective South African signing, has been replaced by Nixon McLean because of a long-standing ankle problem. In addition, it has been agreed with the ECB that Marcus Trescothick will be available for the opening match of the season.It will be Jayasuriya’s first stint with an English county despite a long 15-year career and he’ll be joined by Upul Chandana (Gloucestershire), Chaminda Vaas (Worcestershire) and Muttiah Muralitharan (Lancashire), who hopes to be fully fit in time for the season. During his time in England, he will be helping to raise funds for the Sri Lankan TWINS Tsunami Schools Project, of which he is Patron.A small gap in Sri Lanka’s international calendar has provided the opportunity for the largest-ever influx of Sri Lankan players into County Cricket. The demand has largely been for bowlers but frontline batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are also on the lookout for club or county contracts.

Ray Jennings, the South African coach, has warned his team not to take West Indies lightly despite holding a good record against them. The South African team left yesterday on an eight-week tour of the Caribbean that includes four Tests and five one-day internationals.”The past is history,” Jennings told South African Press Agency. “There’s no point sitting back and saying ‘South Africa have a good record at The Wanderers’, and then we lose a Test there. It’s the same with the West Indies. We have to approach each Test without thinking about what happened in the past. Conditions change, players change, and records mean nothing.”South Africa have won 10 out of 15 Tests against West Indies and have lost just two. They also dominated the last home series between the two sides, winning the Tests 3-0 the one-dayers 3-1.”We will approach each match as a new challenge, and focus on what we have to do,” Jennings said, emphasising that the amount of travelling involved on a tour to the West Indies was also a factor. “Touring is always tough, with all the travelling we have to do – and that travelling includes getting to airports, sitting around waiting for flights, travelling to the hotels. And when you tour the West Indies, there is the additional problem of passport control and customs at each new island. Touring the West Indies is like touring five or six countries on one tour”Jennings also mentioned that South Africa would be on the lookout to improve their overseas record – they lost to Sri Lanka and India by identical 1-0 margins last year. “South Africa haven’t played well away from home recently, and we are determined to turn that around.”South Africa have suffered an early blow to their Caribbean campaign with Shaun Pollock being ruled out of the first Test due to an ankle injury. The team commence their tour with a three-day camp in Antigua. “We don’t want any one player to dominate everything,” he said. “Hopefully, everyone will play their part in the success of the team. I expect the senior players like Makhaya Ntini, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Herschelle Gibbs who have been there before to lead the way and help the other players get used to the conditions.”Speaking about the sponsorship row which has hampered West Indies cricket recently, Jennings said he was hopeful that the dispute would be resolved. “But whether it is or not will not affect how we approach the series,” he continued. “Obviously, we would like to play the strongest opposition, but we have to focus on our own performance and not allow the problems in the opposition camp to distract us.”

The names of the 30 Test and one-day international players who will make up the squads for the ICC World XI sides to take on Australia in October will be announced in early May.The panel of selectors – the chairman Sunil Gavaskar, Mike Atherton, Sir Richard Hadlee, Clive Lloyd, Jonty Rhodes and Aravinda de Silva – will choose from the cream of the world’s cricketing talent in nominating players for the matches.”It’s a fantastic brief to be able to pick from the greatest players in world cricket to take on Australia,” said Gavaskar. “I’m sure that every cricket fan would love to be in the selectors’ position, discussing and debating the merits of so many outstanding players. The challenge will be in narrowing our choices down to just 30 players with so much talent to choose from for both squads.”Players from the nine Test-playing countries and the ten which have ODI status will come under selectorial consideration. Following the announcement of the initial squads of 30, the selectors will meet again in early July to reduce these down to groups of 20. Captains and vice-captains will also be announced then.The inaugural ICC Super Series, sponsored by Johnnie Walker, will involve three one-day internationals in Melbourne’s Telstra Dome, and a six-day “Super Test” at the Sydney Cricket Ground.The final teams of 13 for the Super Test and 14 for the ODIs, plus management and coaching appointments, will be confirmed in August. Combined prizemoney and match payments for the one-day series will be US$1,254,000, while the total money available for the Super Test will be US$1,390,000. The matches will be accorded official Test and ODI status.The challenge awaiting the ICC World XI teams is to succeed where national sides have mostly failed. Australia have not lost a home Test series since 1993, and are undefeated in a one-day series since 2002.