In his first interview since Zimbabwe’s rebels announced that they were ending their protest against the board (ZC), Heath Streak has said that little has changed inside Zimbabwe despite the ICC’s recommendations which formed part of the findings of the racism hearing.Although the ICC ruled there was no evidence of racism inside Zimbabwe Cricket, it made a number of recommendations as to the way the board should operate. "The irony is that at the end it gave the stamp of approval to the recommendations we had been making all along," Streak told Australia’s Radio Sport 927. "I think that if the ICC wants to be what it is meant to be, it should be policing these because we haven’t seen any changes."Streak said that two of the major issues had not been addressed – "The restructuring of the selection panel, so it has people of knowledge and experience, and outstanding issues concerning some of the board members who have been involved in accusations of racism." He might have to wait. Although the ICC’s recommendations were a key part of the report, it appears that it has no powers to enforce them.And Streak was particularly critical of Peter Chingoka, the board’s chairman. "The irony is that he is a weak character," he explained. "I put a lot of blame on him for allowing this to go as far as it has. If he had cricket at heart then he wouldn’t be accepting gratuities of £50,000 when grass-level cricket is in crisis and clubs are collapsing. He needs to wake up and smell the coffee."Chingoka admitted taking a bonus payment during the last financial year, a revelation that caused anger at the board’s AGM in August. There have been reports, as yet unconfirmed, that he has been paid another bonus in recent weeks.Streak told Radio Sport 927 that he had been offered a new contract by the board, albeit on a lower salary and conditional on him dropping his complaints. "I was offered a contract but the fact that nothing had changed. They wanted me to pull out of the racism enquiry which was just about to happen … since then I have heard nothing."I do see myself playing for Zimbabwe again but there need to be changes. I think those recommendations need to be put in place and then maybe there is a future for not only myself but others to return to the fold in a situation where there is no racism."But Streak’s relationship with the board remains strained. Earlier this month he agreed to coach Mashonaland, his province, free of charge only for the board to angrily intervene and demand that he stand down.As it is, Streak has only one match penciled in before he resumes playing for Warwickshire next April – against England. "I have a game on December 8 playing for Nicky Oppenheimer’s XI in a warm-up match in South Africa," he said. "But who knows?"

A magnificent 162 from Jacques Kallis lifted South Africa from a dicey 116 for 6 at the midpoint of their innings, to give them control of the second Test at Kingsmead and leave England with everything to do if they are to preserve their unbeaten record in 2004. Afterwards, Kallis agreed that hisperformance was one of the finest of his career.”It’s definitely up there with the best,” said a contented Kallis, whostill maintained that his maiden Test century, against Australia in1997-98 was his all-time favourite. “England are right up thereat the moment and it’s good to perform against the best.”Even so, Kallis could not have turned South Africa’s innings around had itnot been for a concerted effort from the tail, and he was quick to sharethe praise, in particular with Shaun Pollock who made 43 in a vital 87-runstand for the seventh wicket. “You can’t buy that sort of experience atthe supermarket,” said Kallis. “But the bowlers did their bit as well.There were a lot of bumpers flying around, but they stayed in line, showeda lot of guts and determination, and we can be proud of ourselves.”Though the conditions eased up as the day progressed, it was tough goingearly on, as England made three quick breakthroughs to put the match backin the balance. “It did do a little this morning,” said Kallis. “Our planwas to come out this morning and not lose too many, but unfortunately thatdidn’t happen. But Shaun was magnificent and tomorrow’s early session willbe crucial.”Kallis acknowledged that England had been badly hampered by the loss ofAshley Giles, who tweaked his back while batting and took no part in theday’s play. “It’s aways hard when you lose a bowler,” he admitted. “It washard on them and they tired towards the end of day, which was why themorning was crucial. But we stuck to our task well.”It was hugely important to bounce back after Port Elizabeth,” addedKallis. “To go 2-0 down was not an option – it would have been the seriesover. Maybe we let ourselves down a bit this evening by not quite landingenough balls in the right area, but it could be the wake-up call weneeded. If we get a few wickets tomorrow, we could make our lives easier.”It has been a stellar year for Kallis’s batting. He has made 1278 runs at85.20 in 11 Tests, a South African record, including five centuries. “I’veworked hard on the technical side of my game, and mentally off the fieldas well, because I don’t premeditate so much now, and play all balls ontheir merits.”And also, following a traumatic 2003 in which he suffered the death of hisfather, Kallis admitted the enjoyment of the game had returned as well.”Last year was tough, but I learned a lot and matured a lot as well, whichwas maybe what I needed.”Matthew Hoggard, by contrast, was a drained man at the close, after beinggiven a long hard day in the field. “That wasn’t a 139 wicket, or a 116for 6 wicket,” Hoggard admitted, “but Kallis was tremendous. He’s aworld-class player at the top of his game.The England bowlers came in for some criticism for their consistentshort-pitched approach, but Hoggard insisted that it was a deliberatetactic. “The short balls were difficult to play, because you didn’t knowif they were going to come through or stick in the wicket, so that make itdifficult to duck and difficult to hook. Obviously, we didn’t get anywickets that way until the last one, but I thought with a spinner down, westuck to our task well.”Giles’s absence was crucial, seeing as he would have bowled a good 20overs, but Hoggard was hopeful he might yet play a part in the secondinnings. “Ashley’s standing up straight again which is an improvement.He’s been on the physio’s table all day, so with a good night’s rest,he’ll have a chance of bowling in the second innings.”

Who would want to be part of the Pakistan CricketBoard? Already in the dock over any number of issues -the Senate Standing Committee inquiry, a stalledconstitution, allegations of financialunaccountability and a lack of transparency – theyalso have to deal with increasingly shrill andhysterical criticism for the 3-0 series loss againstAustralia. And last week, as if somehow all thisweren’t enough, the PCB unveiled a brand new look fordomestic cricket. Nothing aggravates traditionalists,particularly those of a cricketing kind, quite likeattempts to modernise, jazz-up or market their game.Pakistani traditionalists are no different.First, a little background. When ABN-AMRO agreed tosponsor domestic cricket recently, they were the firstto do so in nearly eight years. Furthermore, it was inline with the restructuring that Rameez Raja, the former chief executive of the Pakistan board, had initiated last season in a bid to revamp amuch-criticised domestic set-up. Raja’s vision, onepursued by Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the board, and espousedrelentlessly (and tediously) by Imran Khan amongothers, was to shift the emphasis from departments andcorporations, such as PIA and Habib Bank, to regionalteams which could harness and nurture talent more effectively and re-ignite dormantpublic interest. The obstacle, until then, had beenthe lack of financial resources; banks offeredlittle-educated cricketers a job and a career afterthey retired from the game, regional sides offeredthem measly match fees and little else.Earlier this season, players in the regionalQuaid-e-Azam Trophy, the showcase of the domesticroster, were paid monthly salaries and employed onsix-month contracts. The money came mainly from thewindfall of the India series earlier last year andwasn’t endless. But with ABN-AMRO secured as sponsors,TV rights having been sold to broadcast domesticmatches and regional sponsors also being sought, thePCB’s pockets are deeper. Last week, then, it seemedappropriate for the PCB to unveil ‘National CricketPakistan’.The vision is lofty – to make domestic cricket apopular spectator sport in Pakistan. Plenty of right noises were made at the press conference: mission statements, re-branding, and consumer-reaction models werebandied about with the same liberal abandon Pakistanibowlers display towards no-balls. Regional teams have beenrenamed – Peshawar become the Panthers, Hyderabad theHawks and so on. Furthermore, ABN-AMRO, led byfull-time cricket fanatic and part-time consumer bankhead (and suitably monikered), Salman Butt, have plansto spice up contests, providing entertainment duringgames, improving stadium facilities and also promotingmatches heavily beforehand.The last week has seen a fairly intense ad campaign inmost main dailies advertising the schedule of matchesin the ongoing national one-day tournament. Tickets forthe recent Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final, held inFaisalabad, were sold on a float that moved throughthe city centre. Crowds of up to 700 on a couple ofdays might seem low, but given that last year therewere less than even that (not including dogs), it isan improvement.But there are concerns, some ludicrous, others less so,and most of these were raised at the launch itself.Local journalists, never shy in prompting verbaljousts with the PCB, immediately raised doubts. Onequestioned bluntly why ABN-AMRO should be given anysupport, given their minimal involvement andassociation with the game in the past. Another coupleasked why the format, and in particular the choice ofanimal names, was copied from South Africa andEngland, going as far as to suggest that renaming theWhites of Karachi to Dolphins and the Blues to Zebraswas somehow a cultural insult to the people of thecity. They are not alone: a couple of letters in anEnglish daily raised the same issue. It was left,finally, to that most level-headed of journalists, GulHameed Bhatti, to voice the most serious and credibleconcern.Bhatti warned that for the sponsorship to be trulysuccessful and for domestic cricket to startattracting viewership, involvement would have to gobeyond hollow marketing plans. For starters, althoughone-day matches are being broadcast live on televisioncurrently, the quality of coverage is abysmal. It is,Bhatti argued, more likely to turn people off cricketthan onto it and if either the PCB or ABN-AMRO areserious about what they want to achieve, then theyhave to ensure that the channel which broadcasts thematches does so with an acceptable level of quality.They cannot, as another reporter whispered, “justthrow money at the game and hope it will develop”.Shahid Hashmi, AFP’s veteran sports reporter, alsorecalled how involved past sponsors had been with thegame, and how it would require more than re-branding andmarketing gimmickry for any long-termsuccess.Both Hashmi and Bhatti are witness to times whensponsorship was more than just money. Former sponsorsPakistan Tobacco Company (PTC) used to publish anannual and comprehensive statistical review of eachseason. They were staffed by people who, in the wordsof Hashmi, had a deep affection for the game, and it issomething ABN-AMRO should look to now. Certainly,watching games currently on TV is a deeply shatteringexperience; commentators don’t know the names ofplayers, some don’t even know how many teams areparticipating in a tournament. Urdu commentary is justabout bearable, the English version makes you yearnfor the screech of chalk on blackboard.Ultimately, given that sponsorship has been asforthcoming as restrained knocks from Shahid Afridi,both parties should be applauded for negotiating athree-year deal. Furthermore, if it is a given thatthe PCB will act in the best interests of the game(not as easy an assumption as you may think), thenadded to the energy, drive and passion that SalmanButt the banker reportedly possesses for the game, itshould in theory prove a fruitful association. Threeyears is a lifetime in Pakistan cricket and to infertoo much now is to tempt fate. One thing, though, iscertain: sports headlines (sample: ‘Lions devourZebras’) have surely never been this colourful.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has suggested that its forthcoming tour of India could be in doubt unless the Indian board sorted out issues of scheduling within the next two days. Two ad-hoc committee meetings of the Pakistan board have been cancelled: Abbas Zaidi, a PCB director, explained that “both meetings have been cancelled as the next two days are critical for us and should decide if we tour India or not.”Zaidi told , a Mumbai-based newspaper, “I think Thursday is going to be a crucial day for both boards. It should decide the outcome of this long-awaited tour.” In the meantime the Indian board is likely to announce the venues and dates for the Pakistan tour on Thursday, after a working-committee meeting. Pakistan have refused to play in Ahmedabad on security grounds.The presence of Natwar Singh, the Indian foreign minister, in Islamabad, was expected to help resolve various issues. Shaharyar Khan, the president of the Pakistan board, was likely to meet the Indian foreign minister and raise various concerns he had. The report quotes a Pakistan board source as saying, “basically the Pakistan board has to go by the advice of its foreign ministry, which so far has not given clearance to play in Ahmedabad. But that situation could change in the next 24 hours, with the Indian foreign minister in Islamabad and some important meetings scheduled.”

The West Indian selectors have followed their board’s line by not including Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle and four others in the list of 22 probables for the forthcoming series against South Africa and Pakistan. This is the upshot of a bitter dispute between the board and the players over sponsorship contracts.The 22 “invited players” have been sent individual tour contracts along with their invitation for selection and were asked to respond by March 11. Apart from the big three, the others in the negative list are Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul. These seven, who have personal endorsement contracts with Cable & Wireless (C&W), have been sidelined because the WICB believes that their contract with C&W jeopardises the board’s sponsorship deal with Digicel, a rival communications company.Late last year, the Board asked the players concerned for details – excluding the financial details – of their contracts to ensure that no problems arose for either the board or the players. The players refused. The board alleged that even after a negotiation overseen by the Prime Minister of Grenada, Keith Mitchell, in which he had been assured by C&W that they would not display advertisements relating it in any way with the West Indian team, C&W had indeed made references to West Indian cricket.Teddy Griffith, the Board president – who made the initial announcement on a live broadcast on television and radio across the region – said that this had put the board in an awkward position with its sponsor, because it had compromised the board’s “ability to deliver on its commitments to Digicel”. He said, “It should be noted that the Digicel sponsorship not only benefits those players who are fortunate enough to gain selection to the West Indies team, but in fact contributes to every level of West Indies cricket.” He concluded that the board had to take action for the betterment of West Indies cricket, as opposed to individual contracts that would favour a few players.Invited players Devon Smith, Wavell Hinds, Ryan Ramdass, Daren Ganga, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ryan Hinds, Narsingh Deonarine, Darren Sammy, Donavon Pagon, Carlton Baugh, Courtney Browne, Xavier Marshall, Denesh Ramdin, Ian Bradshaw, Dave Mohammed, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Dwight Washington, Reon King, Darren Powell, Jerome Taylor, Tino Best.

South Africa 188 and 269 for 4 (Kallis 109*, Boucher 4*) drew with West Indies 543 for 5 dec
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

At Durban and Cape Town earlier this season, Jacques Kallis celebrated his Christmas and New Year by grinding England’s bowlers deep into the dust. On the fifth day at Guyana, it was West Indies’ turn to feel the broad face of his blade, as he batted for a marathon 411 minutes and 346 balls to save South Africa from a humiliating first-Test defeat. In all, South Africa batted for 161 overs to save the game, exactly the same as an Andy-Flower-inspired Zimbabwe had managed against India at Nagpur in 2000-01.Only last month, Kallis entered the record-books at the opposite end, with a record-breaking 24-ball fifty against Zimbabwe at Newlands. That innings, however, seemed like the product of a parallel universe. On this occasion, Kallis played out dot-ball after dot-ball, and slowly reeled in West Indies’ massive 355-run first-innings advantage. In doing so, he became the second South African after Gary Kirsten to pass 7000 Test runs, and he also drew level with Kirsten’s national record of 21 hundreds.It was an innings as sombre as the Pope’s requiem mass, and it reached uncharted depths of introspection in the 30-over session after lunch, when he and the uncharacteristically subdued Herschelle Gibbs batted clean through to tea for the addition of a tortuous 45 runs, with scarcely a false shot on display. Though Kallis lifted his tempo once his century was in sight, his concentration did not flicker. He had, after all, already been given his one, crucial, reprieve.When Kallis had made just 22, and after 17 overs of the final day’s play, West Indies were finally eligible to take the second new ball. But Shivnarine Chanderpaul opted instead to turn to spin, with himself and the offspinner Narsingh Deonarine, bowling in tandem. If it was a bid to tempt South Africa out of their torpor, then the move so nearly paid dividends. Kallis chopped eagerly at Chanderpaul’s fifth delivery, but the thin edge clanged in and out of Courtney Browne’s gloves.Deonarine soon gained some consolation, as Rudolph was trapped lbw by a scuttling legbreak for 24, but the moment had been lost. It was not Browne’s only error, either. On 20, Jacques Rudolph had tickled too finely at a legside delivery from Daren Powell, but the chance was badly missed, with Browne dropping a lazy right glove on the ball. Despite his heroics in the final of the Champions Trophy last September, Browne is now 34 and on this showing, he cannot expect to keep Carlton Baugh out of the team for much longer.Missed catches were not the only way in which West Indies failed to help their own cause. Chanderpaul’s field placings were so negative that the first sign of pressure around the bat came in the penultimate over before tea, even though South Africa had set the tone for the day in the very first hour, with Kallis and Rudolph maintaining a grim struggle for survival at a run-rate of less than 1.5 an over. The new ball was finally taken after 93 overs, with 45 minutes to go until lunch, but Gibbs and Kallis remained unseparated for 67 deadpan overs.The match was sparked out of its slumber as the shadows lengthened, when Gibbs, on 49, shaped to leave a leg-stump delivery from Ryan Hinds but looked on aghast as the ball tweaked past the pad and cannoned into off. That left Mark Boucher to fend off a tricky 18 deliveries that included a touch of mischievous bounce, but in the end, Chanderpaul was forced to yield to Kallis’s unbending will.Kallis has now scored a phenomenal five centuries in five consecutive matches against West Indies, dating back to the opening fixture of the 2003-04 series. In that time, he has amassed 821 runs at an average of 164.20. All the more reason to take the chances when they come begging.And yet, regardless of the disappointing ending, it was nonetheless a match from which West Indies could take huge pleasure – particularly Chanderpaul, who was rightly named Man of the Match for a double-century on his captaincy debut. West Indies had entered the game with nothing to lose, and left it feeling they had lost out. Clearly, something of substance must have taken place in the intervening five days.South Africa 2nd innings Inside-edge onto his stumps, trying to force through off sideSmith b Collins 34 (68 for 2) Flashy drive, inside-edge onto middle-and-legRudolph lbw b Deonarine 24 (119 for 3) Hit low on pad by legbreak, might have clipped leg stumpGibbs b R Hinds 49 (258 for 4) Misjudgment – padded up, lost off stump

Inzamam-ul-Haq has received a one-Test ban for showing dissent against umpiring decisions on the last day of the Bangalore Test.Saleem Altaf, the Pakistan team manager, clarified that Inzamam had been pulled up for two instances of misconduct. “We had a hearing with the match referee, Chris Broad, for two counts of excessive appealing and dissent. On the first count, he has been fined 30% of his match fees and on the second, a level two offence, he has been given a one-Test ban.””As captain he has to set an example for others to follow,” said Chris Broad, the match referee, in a release issued by the ICC. “Following the incident that happened in the ninth over of the innings, Inzamam was warned about appealing by the on-field umpires. In addition, I went to the Pakistan dressing room at lunch and requested the Pakistan coach to pass a message on to his team about the manner of their appealing. This means that when this second incident happened he knew he should not have reacted as he did.”Pakistan ended up winning the match by 168 runs, but Inzamam was visibly miffed when a couple of caught-behind appeals against the Indian openers were denied on the first session. Gautam Gambhir was lucky to survive – the snickometer clearly showed contact between bat and ball – but the decision in favour of Virender Sehwag seemed a good one. Inzamam was especially upset after Sehwag was ruled not out, charging past the batsman and shaking his hands in anger.Altaf indicated that the Pakistan board would take a decision on whether or not to appeal against the verdict. If the decision stays, then Inzamam will have to sit out of Pakistan’s first Test on their tour of the West Indies.

Brian Lara has expressed his disappointment over his mode of dismissal despite producing a glorious 176 to lift West Indies to 292 for 7 on the first day of the third Test against South Africa in Barbados. Lara, who had engineered a fightback in the previous Test in Trinidad, motored to his 28th hundred after walking in at 12 for 2.”I’m more disappointed with the shot this afternoon than the [second innings] shot in Trinidad,” Lara was quoted as saying in The Nation. “Our plan after tea was not to lose a wicket, to end the day with at least two recognised batsmen out in the middle and we didn’t do that … . With four or five overs to go I should have played a better shot.”Lara, who arrived at the crease with West Indies reeling, was dismissed by Nel in the 87th over when he inside edged onto his stumps, followed by Dwayne Bravo – the only recognised batsmen left – and thereby gave South Africa the upper hand. “Someone needed to stay out there for the entire day,” Lara lamented. “As a batter, you can’t get a hundred every time you go out to the middle, but you can try. I laid the foundation, I tried to prepare myself for a proper innings today.”This is what I relish,” he said. “I relish the opportunity to go out there, assess the situation. It doesn’t matter if I’m not captain.” Lara, along with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, his captain, resurrected the innings with a 138-run partnership, and admitted that he also needed play a leader’s role. “I’m 35 years old, going to be 36 very soon. I am actually a leader in the team. I’ve got to try to show the way with the bat and in the field and anything that Shiv wants in terms of help, I’ve got to be able to assist him with it.”Speaking about his team’s game plan, Lara said that the bowlers should try and limit the South Africans to under three runs an over. “If we get in 100 overs and we can get them out within that period of time, they must not be in excess of 300 runs. That should be our aim.”

West Indies have recalled Brian Lara for the two-Test series against Pakistan, starting on Thursday in Barbados. Ian Bradshaw has been included in the 13-man squad for the first time, following his consistent efforts in the one-day internationals, while Devon Smith, Reon King and Corey Collymore also return.Xavier Marshall, Dwayne Smith and Pedro Collins are the players omitted from the current one-day squad. Devon Smith’s call comes after he was omitted from the Test side following the first Test against South Africa in Guyana, while Collymore has been a steadying influence on the West Indies attack during the one-day games.Joey Carew, convenor of the West Indies selection panel, said: “This is a new Test series and the team has to begin concentrating on getting the winning habit, so we are looking forward to a successful series.”Carew expected a renewed approach from the team, and believed that Lara, who was rested for the ODI series against Pakistan, would add another element to the team. “He is rested and will return invigorated,” Carew said. “As the senior player in the team and the leading personality in world cricket, he will also inject a deeper sense of professionalism.”Squad Shivnarine Chanderpaul (capt), Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Devon Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Dwayne Bravo, Courtney Browne (wk), Ian Bradshaw, Daren Powell, Reon King, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards.

Stephen Fleming will captain Nottinghamshire during the 2005 season. Fleming, 31, had been in talks with Surrey, but they pulled out of negotiations with New Zealand cricket when it was decided that his availability would not be sufficient to fulfil the job that would have been desired of him.Fleming, who already has some experience of county cricket after stints with Middlesex in 2001 and Yorkshire last summer, will be free to play for Nottinghamshire almost all the summer, with New Zealand playing in a home Test and one-day series against Australia in March. That will be followed by a five-month break before New Zealand’s trip to Zimbabwe in September, although the exact dates for that tour are yet to be confirmed.”It is a real coup for Nottinghamshire to sign the world’s leading captain, and one of the best batsmen in international cricket,” said Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket. “Stephen will bring fresh ideas and challenges to our players, and will demand international level standards of performance which will help bring out the very best in both our young players and those aspiring for international honours.”Fleming, meanwhile, said that he was looking forward to joining Nottinghamshire next season, and pointed out that the club already has strong links with New Zealand cricket. Sir Richard Hadlee, Chris Cairns, Daniel Vettori and Nathan Astle have all played for Nottinghamshire in the past.”I enjoyed my previous experience of county cricket, and have harboured an ambition to captain a leading English county team,” said Fleming. “Nottinghamshire proved they are one of the up and coming counties with double promotion last season, and Trent Bridge holds special personal memories with my Test century on the ground this summer.”The facilities are world class at Trent Bridge,” added Fleming. “I was impressed with the ambition and the plans outlined by Mick Newell and I look forward to joining the club in April.”Fleming will take over from Jason Gallian, who had been captain since 1998 and has been awarded a benefit year in 2005. Gallian has also signed a contract to play for Nottinghamshire until at least the end of the 2007 season.”As soon as it became likely that Stephen would sign, the question of the captaincy was discussed,” he said. “As he is arguably the best captain in world cricket, I offered to step down. I have a good few years left and I am sure that I will learn something playing alongside a player of his capability. After such a successful season leading Nottinghamshire to promotion in both competitions, I look forward to being part of a team that will hopefully win more trophies next season.”Newell, the man responsible for luring Fleming to the club, has also signed an extension to his contract as director of cricket.Speaking about his extension, Newell said: “I am grateful for the confidence and support which the club has demonstrated by extending my contract and I am focused on bringing more trophies back to Trent Bridge during the next two years.”In order to be competitive I needed to further strengthen the squad and the signing of Graeme Swann and Stephen Fleming demonstrates our ambition for next season.”