Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly said that the Australians due to arrive next month will face a tough tour, despite the absence of Kumble. India prepares to defend a 31-year unbroken home series record-winning streak against the Aussies. Ganguly said India were no 
pushovers at home and he would work on a strategy along with team coach John Wright. Ganguly said he was nursing a stiff back and added that it was not serious enough to stop him from playing.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has recovered Rs. 900, 000 in fines from five players (Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul Haq and Mushtaq Ahmed) as per the recommendation of the Justice Qayoom report. The fines were implemented eight months ago and deducted from the player's earnings. To recover fines from past players like Ata-ur-Rahman and Akram Raza the PCB plans to deduct the same from their provident fund. Salim Malik's deduction has been held back as his case is still pending with the courts of law.
Meanwhile the PCB has agreed to extend all co-operation to the ICC anti-corruption cell if they would like to interview or question Salim Malik. Sir Paul Condon had approached the PCB initially for talks with Malik. Sir Condon is now investigating several other players like Alec Stewart, Brian Lara and Martin Crowe and has not yet informed the PCB, who are ready to extend full co-operation with regard to his questioning Malik.
Javagal Srinath and Muthiah Muralitharan were among the first to wish Anil Kumble a speedy recovery after the latter was operated upon by South African orthopaedician Mark Fergusson. The surgery took about one hour. Indian team physio Andrew Leipus was present throughout the surgery. He will be kept under observation for a day. Kumble has been staying with Andrew Leipus in Johannesburg.
Former Test captain Ajit Wadekar will lock horns with political candidate and former Maharashtra chief minister Sharad Pawar in the Mumbai Cricket Association elections to be held today. The Electoral College consists of 323 votes with the maidan clubs controlling a crucial chunk of 180 votes and the rest split between companies and colleges associated with the Mumbai Cricket Association.
The United Cricket Board of South Africa has appointed a four-member committee to examine the King Commission recommendations on combating match fixing. UCB communications manager Bronwyn Wilkinson will be one of the members of the group. The other three are Robbie Kurz (convenor of legal and constitutional committee), Brandon Foot (convenor of disciplinary committee) & Gerald Majola, the UCB Managing Director.
The Bangladesh Cricket board has barred national cricketers from playing in local league matches so that they can focus on international events. The BCB secretary however dismissed the idea that this would deprive players of extra earnings from club cricket. Currently 18 players are on the payroll of the BCB. Bangladesh is due to make their first international tour in April to Zimbabwe.
In Sri Lanka support for cricket extends even up to their Buddhist clergy. A highly respected Buddhist monk said he was even prepared to go to jail to make the construction of an international stadium a reality. Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Thera, the chief of the Asgiriya chapter made his intentions clear after he inspected the construction site of a stadium in Dambulla, some 200 km from Colombo. The stadium will host its first one-day match when Sri Lanka play England on March 23 this year.
South African all-rounder Lance Klusener has been ruled out of the third Test against Sri Lanka due to a knee injury. Klusener is to fly to Cape Town for an arthroscopy, which will be performed on his right knee. Meanwhile the extent of seriousness of the injury suffered by Sri Lankan left-armer Chaminda Vaas in the last one-dayer is not known.
Off-spinner Nikhil Chopra was exonerated of the charges of match fixing by the BCCI. The disciplinary committee of the Board, which met at Chennai, also heard Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) chief, IS Bindra's reply. They however did not give any verdict on the former Board president, I Bindra. The present BCCI president, AC Muthiah said that the disciplinary committee was "totally convinced" by the presentation made by Mr Bindra and PCA secretary MP Pandove.
England wicket-keeper Alec Stewart said that the allegations made by a book-maker accusing him of taking money in exchange of information affected his performance on the tour of Pakistan. Stewart who has denied reports that he was interviewed by the ICC's anti-corruption unit chief Paul Condon said he was not in a position to disclose any details.
Cine stars Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan along with Sachin Tendulkar will be seen together in an advertisment film. Confirming this Rakesh Roshan (father of Hrithik) said that a company called Om Trade, has managed to rope in the three for its commericals. The shooting with Sachin Tendulkar took place some time ago, Hrithik completed his shooting for the ad. over two days in Sydney, Australia last week. Only Shah Rukh's portion in the ad. film remains to be shot.
Saurashtra opener Chaiteshwar Pujara, son of former Ranji player Arvind Pujara, became the first batsman to score a triple hundred at the National Under-14 champsionships when he hit an unbeaten 306 (in 540 mins, 516 balls, 36 fours) against Baroda at the Moti Baug Palace Grounds at Baroda in the West Zone (Under 14) league match.
Scores at a glance
West Zone piled up 310-3 on the opening day of their Duleep Trophy tie against South Zone. Kambli made a lively unbeaten 49 of 53 balls with seven fours and one six.
West Zone: 310-3 in 90 overs (Wasim Jaffer 49, HH Kanitkar 95, JJ Martin 85 not out , VG Kambli 49 not out; Sunil Joshi 2-62)
In the other Duleep Trophy match at Guwahati, East Zone had North Zone on the back foot, with Debasis Mohanty taking 6-57.
North Zone: 206 all out in 63 overs. (Dinesh Mongia 72; Debasis Mohanty 6-57)
East Zone: 26-2 in 14 overs (RR Parida 17 not out; Ashish Nehra 2-4 of 6 overs)
Rajastan played Vidarbha at Nagpur in a Central Zone Ranji Trophy league match.
Rajasthan: 288-7 (Vineet Saxena 103 not out, Anshu Jain 37, Gagan Khoda 32, PK Krishnakumar 36, ACD Sharma 33; C Atram 3-10)
In another Central Zone Ranji fixture Madhya Pradesh were in command over Uttar Pradesh at Kanpur.
Uttar Pradesh: 143 (Jyoti Prasad Yadav 33, Mohammad Kaif 20; DS Bundela 6-37, Jai Prakash Yadav 4-41)
Madhya Pradesh: 121-3 (AR Khurasiya 68, DS Bundela 39 not out).
Did you know?…
Australian Joe Darling became the first left-hander to score a Test hundred when he scored 101 against England at Sydney in December 1897. Incidentally it was then the 53rd Test match ever to be played.
Yesterday's News
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
