Australian batsman Mark Waugh and New Zealand's former captain Martin Crowe refused to speak to the ICC's anti-corruption unit as advised by their lawyers. In the meanwhile the Australian Cricket Board is considering legal opinion on whether it could force Mark Waugh to meet the ICC officials. The ACB lawyers will meet Waugh's legal advisers to try to convince the Australian batsman to give evidence to the investigating team. In a latest report Crowe who initially refused to meet the ICC officials has now agreed to do so.

New Zealander all-rounder Chris Cairns will undergo surgery on his knee within the next three weeks. He hoped to be fit by the next season.

The appointment of Geoff Boycott as a coaching consultant to the Pakistan Cricket Board seems to be in doubt, although the PCB is sure of Boycott beginning his assignment by the first week of February. Boycott himself is unsure if the contract will be signed or not. He said no proper approach has been made by the PCB. However the PCB chief Tauqir Zia confirmed that Boycott would arrive early February and they are in the final stages of signing the deal.

The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka's sponsorship rights for the period 2001 to 2003 with the World Sport Group Nimbus has run into trouble. The agreement, giving sponsorship and media rights to WSG Nimbus was signed in Colombo last month. However the first payment due on January 20th was not made by WSG Nimbus. The BCCSL are taking legal advice. In the meanwhile WSG Nimbus claimed that the Sri Lankan Board have not yet confirmed the itineraries of tours to Sri Lanka hence the delay.

Pakistani all-rounder Abdur Razzaq has sought assistance of seniors to get an English county contract. Pakistani coach Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram have been in touch with Glamorgan and Lancashire and some other counties on the possibility of a long contract. Razzaq said he was always interested in playing English county cricket since he had been told by the senior players it would help him a lot and also help him to polish his skills further. He further started that he would definitely consider a good offer, but being a professional cricketer monetary considerations are also important.

Sri Lankan cricket officials expressed disappointment at the weak opposition put up by hosts Kenya against their "A" team during the latter's tour of Kenya. The officials also felt that their hosts lacked commitment.

Poor performances by the senior Sri Lankan team in South Africa have cost the sponsors more than a million rands. A spokesman to one of the main sponsor - a mobile phone company MTN - said "We did lose out on broadcast time, with most of the Test matches ending early and probably something on other related marketing costs".

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) will host the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy from February 12-16 at Chennai. The TNCA has sought the BCCI's permission to hold it as a day matches instead of day-night as stipulated by the BCCI. This change was necessitated due to a repair of the lights in one of the four towers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

2nd Test: India U-19 v England U-19 at Chennai (4th and final day)
England U-19: 399 (N Peng 132, IR Bell 61, GJ Pratt 40, GJ Muchall 49, CT Tremlett 61) & 64-2 (J Salder 31 not out).
India U-19: 122-4 (I Ganda 67, YG Rao 30, K Khadkikar 30; AC McGarry 4-44) & 492-4 decl (G Gambhir 212, V Mane 201. A Naidu 35)
Result: Match Drawn
Following-on the India U-19 openers Gambhir and Mane put on a record 391 for the first wicket.

Match report >

Carlton One-day Series in Australia
Zimbabwe fought back from a seemingly impossible position to dismiss the West Indies for 91 and beat them by 47 runs in a sensational tri-nations Carlton series one-day clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The West Indies at one stage were 31-8!
Zimbabwe: 138 in 47.2 overs (HH Streak 45; CE Cuffy 4-24, LR Williams 3-24)
West Indies: 91 in 31.5 overs (NAM McLean 40 not out; HH Streak 8-4-8-4, BC Strang 3-15, M Nkala 3-12)
Result: Zimbabwe won by 47 runs. Man of the match: HH Streeak (Zim)

Match report >

Fact of the day Shaun Pollock's 111 in the recent Test for South Africa against Sri Lanka at Centurion was the first ever hundred by a Test captain while batting at number nine. The previous highest was the unbeaten 73 by West Indian captain Frank Worrell against India at Port of Spain April 1962.

Joke of the day "I really had him in two minds that time" said the bowler, rubbing one side of the ball. "Indeed you had. He didn't know whether to hit you for a six or a four" replied the captain.

Yesterday's News

Compiled by: Mohandas Menon