Sachin Tendulkar will play in the last Duleep Trophy league tie against East Zone at Rajkot from 1-4 February. He has agreed to play to get some match practice for the Australian tour.

Mark Waugh has agreed to speak with ICC and Australian Cricket Board (ACB) anti-corruption investigators said ACB Chief Executive Malcolm Speed in a media conference at Melbourne. Waugh's decision follows yesterday's ultimatum by the ACB to either attend interviews with the investigators in early February or be withdrawn from the Australian squad. Meanwhile in Auckland Martin Crowe also said he is willing to co-operate with the ICC's anti-corruption unit. The CBI report had alleged that Martin Crowe received $45,000 from a bookmaker in 1992. Crowe admitted receiving money for what he thought was for a series of articles but broke the contract when he realized it was a scam with a bookie.

Former Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson, at a press conference at Lord's, London, expressed surprised and concern at Mark Waugh's refusal to meet the ICC's anti-corruption unit. "It looks like he's got something to hide".

West Indies Cricket Board today unveiled plans for a new national cricket academy, which will be based at St George's University in Grenada. The first batch of 24 elite young cricketers will be selected from throughout the Caribbean islands. The Academy is American-funded, and the first batch will join in May this year for an intensive three-month programme. Facilities that include a medical school, are widely regarded as the best in the Caribbean with first-class nets less than 50 yards from the beach, a well equipped gym and an impressive array of lecture rooms The decision to base the academy at St George's was driven by Dr Rudi Webster, the West Indies team psychologist who teaches medicine at the university and who seized on the chance when funds from America became available.

When Sri Lanka arrived at Johannesburg in December, Jayasuriya handed over a well-protected parcel to an eye specialist from Pretoria to prepare two patients for cornea transplants the next day. The corneas had been donated by the people of Sri Lanka and couriered to South Africa by the Sri Lankan cricket team. On the last day of the final Test, Jayasuriya met the two patients, recovering from successful transplants, to receive their thanks for his part and to the organization that made the donation possible. They also handed the Jayasuriya some gifts to take back home with him. Jayasuriya is also a United Nations Ambassador for Aids Awareness in Sri Lanka.

Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the appointment of former Australian opener Geoff Marsh as illogical and termed it as "spending a packet on an consultant for ideas that are not all that revolutionary." Gavaskar said "Marsh was ruled out as coach of the Indian team because of his terms, and now with hardly any change in those terms he is a special consultant earning more than coach John Wright" Gavaskar's remarks even made the BCCI president to be cautious on the issue. AC Muthiah said "Nothing has been finalised as yet with Marsh." He added "we have asked Marsh to prepare a blue-print for improving Indian cricket. He has been told to do this by March. Only then we will take a decision on hiring him."

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union, has formally joined the fight against corruption by appointing an anti-corruption unit in an attempt to safeguard players from possible match-fixing influences. The ZCU in Harare is all set to appoint a three-member anti-corruption committee for this purpose.

The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has cancelled a lucrative three-year television contract with WSG-Nimbus to telecast international matches played at home from 2001-2003, alleging that the firm has still not provided a bank guarantee. However WSG Nimbus has claimed that the Board have not yet confirmed the itineraries of tours to Sri Lanka and are not in a position to provide any financial guarantees without it. In meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Board are negotiating with the second highest bidder Trans World International (TWI).

Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram has filed an appeal with the PCB asking for a refund of the fine deducted from his match-fee for "not speaking the truth" during the inquiry proceedings into match fixing by Justice Malik Qayoom. Wasim had to pay Rs 300,000 to the Board.

Wasim Akram has ruled out his retirement this year and was keen to pass Kapil Dev's tally of Test wickets during the England tour this May. While responding to a recent comment made by former captain Mushtaq Mohammed that some senior players in the Pakistan side are over the hill for international cricket, Wasim said everyone had a right to his opinion and respected Mushtaq's views. He reserved his comments on hiring of Geoff Boycott on his 15-day coaching stint for the PCB Cricket Academy in Lahore, but felt the project should have been launched 10 years ago.

Npower, a gas and electricity supplier, is the new sponsor of England's home cricket Test matches. Npower have signed a three year deal worth £ 11 million upto 2003. The new sponsors replace insurance company Cornhill, who was involved for the last 23 years.

The MRF Pace Academy will conduct a fortnight long camp at Chennai by former Australian paceman Dennis Lillee. About 45 boys in the age group of 16-19 will benefit from this camp.

New Zealand's left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori, out of the team for four months with a stress injury to his back has made a come-back to the side. He has been selected to the squad for the first two one-dayers against Sri Lanka.

Former South African opener Barry Richards feels India's Sachin Tendulkar is a good batsman, but only at home. South African left-hander Graeme Pollock and West Indian Viv Richards were the best ever batsman according to him. Speaking to pressmen at Dubai, Richards further alleged that Indian cricket was plagued with "a lot of politics". About Pakistan, he appeared surprised as to how the country was able to produce world class players and yet do not perform to their potential. He opined that the Pakistani players use cricket as "a vehicle to get out of the slums for a better life".

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The two-member committee of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Polly Umrigar and Sharad Diwadkar inspected the facilities and infrastructure at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali for establishing a zonal cricket academy.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…
Oscar Wilde disapproved of cricket because he said that "the batting posture is positively indecent".

Yesterday's News

Compiled by: Mohandas Menon