The International Cricket Council has extended the deadline for the constituent units to spell out their stand on the contract issue for the next year's World Cup in South Africa upto October 30.
"The deadline, which was earlier October 15, has been extended by 15 days," Board of Control for Cricket in India president Jagmohan Dalmiya said on Sunday.
Dalmiya said he had held discussions with the Indian players at Mumbai during the first Test of the ongoing series against West Indies on the issue.
The incoming president of the International Cricket Council said on Sunday, cricket in Pakistan was again open for business, after a difficult year which saw numerous teams cancel trips here because of fears for their security.
Ehsan Mani, speaking after a weeklong special coaching course for national coaches in Lahore, said the training sessions attended by representatives from 12 countries proved that Pakistan was back in the game.
The national team was forced in the wake of September 11 to play two of its home series against the West Indies and Australia on neutral venues earlier this year.
While Sri Lanka played a Test in Lahore in March unperturbed, New Zealand's tour to Pakistan two months later had to be cut short after one Test following a bomb blast in Karachi.
"I am particularly delighted that this course has been held in Pakistan at a time when a number of countries have expressed reservations at visiting Pakistan, Mani, who will take over leadership of the ICC next year, said.
"I also look forward to the ICC Development Committee meeting which has been scheduled to be held in December in Pakistan," he said.
West Indies in India
The West Indies have announced the squad for the ODI series against India that takes place in November, after the final Test in Kolkata, with Jamaican all-rounder Ricardo Powell the most notable addition to the squad.
Another player with experience of South African conditions is Vasbert Drakes, the tall fast bowler who plays for Border during the South African summer.
The selectors clearly have the World Cup in mind as Drakes, who did duty for the Windies at the ICC Champions Trophy returns to the fray while Jermaine Lawson, Darren Powell and all-rounder Gareth Breese are omitted.
Squad:
Carl Hooper (captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Cameron Cuffy, Mervyn Dillon, Vasbert Drakes, Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Ricardo Powell, Marlon Samuels and Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Despite having lost the series against India with comprehensive defeats in the first two Tests, West Indies skipper Carl Hooper on Sunday said that his team was still "upbeat" and would play for a win in the final Test here to salvage some pride.
"The mood of our players is still upbeat. We will play for a win at the Eden Gardens," Hooper told newspersons on his arrival at the team hotel for the third Test beginning here from October 30.
He described the performance of the side in the first two Tests as "disappointing", but said that his players were not letting the series outcome affect them.
"It's been a disappointing tour so far. But we are not thinking of the series outcome any more. We are looking forward to the Eden Test," the West Indies captain said.
England in Australia
The heat generated by subcontinent spin doctors failed to wilt England's batsmen this year. But it was lukewarm compared with the blowtorch set to be applied by Australia's world-beating pacemen.
And according to four experts who spoke to The Sun-Herald, England's top four batsmen, who looked fragile as the tour began last week, will either make or break their side.
Former Test captain Bill Lawry believes chinks are appearing in Australia's bowling.
"The thing is that [Glenn] McGrath is not getting any younger," Lawry said. "His workload has been enormous in recent years. If Brett Lee doesn't come up to scratch and [Jason] Gillespie's not 100 per cent fit, there's probably a window of opportunity for the top order if they can get a start.
"Pakistan showed in the first Test that the Australian side's not unbeatable. So England have to be positive.
"If they can get away from Perth, which is not a great place to land with the extra bounce, and get up to the Gabba, a good batting wicket where there are lots of runs to be made, one never knows."
Lawry, who played in six Ashes campaigns between 1961 and 1971, said England's top order must not allow McGrath to dominate when the Ashes series starts on Thursday.
"All other sides, except maybe India, allow McGrath to dictate terms. I think they've got to be positive against McGrath early on.
Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie was selected in the squad to play England in the first Test in Brisbane after making a speedy recovery from the calf injury that ended his series against Pakistan three weeks ago.
The good news for Australia came as the burden on England's overworked physiotherapist increased yesterday, when opening batsman Marcus Trescothick was taken to hospital to have pain-killing injections in his right shoulder.
Gillespie was examined in Melbourne this week by Australian Cricket Board doctor Trefor James, who advised that the fast bowler will be available for the first Test.
"Trefor's content that Jason is making good progress," an ACB spokesman said yesterday.
He said Gillespie will bowl next in South Australia's ING Cup match against NSW in Adelaide on November2, "barring something untoward".
The Australian squad will gather in Brisbane on November 3.
Bangladesh in South Africa
Jacques Kallis credited extra work put in during the off-season for his match-winning performance to wrap up the second Test against Bangladesh.
The all-rounder hit an unbeaten 139 and took five wickets in the space of 12 balls, including three in a single over, as South Africa completed victory by an innings and 160 runs
I've worked hard during the off-season, especially with my bowling to change the action a little and get some swing," he said.
"It's nice to see that the hard work paid off."
Named as man of the series, Kallis was not dismissed in either Test, hitting an unbeaten 75 in the first match.
Home skipper Shaun Pollock praised a professional performance by his side, which saw the tourists bowled out for 107 in their second innings.
Pollock's men dismissed Bangladesh for a paltry 107 in their second innings, 160 runs short of South Africa's 482/5 declared posted earlier in the day.
"Today was particularly good," Pollock told the SABC after the match.
"We wanted to bowl them out before the end of the day."
"At the start we knew we had to get 20 wickets, and we gave ourselves the best chance when the bowlers made early inroads," Pollock said.
