Waqar set to join Warwickshire

Waqar set to join Warwickshire

Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis is set to sign for English county Warwickshire as a replacement for injured New Zealand paceman Shane Bond.

Waqar, 31, is already in England, where he has done commentary work for satellite broadcaster Sky, and is due to take part in a celebrity cricket match on behalf of London-based charity Cancer Research UK next month.

Bond returned home last week from New Zealand's tour of Sri Lanka with a back injury. If he is out of action for more than four weeks, England and Wales Cricket Board regulations allow a county to sign a replacement.

A Warwickshire spokeswoman refused to confirm or deny if Waqar was on the brink of arriving at Edgbaston.

Waqar has plenty of county experience, having previously played for Surrey and Glamorgan.

He is available for another spell in county cricket after being sacked as Pakistan captain following the team's first round exit at the World Cup.

Waqar was one of eight players left out of the squad for the subsequent Sharjah tournament.

Notice to Jadeja as BCCI challenges Arbitrator's award

The Delhi high court issued notice to cricketer Ajay Jadeja on the Board of Control for Cricket in India's petition, challenging Justice J K Mehra's ruling, setting aside the five-year ban imposed on the all-rounder in the wake of the match-fixing scandal.

Justice Manmohan Sarin issued notices to Jadeja, BCCI's investigator K Madhavan and members of the Disciplinary Committee on Friday and asked them to file their replies by July 8, the next date of hearing.

The BCCI challenged Justice Mehra's ruling on April 25, just two days before it was to become binding. The January 27 ruling of the arbitrator would have become final on April 27 at the expiry of the 90-day statutory period, had it gone unchallenged.

Meanwhile, Jadeja filed a petition before a Division Bench of the court on Tuesday, accusing the BCCI of scuttling his selection in the Ranji Trophy matches by faxing a letter to the DDCA and advising the latter not to select him.

Jadeja's counsel, P P Malhotra, contended that it amounted to contempt of court, which had, on April 24, directed the Board to consider Jadeja for selection in the Ranji Trophy, if found eligible. Jadeja was also not allowed to take part in a charity match in South Africa as the ICC objected to his participation at the instance of the BCCI, he alleged.

BCCI counsel Radha Rangaswami opposed the petition, saying it could not be entertained by the Division Bench in view of the fact that the ruling is already being challenged.

However, the Bench, comprising Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice R S Sodhi, directed that the petition be placed before Justice Sarin, who is hearing BCCI's petition against the award.

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff's chances of playing in Thursday's first Test against Zimbabwe at Lord's have been described as "very doubtful" by the England and Wales Cricket Board's chief medical officer, Dr Peter Gregory.

Lancashire star Flintoff did not practice at Lord's on Tuesday after tests carried out Friday revealed bruising and swelling around the nerves within his right shoulder. The injury continues to affect his right bowling arm and hand.

Meanwhile, there was more worrying for England after Yorkshire paceman Matthew Hoggard underwent a scan.

The scan revealed strained abdominal muscles in his left side but according to an England spokesman, the injury is healing and his fitness will be re-assessed after England training on Wednesday morning.

Hoggard batted during England's indoor practice at Lord's in the afternoon on Tuesday but did not bowl.

Meanwhile, top order batsman Mark Butcher twisted his right ankle during the pratice session. But the injury is not expected to keep the Surrey left-hander out of what will be the first of two Tests against Zimbabwe.

Mike Gatting believes adversity will make Zimbabwe dangerous opponents for England this summer.

The first Npower Test begins on Thursday at Lord's with England looking to bounce back from their Ashes defeat and a disappointing World Cup campaign.

But former England skipper Gatting warned the hosts that they should not expect an easy victory over Heath Streak's side.

He said: "England should be wary of a team who are going to try and play together, stick together and just battle for everything they possibly can.