The BCCI has once again revised the itinerary of the next month's Australian tour. The second Test will now be played at Kolkata, while the last and third Test will be in Chennai. According to the BCCI secretary JY Lele, the changes were necessary due to logistic problems. However it is believed that the changes were made under pressure from former ICC chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, who wanted the second Test to be played in his home city of Calcutta.

The revised Australian tour itinerary:

Feb 17-19:	v India A at Baroda
Feb 22-24:	v Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai
Feb 27-March 3:	First Test at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Mar 6-8:	v Board President's XI at Delhi
Mar 11-15:	Second Test at Eden Garden's, Kolkata
Mar 18-22:	Third Test at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Mar 25:	First ODI at Bangalore
Mar 28:	Second ODI at Pune
Mar 31:	Third ODI at Indore
April 3:	Fourth ODI at Visakhapatnam
April 6:	Fifth ODI at Goa

A Pakistani panel of former Test cricketers consisting of Abdul Qadir, Mohsin Kamal and Ijaz Faqih has cleared leg-spinner Shahid Afridi's bowling action. The report by these cricketers will be sent to the International Cricket Council (ICC). Earlier this month the ICC had questioned Afridi's action when match referee Barry Jarman had raised suspicions over Afridi's bowling during the one-day series against England in October last year. "Afridi's faster ones had come under suspicion but we found nothing wrong in it," Qadir said in Karachi. Afridi, who is among the probables for the New Zealand-bound Pakistan team, said he was relieved by the decision. As per ICC rules, Afridi is free to play and if another report is made within 12 months, ICC will appoint its own man to review and improve Afridi's action. In case the problem persists, the same Pakistani panel will come into action again and vote whether Afridi should be banned or not. In 1999 the actions of Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar and Shabbir Ahmed were cleared by the ICC after their actions also came under suspicion.

In the meanwhile in Rawalpindi, former England captain Michael Atherton will give his reply to a defamation case filed in a Pakistani civil court by a Pakistani journalist Mohammad Asgher after Atherton had reportedly called Asgher a "buffoon" during a World Cup match press conference in 1996. Asgher had demanded a written apology and when Atherton did not respond the former filed a suit in November last year for a sum of 120 million rupees (two million dollars).

The Sourav vs Sachin battle in the East Zone v/s West Zone Duleep Trophy tie moved from Ahmedabad to Rajkot and now finally to Pune. Originally scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad, the BCCI later shifted it to Rajkot, and now due to the earthquake that hit Gujarat had to be shifted again. Mumbai was the next best alternative but as both grounds in Mumbai were being readied for the next month's Australian tour matches, it was finally decided to have the match at Pune.

Former Australian fast-bowler Dennis Lillee will conduct a coaching camp at the MRF Pace Foundation from January 26 to February 6. Apart from Indian boys chosen from all parts of the country, the England and Wales Cricket Academy has sent two of their most promising fast bowlers. The Durham Cricket Club has sent two bowlers while the Sri Lankans have also have sent two. Forty-five boys in the age group of 16-19 will participate in the camp.

With uncertainty prevailing over the arrival of Boycott as Pakistan's consulting coach, former Test all-rounder Mudassar Nazar has been hired for a one year coaching contract. Boycott will be helping Mudassar with the training. Mudassar who is currently based in London running his own business has agreed to the assignment for one year on a contract basis and will arrive soon in Pakistan.

English skipper Nasser Hussain said in London that stifling heat, spiteful pitches and Murali are the obstacles that face his English team that arrive next week in Sri Lanka for a three Test, three one-dayers tour. "Everything that applied in Pakistan will be twice as bad in Sri Lanka" said Hussain.

Australian fast bowler Brett Lee said his pace had returned following his back injury. Lee who took 4-33 against West Indies at Adelaide said he hoped he could improve with every game he played, specially with the tour of India round the corner.

With just one more day to go, North Zone are sure to win this year's edition of the Duleep Trophy. With 18 points before this match, North Zone are assured of at least five points in their match against Central Zone at Delhi, which would take their tally to 23 points. East Zone with a victory over South Zone at Agartala are placed second with 13 points in three matches and are in no position to surpass North Zone's points tally even if they win their last match. The final round of matches to be played next week would be rendered inconsequential.

Scores at a glance…

At Agartala
South Zone:
113 (Mohanty 10-46) & 177 (VVS Laxman 40, RS Dravid 66; DS Mohanty 4-45, Sukhvinder Singh 6-57)
East Zone:
124 (J Srinath 6-32) & 170-6 (SS Das 79, D Dasgupta 32 not out; V Prasad 3-44)
Result: East Zone won by four wickets.
East Zone now has 13 points in three matches are now behind leaders North Zone (18 points in 3 matches)

At Delhi
North Zone:
690-8 decl. (V Dahiya 81, V Rathore 94, Yuvraj Singh 34, D Mongia 208, V Shewag 43, RS Sodhi 137, Harbhajan Singh 42; DS Bundela 3-108, R Kanwat 3-122)
Central Zone:
370-8 (Jai Prakash Yadav 78, AR Khurasiya 51, M Kaif 61, Y Gowda 67 not out; RL Sanghvi 4-47)

3rd Un-official Test (1st day):
At Hyderabad
England U-19:
256-4 (IR Bell 46, GJ Pratt 114 not out, GJ Muchall; A Mishra 2-75)
IndiaU-19:
yet to bat

DID YOU KNOW?….
The first recorded cricket match took place at Coxheath in Kent, England in 1646. This match also produced the first record of betting on cricket!

Yesterday's News

Compiled by: Mohandas Menon