West Indies beat New Zealand by 56 runs in T20

Gayle smashed seven fours and five sixes off 52 balls to anchor a record-breaking West Indian total of 209-2 off 20 overs ysterday.

Sri Lanka postpones IPL-style tournament

The inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League has been postponed to next year following the withdrawal of the Indian cricketers, the island nation's sports minister told

"The company which is organising (the tournament) said financially they are not in a shape to organise this without the Indian players," sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said.

Twelve Indian players were set to participate in the July 19-August 4 event modelled on the successful Indian Premier League (IPL) but were denied permission by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) that eventually led to the tournament's postponement less than a fortnight before the proposed start.

Aluthgamage had earlier said the BCCI's opposition stemmed from their suspicion that former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, who was sacked on financial irregularity charges, was behind the tournament.

Sri Lanka Cricket's media manager Brian Thomas said once the Indian players had withdrawn, it was difficult to go ahead with the event.

"We thought we can't do a tournament of this magnitude (in absence of the Indian players). It is not a financial issue, it's a logistical problem."

Aluthgamage said the league would be replaced by a domestic tournament.

"The board is meeting today to discuss this and they will have the tournament without the foreign players, similar to the one held last year."

West Indian Kieron Pollard, Pakistan's Shahid Afridi and New Zealand's Daniel Vettori were among the foreign players recruited for the Twenty20 tournament.

Courtesy : Reuters

Chennai and Mumbai in same Champions League group

The Chennai Super Kings, led by MS Dhoni, the India captain, have been grouped with Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians for the Champions League Twenty20 (T20) tournament.

The September 23 to October 9 competition, which will feature 10 of the world's top T20 sides, will be played in two groups of five with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals.

The tournament will be played in the southern Indian cities of Chennai and Bangalore, as well as Kolkata in the east.

Chennai will host the final and a semi-final, while Bangalore will host the other semi-final.

Seven teams from India, Australia and South Africa have earned given direct entries, while six others will play off for the remaining three spots in a qualifying tournament at Hyderabad from September 19-21.

The qualifying event will have two pools of three teams with the top side from both advancing, along with the next best qualifier.

The Kolkata Knight Riders, Trinidad and Tobago of the West Indies and the Auckland Aces of New Zealand will be joined by two teams from England and one from Sri Lanka in qualifying.

The Super Kings are the defending champions.

Ross Taylor appointed N.Zealand cricket captain

Batsman Ross Taylor has been appointed New Zealand cricket captain, replacing spin bowler Daniel Vettori, who stepped down in March after the World Cup.

Taylor served as vice-captain under Vettori and his appointment was widely expected, with wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum seen as his main rival for the skipper's position.

The 27-year-old said he was humbled by the appointment and believed New Zealand had the talent to be a force in world cricket.

"I've learnt a great deal about leadership having played under Dan Vettori and feel ready to take on what is one of the highest honours in New Zealand sport," he said on Tuesday.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge and appreciate the level of responsibility that comes with captaining your country."

Taylor has played 30 Tests, with an average of 41.12, and 107 one-day internationals, averaging 36.8.

New Zealand Cricket said Black Caps coach John Wright, director of cricket John Buchanan and acting selection manager Mark Greatbatch had all backed Taylor's appointment.

"The process to select the captain has been robust," New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said.

"We wanted to make sure the right people were involved and that we appointed the right man for the job -- I'm sure we have done that."

Vettori held the captaincy for four years and stepped down after guiding New Zealand to the World Cup semi-finals to concentrate of his goal of becoming the second Test player behind India's Kapil Dev to take 400 wickets and 4,000 runs.

The 32-year-old has already reached 4,167 Test runs and has 345 wickets.

Ross Taylor appointed N.Zealand cricket captain

Batsman Ross Taylor has been appointed New Zealand cricket captain, replacing spin bowler Daniel Vettori, who stepped down in March after the World Cup.

Taylor served as vice-captain under Vettori and his appointment was widely expected, with wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum seen as his main rival for the skipper's position.

The 27-year-old said he was humbled by the appointment and believed New Zealand had the talent to be a force in world cricket.

"I've learnt a great deal about leadership having played under Dan Vettori and feel ready to take on what is one of the highest honours in New Zealand sport," he said on Tuesday.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge and appreciate the level of responsibility that comes with captaining your country."

Taylor has played 30 Tests, with an average of 41.12, and 107 one-day internationals, averaging 36.8.

New Zealand Cricket said Black Caps coach John Wright, director of cricket John Buchanan and acting selection manager Mark Greatbatch had all backed Taylor's appointment.

"The process to select the captain has been robust," New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said.

"We wanted to make sure the right people were involved and that we appointed the right man for the job -- I'm sure we have done that."

Vettori held the captaincy for four years and stepped down after guiding New Zealand to the World Cup semi-finals to concentrate of his goal of becoming the second Test player behind India's Kapil Dev to take 400 wickets and 4,000 runs.

The 32-year-old has already reached 4,167 Test runs and has 345 wickets.

Ross Taylor appointed N.Zealand cricket captain

Batsman Ross Taylor has been appointed New Zealand cricket captain, replacing spin bowler Daniel Vettori, who stepped down in March after the World Cup.

Taylor served as vice-captain under Vettori and his appointment was widely expected, with wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum seen as his main rival for the skipper's position.

The 27-year-old said he was humbled by the appointment and believed New Zealand had the talent to be a force in world cricket.

"I've learnt a great deal about leadership having played under Dan Vettori and feel ready to take on what is one of the highest honours in New Zealand sport," he said on Tuesday.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge and appreciate the level of responsibility that comes with captaining your country."

Taylor has played 30 Tests, with an average of 41.12, and 107 one-day internationals, averaging 36.8.

New Zealand Cricket said Black Caps coach John Wright, director of cricket John Buchanan and acting selection manager Mark Greatbatch had all backed Taylor's appointment.

"The process to select the captain has been robust," New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said.

"We wanted to make sure the right people were involved and that we appointed the right man for the job -- I'm sure we have done that."

Vettori held the captaincy for four years and stepped down after guiding New Zealand to the World Cup semi-finals to concentrate of his goal of becoming the second Test player behind India's Kapil Dev to take 400 wickets and 4,000 runs.

The 32-year-old has already reached 4,167 Test runs and has 345 wickets.

No-show in Australia may bring sweeping chanNo-show in Australia may bring sweeping changes in Pak team and management

In the wake of Pakistan’s second test defeat against Australia in Sydney, some drastic changes in the team and its management may be on the cards.

“Pakistan Cricket Board shows it utmost concern over the poor performance of Pakistan cricket team in the second Test played in Sydney Australia. Chairman Selection Committee was invited today for a meeting with Chairman of PCB to evaluate the situation,” The News quoted a PCB statement, as saying.

“An overall review of performance of the team shall be carried out by the board after completion of the Australian tour,” it added.

According to sources, the ‘review’ could result in some sweeping changes within the team management.

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam may face the biggest blow.

Alam has been under intense criticism and he might lose his job if the team fails to come out with an improved performance in the Hobart Test and the One-day series.

Also placed under the scrutiny is Mohammad Yousuf, the 35-year-old senior batsman who was given the captaincy after Younis Khan opted out of the twin tours of New Zealand and Australia last November.

Yousuf’s defensive tactics on the fourth day of the second Test in Sydney have put a question mark over his future as Pakistan captain.

A wicket with character . . . about time

FOR almost all my international career, Perth had been a fortress for Australia.

I made my Test debut there in December 1995, when we comfortably beat Sri Lanka, was dropped when the West Indies won there the following season, and went the next 10 years never experiencing defeat at the WACA Ground.

The pace and bounce of Perth was usually too much for the opposition. Six of our victories there in my time were by more than an innings, one by seven wickets, another by almost 500 runs and another by more than 200 runs.

With very rare exceptions, Perth and Brisbane were the two places we felt most confident of victory because of the extra bounce in the pitch.

Yet as batsmen we loved playing there. The pitches played with great consistency and the ball came on to the bat so you had the confidence to play your shots, making for entertaining cricket.

I am looking forward to playing on that type of Perth pitch again in the third Test against the West Indies, beginning tomorrow. .

It had become lower and slower in recent seasons, continuing the trend of pitches around the world that are losing, or have lost, their character.

This season there have been good reports coming out of Perth, with NSW beating Western Australia inside three days thanks to an excellent bowling performance from Doug Bollinger on a lively pitch. If the Test pitch is something similar that is great news for players, and great news for the fans, who will see plenty of lively cricket.

The pitch being prepared for this Test does have a good cover of grass but we'll wait until today before having a close look at it.

Certainly all the signs are encouraging because for most of my career Perth has been one of the great places to play cricket.

Cricket needs more pitches like the WACA Ground of old, a wonderful contrast to the type of slow, low wickets you find in so many places now.

This reduces one of the great joys of Test cricket, to be challenged on unique surfaces, something which Australia could once boast about. Each of its major cricket grounds had a distinctly different surface.

If you could learn to cope with a variety of difference surfaces around the country and around the world, whether you were a batsman or a bowler, you were considered the complete Test cricketer.

That challenge is now going out of Test cricket as pitches around the globe develop a sameness. Low, slow pitches can make for bland, one-sided cricket where bat dominates ball and results can be difficult to achieve.

This is my concern for Test cricket on the subcontinent in particular, where there can be some real batathons.

It was no surprise to us that the West Indies batted well in Adelaide. The slow, low pitch was always going to suit their style of play. However, if the WACA Ground pitch is anything like the Perth of my younger days, I think they'll struggle like they struggled in Brisbane during the first Test.

There has been talk that their impressive young fast bowler Kemar Roach could be a handful for us in Perth.

He can certainly be quick but we played him well on the helpful Brisbane pitch and I believe we can do the same again during this Test. Likewise, we've got some impressive young quicks of our own who will enjoy any assistance at least as much as the West Indian fast bowlers.

Statistics suggest that off-spinners struggle in Perth but I don't believe they tell the full story.

Left-arm finger spinners Daniel Vettori from New Zealand and South Africa's Paul Harris have had success against us at the WACA Ground in recent seasons.

And many touring sides chose not to play their off-spinners in Perth, with India leaving out Harbhajan Singh just two years ago.

Off-spinners have had success at state level drifting the ball away from the right-handed batsmen in the breeze. I had a chat to Nathan Hauritz after the Adelaide Test and he admitted he didn't bowl as well as he would have liked, but I believe that with the prevailing Fremantle Doctor aiding his drift and a bit of extra bounce, he could bowl well.

One thing we have talked about since we arrived in Perth is our batting.

We have played consistently well, making 8(dec)-480 in Brisbane and 439 during the first innings in Adelaide.

During that time nine players have made 50 or more, and two have made it to the 90s, but no one has scored a century.

This contrasts with the West Indies, who have made three hundreds and yet are 1-0 down in the series. Those sorts of statistics are starting to have an Ashes feel about them.

It's important that players who get starts do press on and get big scores, but by the same token you don't want to make a big deal about it.

The more you talk about it, the harder it can become.

Last summer we talked about losing wickets around the breaks and it kept happening. It was like a self-fulfilling prophecy.


by Ricky Ponting

Courtesy : http://www.theaustralian.com.au

Cricket: Taylor irritated by test ton misses

It's an affliction Tim McIntosh and Daniel Flynn would happily accept in the test cricket series against Pakistan, but New Zealand's leading batsman Ross Taylor admits to be irritated by a new tendency to get out when a century beckons.

Taylor has twice been denied a third test ton of the year against the Pakistanis, with his powers of concentration wavering at University Oval and the Basin Reserve.

The only New Zealand batsman to score consistently against the tourists, Taylor played a loose drive on 94 in Dunedin and was caught at slip off the bowling Saeed Ajmal, the offspinner who tempted him into a similar shot in his previous over.

Then, in Wellington, Taylor was motoring along, taking toll of the Pakistan attack until he buttoned off in the 90s and tried to glide a ball that ended up in Misbah-ul-Haq's hands at first slip.

Taylor exited for 97, taking any hope of New Zealand mounting a successful run chase with him.

Until this year Taylor has had little difficulty converting substantial starts into three figures. Until his brain fade in the first test the 25-year-old had never fallen in the nervous 90s in his 21-test career.

Against India at the start of the year he compiled 151 and 107 in back-to-back tests at Napier and Wellington to carry his tally to four test tons - a number he seemed certain to expand.

But a flaw in his powers of concentration emerged during August's tour of Sri Lanka.

"It actually started back in Sri Lanka, I got a 90 in the first innings of the first warm-up game and I haven't been able to break three figures since then," he said.

He made 81 in the second test in Colombo, but was caught at the wicket via another edge from a slow bowler -- Ragana Herath.

Taylor has discussed how to clear this mental obstacle with his batting mentor of the past 2-1/2 years, Martin Crowe.

"It is disappointing and the next time I get it that situation I'd like to put it to rest and get to three figures."

Crowe has at least successfully addressed some minor technical deficiencies in Taylor's set-up, given his protege has amassed 280 runs in the series at 70, dwarfing the input of the other specialist batsmen.

"I've been working on a few things with Hogan (Crowe) and it's been working for me," he said, explaining the key was not get trapped crease bound but to get forward and look to be aggressive.

Cricket: History counting against Black Caps

Shane Bond being invalided out of a series is not the only recurring nightmare preying on the minds of New Zealand's cricketers as they approach today's second test against Pakistan at the Basin Reserve.

An injured Bond's unavailability represents a potentially serious setback to a team that has a worrying history when leading a three-match series 1-0.

On three occasions New Zealand has let an advantage slip - on the cannabis-gate tour of South Africa in 1994, in Sri Lanka four years later and most recently when hosting England in March/April last year.

Captain Daniel Vettori hardly needed reminding of the English series when ruling out complacency as a potential pitfall when Pakistan attempts to become the fourth team to regroup and prosper after dropping the first test.

New Zealand dominated the first match of the English series in Hamilton, winning by 189 runs before being soundly beaten at the Basin Reserve (126 runs) and Napier (121 runs).

Despite being justifiably pleased after securing a tense 32-run triumph in Dunedin last weekend, Vettori has warned his teammates a series victory - what would be only the third in 19 attempts against Pakistan - was far from certain.

"I think the guys are feeling good about themselves but there's a need not to get caught up in that, and a need for improvement," he said.

"It was a good test performance but there's a series that needs to be won.

"We've done it in the past against England where we've gone 1-0 up and in a lot of ways rested on our laurels. We lost the next two test matches.

"There was a real desire within the team to have celebrated in Dunedin - and also to make sure it's not the end of the summer."

New Zealand's batting unit will likely have a significant influence on whether the year ends on a high note considering a traditionally bouncy wicket should be spiced up by spending the best part of four days under cover as rain lashed the capital.

The home side's batting frailties are well documented and with Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul all in the zone at University Oval, the trio can expect to cause more angst among a fragile top and middle order.

Of the specialists, only Ross Taylor produced a notable double last week with 94 and 59.

Argentina book last hockey World Cup berth

Argentina earned the last spot available for next year's Hero Honda FIH Hockey World Cup to be staged here from February 28 to March 13, when they beat Belgium 4-3 in the final of the last qualifying tournament in Quilmes.

The hosts put up an attacking brand of game and rallied from behind to edge past Belgium in the keenly-contested summit clash of BDO Hockey World Cup Qualifier yesterday.

With the victory of the Latin American country, all the 12 participating nations of the megaevent are now confirmed.

Besides host India and Argentina, other countries to have qualified for the World Cup are Canada, Korea, South Africa, Australia, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Pakistan, and New Zealand.

Pakistan qualify for 2010 hockey World Cup in India

Pakistan booked a place at next year's World Cup in India by winning a qualifying tournament in France at the weekend.

Former Olympic champions Pakistan beat Japan 3-1 in the final in Lille on Sunday to secure of one of three qualifying slots in the 12-nation tournament, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) said on its website (www.fihockey.org).

The other two places will go to the winner of the second qualifying tournament currently in progress in New Zealand, and the final qualifier starting in Argentina next week.

England, Olympic and world champions Germany, Netherlands and Spain qualified from Europe and join Pan American champions Canada, African champions South Africa, Oceania Cup champions Australia and Asia Cup champions South Korea at the event.

India qualify as hosts of the Feb. 28 to March 13 event in New Delhi.

Fleming will make a wonderful Black Caps coach: Vettori

New Zealand’s captain and de facto coach Daniel Vettori believes former skipper Stephen Fleming would make a wonderful Black Caps coach.

Vettori will lead the team to the United Arab Emirates for a one-day and Twenty20 series against Pakistan as both captain and coach following Andy Moles' decision on Saturday to step down as coach after a review process revealed he was ill-equipped to continue in the role.

With Moles not stepping up to the mark, Vettori has been effectively coaching the team for the past six months,

The Sunday Star-Times quoted Vettori as saying that he was happy to continue as player-coach for the next few months, including the home test series against Pakistan next month, but after that he would prefer to see someone come into the role.

"Stephen and I keep in regular contact and he's been quite a big help in going through all this stuff and some other things that have gone on. He has concerns about my workload and he wants to be a sounding board and do anything he can to help," Vettori said.

"He's definitely got coach written all over him and he could be an extremely successful one; it's just whether he wants to get back into that life of touring the world and in that regard it probably is too soon for him. But he would make a wonderful coach," he added.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan, when asked if Fleming was a coach candidate, said: "I don't think this is the right time."

In the short-term manager Dave Currie will have his leadership responsibilities upgraded to help Vettori, while current assistant coach Mark O'Donnell will remain with the team, stuff.co.nz reports.

New Zealand humbled in one-sided Champions Trophy final

AUSTRALIA claimed their second successive Champions Trophy title, beating New Zealand by six wickets in the final at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

Australia had a huge fight on their hands at 2-6 against some inspired Kiwi bowling, but Shane Watson again kept a cool head with his second successive unbeaten century to steer Australia (4-206) side past New Zealand's 9-200.

Watson (105 not out) hit successive sixes off spinner Jeetan Patel to score the winning runs - with 28 balls remaining - and reach three figures in style.

After Australia's early wickets, Watson and Cameron White (62) restored order with a partnership of 128, and despite wickets to Kyle Mills (3-27), the world champions were never in trouble.

Australia's victory created history, as they are now the only nation to have won this event twice, following their triumph in India three years ago.

Their win also earned a major windfall, as the team pocketed $US2 million ($A2.31 million). As runner-up, New Zealand earned $US1 million ($A1.15 million).

New Zealand entered the match rank outsiders, with a view that everything needed to go right for them to topple their trans-Tasman rival.

Instead, they lost skipper Daniel Vettori to a hamstring injury an hour before the game began, and then acting skipper Brendon McCullum - the side's most destructive batsman - fell for a duck in the fourth over, to Peter Siddle.

The Black Caps' innings never really took off, as they regularly lost wickets.

Siddle bowled superbly and had figures of 1-18 from nine overs while battling illness towards the end of his last spell, until his last over cost 12 runs.

Offspinner Nathan Hauritz also had a great game with the ball, as his 10 overs yielded good control and 3-37.

But Australia also experienced an injury setback, as young batsman Callum Ferguson wrenched his right knee in the field and was assisted from the field.

Ferguson was not needed to bat, as allrounder James Hopes went in ahead of him at No.6 and finished on 22 not out.

New Zealand started brilliantly with the ball, as Shane Bond removed Tim Paine (one) in the second over and Mills had Ricky Ponting (one) plumb in the next.

But Watson and White weathered the storm patiently - Australia were 2-19 after 11 overs - and had wrestled back control when Watson hit sixes in successive overs just after their partnership passed 50.

Watson played a mature hand when White departed with 67 runs still needed, and his fourth career ton followed his unbeaten 136 in the semi-final against England last Friday.

Watson ended the tournament the competition's second-highest run scorer (265), behind only Ponting's 288, which was a remarkable achievement given he began the series with successive ducks.

Australia's players will now head home for a short break before they depart for India, where they will play seven one-dayers against Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side.

Cricket set for Champions Trophy

Cricket's second biggest 50-over event, the biennial Champions Trophy, begins in South Africa on Tuesday, as the sport's top eight teams vie for glory.

The tournament was to have been held in Pakistan last year but was postponed and moved because of security concerns.

Two teams from two groups of four will form the semi-finals, with the final to be staged in Centurion on 5 October.

England face South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka but are without star men Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen.

Group A consists of holders Australia, India, Pakistan and the West Indies.

The England team were thrashed in the recent 50-over series against Australia, with only a narrow victory in the final match preventing them from becoming the first team to lose a series 7-0.

Without Flintoff and Pietersen their chances appear remote, and they begin with a daunting day/night contest against the talented Sri Lankans in Johannesburg on Friday.

Kumar Sangakkara's highly-regarded Sri Lanka side begin the competition against the hosts in Centurion (1330 BST start).

South Africa, the world's number one side, have not been in competitive action since the ICC World Twenty20 in England in June but skipper Graeme Smith said his side were ready to make an impact.

He said: "One of our major challenges as a team going into this tournament is our lack of games, but we have really focused hard in the last three weeks to train as well as we can by making it as competitive as possible.

"We have created a lot of scenarios and challenges which will best enhance our abilities.

"The guys are motivated and excited and I think we can use the freshness to our advantage by getting in and playing good cricket up front."

Counterpart Sangakkara was in optimistic mood as his team look to win the trophy for the first time outright, having shared the title in 2002 when the final and the reserve day against India was washed out.

In the last two months they have won a five-match series against Pakistan and won triangular series games with New Zealand and India, before losing in the final to Mahendra Dhoni's side.

"Everyone here is a professional unit and whether they have played recently or not won't matter because you are always in training and up to the challenge of playing," Sangakkara said.

"It is nice to have had a bit of cricket, but the only advantage of that is that we have been competing under pressure.

"Everyone in our team is confident, but our recent wins are not going to count for anything."

The popularity of the 50-over format of the game has waned since the introduction of Twenty20 and speculation about its future is rife, with a general air of apathy surrounding a second world tournament in the space of three months, following the ICC World Twenty20 won by Pakistan.

Lessons have been learned from the torturous 2007 World Cup, which comprised 16 teams and took more than six weeks to complete its 51 matches, with only 15 games over a far more sensible two-week period in this competition.

The loss of crowd-pullers such as Flintoff and Pietersen, plus India's cavalier opening batsman Virender Sehwag, is unfortunate, however, and some big-hitting, action-packed close contests are urgently needed if the event is to continue in the long term.

Andrew Flintoff's rejection threatens test cricket

Andrew Flintoff may have unwittingly incited the break-up of international cricket. In the wake of his audacious decision to refuse an England contract and become a freelance player roaming the world in search of a game, it began to seem certain yesterday that other players would soon follow.

This will cause the dilution of Test and one-day cricket between countries if top players are unavailable, which would in turn lead to a slow, lingering but inevitable death as fans and sponsors turn away. The grim scenario has suddenly heightened the significance of two conferences in Johannesburg later this month n one for players, the others for administrators - and there will be serious talking which needs to yield swift verdicts on how cricket and its leading players are to be run.

Flintoff himself issued assurances that his rejection of an England increment contract, a second tier deal offered to him because of his retirement from Test cricket, did not lessen his commitment to England. The all-rounder, who is Dubai undergoing rehabilitation after knee surgery, made it clear that he has no intention of missing any England games should they clash with matches in the various Twenty20 franchise competitions he also hopes to be part of.

Although Flintoff has put all negotiations on hold while he recovers he is known to have been in preliminary talks with teams in Australia, where their revamped Twenty20 competition is to be called the Big Bash and South Africa, where the Pro20 is easily the most popular professional cricket in the country.

Sean Morris, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, said yesterday that other players would join Flintoff in rejecting national deals and that there may be a rash of early retirements from international cricket.

"I think there will be a lot of serious discussion in Johannesburg later this month among the parties and between the parties," he said.

"I can't overestimate its importance. In the space of a few weeks we have had two leading players withdrawing from components of the international game, Andrew Flintoff from tests and Ricky Ponting, from Twenty20 internationals.

"I think other players will, like Flintoff, reject contracts from their boards, not necessarily from England but from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies where the rewards are not nearly so great. If that happens then the teams they put out will not be representative. This can be overcome if windows are made for franchise Twenty20 competitions. We're only surprised that it has not been done before now and if it doesn't get done then the consequences down the line will be huge."

Eric Murphy returns for Tobago Classic

Former three-time runner-up Eric Murphy is coming back to Tobago for the 2009 edition of the Tobago International Cycling Classic.

Murphy, who suffered a serious crash in the 2005 edition of the race, will again team up with local favourite and seven-time winner Emile Abraham.

Both will ride for Team BarCode in Division One. Also scheduled to ride for BarCode are Englishmen Pete Williams and James Sampson and Canadians  Danille Defrancheschi and Jean-Michel Lachance.

So far, eight other teams from Europe and the Caribbean have registered for the five-stage race which will be contested from September 30 to October 4. However, not yet certain to take part is last year's winner, Keith Blackgrove of New Zealand.

In addition to the international race, there will again be competition  in the juniors, masters and ladies categories.

Following are the confirmed riders and teams  in Division One:

Team Racing Students (Germany)- Christoph Kindle, Andreas Feistel, Michael Schweizer, Florian Geyer, Valentin Holtz, Benjamin Diemer, Jonathan Obländer.

Team SVL Sportassekuranz (Sweden)- Karsten Gerhard, Karsten Eggert, Jan Van Puifelde, Jorg Scherf, Axel Hauschke, Sebastien Mensebach.

 Austrian National Team (Austria)- Werner Riebenbauer, Franz Grasmann, Andreas Graf, Georg Tazreiter, Andreas Muller, Christian Lademann.

Team Saxony (Germany)-Erik Mohs, Sasha Damrow, Julian Rammler, Timo Scholz, Roland Wenz.Â

Team BarCode (Composite lnternational)-Emile Abraham- Trinidad and Tobago, Eric Murphy-US, Pete Williams-England, James Sampson-England, Danille Defrancheschi-Canada, Jean-Michel Lachance - Canada.

 Windward Islands (Caribbean)-Tyron Thomas-Grenada, Sydney-Grenada, Kurt Maraj-St Lucia, Sammy Joseph-St Lucia, Sydney Charles-St Lucia, Winston Williams-St Lucia.

Team Heatwave (Caribbean)-Guy Costa-Trinidad and Tobago, Marloe Rodman -Jamaica, Jude Bentley- Guyana, Steve McEwen- Scotland, Atze Dijkhuis- Holland.

 Team Trek (Caribbean)-Colin Wilson- Trinidad and Tobago, Linford Blackwood -Jamaica, Dean Martin- Jamaica, Oneil Samuel- Jamaica, Phillip Clarke- Barbados, Jason Perryman-Barbados.

Team Foundation (USA)-Joshua Alexander-Trinidad and Tobago, Adam Alexander-Trinidad and Tobago.

WICB appoint new CEO

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) confirmed Ernest Hilaire as its new chief executive officer (CEO) yesterday.

The WICB said in a press release that Hilaire's appointment becomes effective October 1, confirming an early September CMC story.

Hilaire replaces Donald Peters, who departed the post in July, and he will immediately confront the contractual crisis between the WICB and the players' union that has crippled West Indies cricket.

"The WICB is facing an extremely difficult challenge as it seeks to establish a new framework for the development of cricket in the region and Dr Hilaire is expected to be pivotal in shaping and managing the transformation which is required," WICB President Julian Hunte stated in yesterday's press release.

Hilaire becomes the fifth CEO of the regional cricket board in the last nine years, after Gregory Shillingford, Roger Brathwaite, Bruce Aanensen, and Peters.

"The Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Dr. Hilaire as CEO and looks forward to a period of stability and organisational growth and development under his leadership," Hunte added.

Hilaire has had a very close relationship with West Indies cricket, particularly in the last few years, when he served as CEO of World Cup St Lucia.

He had played an important role in the development and presentation of St Lucia's bid to host matches in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup and was previously appointed tournament director of next year's Twenty20 World Cup to be staged in the Caribbean.

He was also a former Permanent Secretary of Youth and Sports in St. Lucia, under the Kenny Anthony Administration, during whose tenure the Beausejour Cricket Ground in Gros-Islet and the George Odlum Stadium in Vieux Fort were constructed.

Hilaire is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and possesses an MPhil. (Master of Philosophy) in International Relations from the University of Cambridge, and a PhD from the London School of Economics.

The post was reported to have attracted more than 30 applicants from the Caribbean, the United States, and from as far way as New Zealand.

Australia tumble from top, cricket rises from ashe

The jury is still out on whether England's superb Ashes victory will help revive Test cricket in the time of Twenty20, but Australia's tumble from the number one spot arguably heralds the most exciting phase in the history of the game.

Not since the 1960s when England, Australia, West Indies and South Africa looked to be on equal terms has the sport seemed as profuse in talent -- only now, it is far more competitive and infinitely richer in terms of money and texture of play. Better financial rewards have shaped a new, market-driven aggressive attitude that has facilitated greater expression of skill and ensured more results than draws.

A visibly chastened Ricky Ponting, while chomping on humble pie on Sunday, acknowledged that Australia's stranglehold over the game was virtually over and the field was now wide open. Australia have been acknowledged as world champions since 1993-94 and have held the number one position from the inception of the ICC rankings in 2003. The Oval defeat saw them fall to number 4, behind South Africa, Sri Lanka and India.

Yet, only six points separate the top side from the number four suggesting an exciting race for supremacy in the next 12 months. Of these four, India have the opportunity to take the number 1 position if they win a home series 2-0 against Sri Lanka this October. But to retain this position for some length of time, they must win the away series against South Africa late next year - and almost everything else in between - which should be great incentive for MS Dhoni and his team.

This entails maintaining superb form playing overseas and consistency overall. While Indian cricketers had traditionally been poor tourists, there is reason for optimism. The trend was bucked when Sourav Ganguly's team drew against Steve Waugh's side in 2003-4 and though the 2008 series was lost, the Indians succeeded in dismantling the aura of invincibility around the Australians. Since then, they have beaten Ponting's team at home and defeated New Zealand in New Zealand emphatically too.

In that context, Australia's fall from the top has been has not been such a surprise. In the last two years, out of 23 Tests, Ponting has won nine but also lost eight. In this period, he has also lost the services of four or five supremely gifted players. Compare this with 30 victories and just three defeats from the previous 38 Tests he captained, and the unhappy Aussie captain's plight is evident.

Happily for him, though, Ponting has the support of his board and selectors and retains his job, despite being only the second captain to lose two Ashes series. Australia's cricket ethos rarely allows a captain to remain in the team if he loses his job, so if he was sacked, Ponting would have probably retired. That would have meant losing one of the game's best batsmen still.

In the dilemma, the Australian administrators hope, also lies the redemption.

Buzz Up Sri Lanka 293-3 at close vs. New Zealand

Mahela Jayawardene scored an unbeaten century to put Sri Lanka on top as the hosts reached 293-3 at the close on the opening day of the first test against New Zealand on Tuesday.

Walking to bat with his team looking vulnerable on 16-2, Jayawardene first played a supporting role as a flamboyant Tillakaratne Dilshan went on the offensive, and later took over the lead as he guided Sri Lanka to a dominant position.

Dilshan was bowled by seamer Iain O'Brien for 92 after lunch in sight of his ninth test hundred, hitting 12 fours and a six in 72 balls as he opened for the first time in test cricket instead of the out-of-form Malinda Warnapura.

The dismissal signaled the end of a valuable 118-run stand.

"I am really disappointed to get out at 92," Dilshan told reporters, but he said he had relished the opportunity to open the batting.

"It's much easier, there is no pressure," Dilshan said. "Now I can play my own game. I feel much more comfortable batting at the top-order."

Dilshan said he was under pressure after Sri Lanka lost quick wickets but his aggression put the pressure back on the Kiwis. He said the hosts were now looking to post a first innings score of at least 450.

Jayawardene paired with Thilan Samaraweera in the best partnership of the day, an unbroken 159 runs for the fourth wicket.

Jayawardene's 108 not out was his 26th test hundred that came off 217 balls in nearly five hours at the crease.

Seam bowler Chris Martin returned the best bowling figures for the Kiwis, taking 2-59.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori won the toss in the morning and sent Sri Lanka in to bat, hoping to generate some swing from a Galle pitch softened by heavy rains in the past few days.

The match started 90 minutes late due to a wet outfield caused by overnight rain.

Martin responded well to his captain's plan, striking on his third delivery of the innings with the hosts yet to score, to have Tharanga Paranavitana caught behind.

Kumar Sangakkara made just 8 before he was caught by Daniel Flynn at mid-wicket off Martin as the hosts stumbled to a precarious 16-2.

Martin said the pitch assisted the seam bowlers for a shorter period than expected and credited the Sri Lankan batsmen for their discipline.

Sri Lanka recalled spinner Ajantha Mendis for the match at the expense of left-arm bowler Rangana Herath, despite his match-winning performances in the last series against Pakistan.

Offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan and regular wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardena also returned to the side after injury layoffs.