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The formal process of appointing Bangladesh’s new coach has commenced with John Harmer making his presentation to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials. The panel members were impressed with Harmer’s knowledge of bowling and bio-mechanics and said that the formal appointment would have to wait till next month once the remaining candidates are interviewed.”His knowledge of the game, error detection, and expertise on bowling impressed us,” Gazi Ashraf Hossain, a panel member was quoted in the . “However, it is too early to detail the outcome because we have just started the process.”Hossain said that Harmer would conduct a training session on Saturday with the contracted players not included in the squad for the Twenty20 World Championship, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.Bangladesh are hoping to complete the process ahead of the tour of New Zealand in December. Zimbabwean Dave Houghton and Australian Jamie Siddons are the other two candidates. The team is currently under coach Shaun Williams, filling in on a temporary basis through the World Championship later this month.”David Houghton is likely to make his presentation in September and we can only give you a clear picture after the interview ends,” Hossain said. “But we must do it before the New Zealand tour in December.”Harmer, the former England women’s coach, expressed satisfaction after the meeting said – if appointed – his aim would be to improve Bangladesh’s world ranking, taking it one step at a time.”It was a very good meeting where we had a lot of discussions and negotiations,” Harmer said. “I want to make the team a little better than what they are at the moment, if I got the job. Bangladesh is a leading international side, ranked eighth after the World Cup and I will try to make them number seven at first.”

Brian Lara has lifted his game ever so many times when up against the bestin the world. He was hoping his team would do just that as they take onAustralia at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Speaking at a pre-matchmedia briefing he said, “We have beaten the opposition [Australia] in thelast month and that’s a positive. We are going to ensure that the guysknow that and the biggest positive is the fact that the pitch is going toplay a part and we are looking to get the better part of it.”Lara did not place too much stress on the pitch, which has come in forplenty of criticism in the wake of the South Africa-New Zealand match.”Firstly you have to play on whatever pitch you’re given. There’s nothingyou can do about it,” he said. “What’s confusing is the fact that New Zealand batted first and didn’t put up a total on the board and SouthAfrica batted second and did not do well.”At the same time, Lara stressed on the importance of playing smartcricket. “It’s important for the team batting first to put up a goodtotal. It’s up to the people at CCI (Brabourne Stadium) to try and get things improved and the final is here as well. So we hope the pitches will improve,” he said.”It’s not the sort of pitch where you can think of 275 or 300 being on thecards. We will be looking to score as much as possible, analyse thesituation as early as possible.”Interestingly, Lara also said the pitch was not necessarily one where thebetter team would win. “It’s not a surface on which the better team isgoing to win, it’s the team that plays better will win,” he said.”Whatever you do first, do it to the best of your ability and take totaladvantage of the game at that stage.”Lara added that he and his team were putting the thumping loss against SriLanka behind them and looking to adapt as quickly as possible to theconditions before them. “We are the defending champions and there’s a certainstyle of play that we have to adapt to. The defeat on Saturday had noramifications on our position in the tournament and that all the teamshave started on zero and we are moving forward on that positive thinking.It’s a question of having belief in your players.”

Minolta South Africa, a Bidvest Group company, have announced a R1.5million sponsorship deal with the Highveld Lions side for the next year.A long-standing supporter of South African sport, Minolta SA has decided to shift its focus to cricket and Alan Griffith, their managing director, said that the agreement with the Highveld Lions reflects Konica Minolta’s ongoing support of local and national sport initiatives. “We are proud to be associated with a well-established sport like cricket, a team like the Highveld Lions and our co-sponsors, 94.7,” he said.Minolta had been involved with cricket earlier as well – they sponsored West Indies’ first tour to South Africa in 1998-99; they have had a major sponsorship in cycling, with the successful Conica Minolta team; and have also been involved with with the Free State rugby team. Alan Kourie, the CEO of New Heights, the governing body of Gauteng Professional cricket, said “We are grateful to have two such prestigious companies joining forces to support our team”.Both Minolta SA and the Highveld Lions are looking forward to a mutually beneficial relationship and hope to renegotiate the sponsorship once the one-year agreement comes to an end.

Shane Warne hasn’t ruled out the possibility of Muttiah Muralitharan taking part in the Test series against Australia, even though Murali announced he would not be taking part for personal reasons.Murali, the leading wicket-taker in Tests with 527, is actually due to be in Australia during the series for a promotional event, and Warne, who is only eight wickets behind on the list, won’t be surprised if Murali ends up putting his whites on after all.According to an AAP report, Warne said: “It might be a tactical thing they’re trying, maybe a couple of days before the first Test he might just rock up and play.” He continued, “It’s something I feel might happen. I am not saying it’s definitely going to happen. I just wouldn’t be surprised.”Meanwhile, Warne welcomed the selectors’ decision to recall Stuart MacGill, the legspinner. “He did well up in Darwin and Cairns last year, so if they decide to play two spinners, good,” said Warne. “I am a bit biased. I always like to see the spin bowlers. The more spin bowlers, the better.”The first Test starts at Darwin on Thursday, July 1.

At its meeting yesterday, the ECB Management Board endorsed the recommendations contained within the Report of the Chairman of the International Teams Management Group (ITMG), Dennis Amiss, reviewing England’s Winter Tours 2002/3.The Report reinforced Duncan Fletcher’s role as ‘Manager’ (in addition to Head Coach) of the England Team on tour and for home series and, in so doing, rejected the idea of creating an additional Tour Manager role.The Report also recommended some areas of fine-tuning and improvement aimed at achieving greater integration of the England Team within the ECB’s operations.The main areas being:

The England Head Coach will now have a direct reporting line to the Director of Cricket Operations (John Carr) as opposed to the Chief Executive, as the DCO is better placed to devote the required time to England Team issues.

The DCO will, in future, be in more frequent direct communication with the England players to ensure they have a clear understanding of the Board’s policies, ethos and objectives.

The Team Operations Manager (Phil Neale) will play an enhanced role within the England team management structure, ensuring daily two-way communication between the England touring party and the DCO.

Communication protocols are to be put in place to ensure improved communication on cricketing, administrative and medical issues between England Management, ECB personnel and the Professional Cricketers Association.It has also been agreed that David Graveney will be submitting a detailed paper for the late August ITMG meeting on proposed selection procedures and policies taking into account the recent change in composition of the Selection Panel.

Cricket clubs, especially those with adequate financial resources,have been strongly urged to develop their facilities.Doing so would ensure that Barbados moves into a position to playfirst-class matches outside of Kensington Oval and also have enoughgrounds to quality for hosting regional tournaments such as the RedStripe Bowl, says Minister of Sports Rudolph Cappy Greenidge.He threw out the challenge to clubs in an address at the BarbadosCricket Association’s (BCA) 2000 awards ceremony at Kensington Oval onFriday night.I am going to appeal to clubs, especially those clubs with money to dowhatever is possible to upgrade their grounds, clubhouses and ourcricket generally, Greenidge told the small audience.There are clubs with money that are doing absolutely nothing to helpus. We are lagging behind places like Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago andGuyana when it comes to having three or four grounds that we can playcricket at simultaneously in any particular tournament.Since the inception of the Red Stripe Bowl in 1997, Barbados havenever hosted a leg of the competition. Jamaica, which can boast ofhaving at least six grounds capable of staging such matches, will hosta zone for the fifth successive year next month, while Guyana, whichhas just as many grounds, will do so for the third time in five years.Whenever you are having a regional tournament now, the teams come intoone island and play at Ground 1, 2 and 3, Greenidge said. All of thosegrounds would have to be at a certain level. We do not have that leveland I believe that the time has come for us to move away fromKensington as being the only place that we have that we can playcricket like that.The Windward Club ground in Lucas Street, St Philip, was utilised lastyear for a first-class match between Barbados and South Africa A, butit was not used during this year’s Busta Cup when each of Barbados’six home matches was played at Kensington.Greenidge identified Windward, the North Stars ground in Crab Hill, StLucy, and the Cable & Wireless BET ground in Wildey as those withpotential to hold regional matches.We have grounds in Barbados that are up there and they are almostready but we need to spend some money to get us up to where Jamaica,Trinidad and Guyana are, he added.The sports minister also urged the BCA to try to have its annualawards ceremony no later than four weeks after the completion of theseason, as the celebratory effect could be diminished if it was heldwell after the season.He, however, commended the BCA for its innovations for this domesticseason, which included the introduction of covers and a new format inwhich matches were played over two successive days, starting at 10:30a.m. daily.No one can ever criticise the BCA for that. It is history that whoeveris president, whoever is responsible for those initiatives, especiallycovers, must at some time be regarded as a person or as a group ofpersons to have made a significant contribution to cricket inBarbados, Greenidge said.He observed that in an effort to attain outright results over the twodays, some teams were approaching batting in a rush and he suggestedthat half-hour could be added to the beginning and end of each day’splay, thereby extending the match by a further two hours.He also lauded the BCA for having a benefit match for Winston Reidearlier this year and said he hoped there could a chain of benefitmatches for those who have contributed so much to cricket.

ScorecardMark Cosgrove gave his side some batting ballast•Getty Images

Captain Mark Cosgrove hit his first home century for Leicestershire as the Foxes passed 300 for the first time in 15 county championship innings.The Australian hit 15 fours and a six in going to his hundred off 114 deliveries before edging the following delivery, from Mark Footitt, to first slip, where opposite number Wayne Madsen held the catch.Earlier Madsen had been left unbeaten on 172, made from 292 balls, after Derbyshire lost their two remaining first innings wickets in adding 25 runs to their overnight score of 320-8.Footitt registered a first class career best with the bat, scoring 31 before losing his middle stump to Charlie Shreck, and when last man Ben Cotton was bowled by Clint McKay for 1, it left captain Madsen unbeaten.When Leicestershire began their response, opener Angus Robson scored a quick-fire unbeaten half-century, a badly needed effort by the Foxes after losing Robson’s fellow opener Lewis Hill, caught at second slip by Wes Durston off the bowling of Mark Foottit for 5, and then Ned Eckersley, run out without scoring at the non-striker’s end after being sent back by Robson, to leave them wobbling on 15-2.Robson was dismissed by Footitt in the second over after lunch, going back to a rising delivery from Footitt and edging to wicket-keeper Harvey Hosein.The home team then lost Aadil Ali, leg before on the back foot to Tony Palladino for 10, but Cosgrove and Niall O’Brien compiled a partnership of 97 for the fifth wicket before Cosgrove’s dismissal.Soon afterwards, however, Madsen took Footitt out of the attack after the left-armer received a second official warning for running on to the pitch in his follow through. He returned after tea from the opposite end, picking up the wicket of Ben Raine caught at square leg after being hit painfully by the previous delivery.Palladino, in an outstanding spell after tea, had already bowled Andrea Agathangelou, and when Niall O’Brien edged Shiv Thakor to Hosein for 60, Leicestershire were again in danger of being dismissed for less than 300.But Rob Sayer, on his first class debut, and Clint McKay, steered the Foxes to a rare third batting bonus point.

New Zealand pacer Tim Southee has sustained an injury to his left foot during the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Nelson on Thursday, a release from New Zealand Cricket said. Matt Henry will replace him in the squad for the fourth ODI on January 2.Southee, who will leave the squad for further evaluation, bowled six overs for 44 runs before hobbling off the field in Nelson. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said the team management was unsure of the nature of the injury at that point.Henry, incidentally, stood in for Southee when the latter was rested for the first two matches of the five-ODI series. Henry took four-fors in both ODIs in Christchurch, playing a key role in helping New Zealand establish an early lead in the five-match series.”Tim felt pain in his left foot early in the second innings and was forced to come off,” Hesson said. “We’re not sure of the nature of the injury at this point and will need to find out more information over the coming days.”Matt comes back into the squad having performed strongly in the opening two ODIs, so we know he’ll join us in good form.”The Nelson match was Southee’s first ODI since June as the bowler was rested for the limited-overs tour to South Africa and Zimbabwe in August. He suffered from an irritated disc in his back during the first Test against Australia in Brisbane, but subsequently regained his fitness to play the remaining two matches in Perth and Adelaide. With 13 wickets in two matches, Southee had finished as the top wicket-taker in the Test series against Sri Lanka that preceded the ODIs.The last two ODIs of the series will be played on January 2 and January 5 in Nelson and Mount Maunganui, respectively.

Andrew Flintoff has had a steroid injection in his left ankle in a bid to play in the deciding one-day international against India at Lord’s and be available for the ICC World Twenty20.Flintoff has missed three matches in the current series, one with swelling behind his right knee and two after jarring his ankle during the fourth game at Old Trafford. He had a lengthy bat in the nets at Lord’s and bowled under the watchful eyes of Peter Moores and the England medical team.”There is no pain reaction as of now,” said Moores, “but we have to wait until the morning. It is very difficult to identify what it [the problem] is. We will look into that and hopefully we can rein it in and make him ready for the longer term. We don’t know when the pain is going to come back or not.”At the moment the medical team is assessing him and he is already wearing a special boot that will help him. We have to try and make sure that it settles down and the injection will help for that. He batted and bowled today, and now we have to wait for the ECB medical team’s word on whether we can play him tomorrow.”It is the first steroid injection Flintoff has had since the Melbourne Test last winter and he has previously said how he doesn’t want to rely on them because of the long-term effects on his body. However, Moores is confident that the latest jab is the best way to get Flintoff back onto the field.”The injection is to take the pain away and get that inflammation down, and it is the first stage. It is a way of injury management. They [the medical team] were very conscious with the injection and it wasn’t into the joints. I am not a medical man, but they said the risk with the injection is minimal and we can go ahead with it.”

The Hong Kong Cricket Association have announced a squad of 14 for the women’s tour of Pakistan next month. The three-match ODI series is a qualifier for the 2009 Women’s World Cup.It will be the inaugural match for the newly formed Hong Kong women’s team who will be hoping to match the men’s side who performed so well at the recent ACC Trophy in Malaysia.The side is led by Neisha Pratt who last season averaged a remarkable 586 in the Hong Kong Women’s Cricket League. “The girls have put in a great deal of hard work over the summer,” Pratt said. “For sure we’ll be the underdogs against an established Test country like Pakistan. But the opportunity to qualify for a World Cup doesn’t come around every day and we’ll be giving it our best shot.”Squad
Neisha Pratt (Capt), Renee Montgomery, Chan Sau Ha, Betty Chan, Sarah Eames, Natasha Miles, Keenu Gill, Sam McIlwraith, Julie Atkinson, Godiva Li, Ishitaa Gidwani, Angela Kwan, Shaminda Wickramasinghe, Kylie Knott