ESPN-Star Sports, who have virtually lost the bid for Indian cricket television rights, reacted strongly to the announcement that the Board of Control for Cricket in India intended to grant the rights to Zee Network.”I am disappointed to learn that ZEE had been even offered the cricket rights and that the BCCI had changed the entire process of bidding in violation of rules set by BCCI themselves,” said Rik Dovey, managing director of ESPN-Star Sports, in a statement.Several committees of the board met with representatives of both ESPN-Star Sports and Zee Network in Chennai over the last few days. Dovey said ESPN-Star were dissatisfied with several things that occurred in these proceedings. “Yesterday [September 4] we were asked by the BCCI, after they met ZEE, to provide clarifications on our original bid, which we did in light of their statement to us, that such clarifications would be used by the Committee to conclude the process. The Tender Committee had clearly expressed that they wanted the bidding process to stop there.”But, the rights were finally awarded to Zee Networks. “Today we were asked to attend a meeting to provide what was described as further clarification. However, when we met the committee we were informed that the BCCI `Tender Committee’ had changed their position from yesterday. We were informed that BCCI had just given Zee the opportunity to increase their bid and that providing Zee met certain conditions, not all of which were disclosed to ESPN-Star Sports, ZEE would be awarded the rights later this week.”ESPN-Star Sports insisted that they were not given enough opportunity to clarify their bid, review their position, or alter their bid. Further ESPN-Star Sports continued to insist that they were the “highest legitimate eligible” bidder. In conclusion Dovey said: “We feel that today’s proceedings clearly are a denial of natural justice and a violation by the BCCI of its own tendering process.”You can be sure Zee Networks will disagree with most of this. The battle lines have been drawn, and the action is just heating up. Watch this space.

Brett Lee or Glenn McGrath face the axe when Australia’s ICC Champions Trophy campaign gets serious against New Zealand on September 16. Four fast bowlers – Lee, McGrath, Michael Kasprowicz and Jason Gillespie – shunted the United States all out for 65 in Australia’s nine-wicket romp in their opening game of the tournament, but Ricky Ponting, their captain, doubted that the quartet would back up against New Zealand.The rejuvenated Kasprowicz continued his brilliant form with 4 for 14 off seven overs and Gillespie claimed 4 for 15, while Lee took one wicket and McGrath missed out on the feast in Southampton, as both bowlers worked their way back from ankle surgery.Ponting said that it was a last-minute decision to include the four fast bowlers against USA in a bid to dismiss them quickly, but he did not expect to repeat the tactic for the virtual quarter-final against New Zealand at The Oval.”That option is there for us to do, but it’s a fairly unlikely option because we tend to be quite slow between our overs and if we played four quicks I don’t think we’d bowl 50 overs in an innings,” he said. “It’s something we might be able to do, all of our fast bowlers at the moment are going really well.”Michael’s form of late has been outstanding, Jason has been the same,” he continued. “Brett and Glenn are really both only on their way back to international cricket but are both going along really well. There are certainly selection headaches around the team at the moment but whenever you’re picking an Australian team, it’s always hard to do. A couple of guys who missed out are always very unlucky.”With the weather and the chance for us to get our run-rate above New Zealand, we decided if we won the toss and sent them in, to go in in with four fast bowlers would work better for us. We’ve got to pick another team for Thursday, it could be a completely different make-up.”Brad Hogg was 12th man against USA, while Shane Watson and Ian Harvey missed out, but they are all in contention to play against New Zealand, who took their record to 14 wins from their last 16 one-day internationals with a 210-run win over USA in their first game.With England’s autumn weather playing a crucial role in the tournament, Ponting’s plan to get a higher run-rate than the New Zealanders worked perfectly against the Americans. The Australians skittled them in 24 overs and then racked up the target in 47 balls. The result gave Australia a net run-rate of 7.13 to New Zealand’s 4.20 after one game.

Romesh Kaluwitharana, Sri Lanka’s pinch-hitting wicketkeeping batsman, has retired from international cricket in the aftermath of his ommission from a 20-man training pool for Sri Lanka’s tour to New Zealand in December.”I have decided to call it a day,” Kaluwitharana told reporters. “I started my Test career on a high note with a century against Australia and I’m happy to end it with a half-century against Pakistan.””Prior to the Pakistan tour I was thinking about retiring at the end of the year, but I’m still struggling with the wrist injury I picked up in Pakistan and having not been picked for New Zealand the time is right.””There is a right time for everything in life and, although this is very emotional time and that I know I have more cricket left in me, I’m happy that this time has come,” he added.Kaluwitharana had made several previous comebacks to the national team,including a return to Test cricket last year when the selectors asked Kumar Sangakkara to concentrate on his batting, but with his 35th birthday approaching, he felt the time had come to bid farewell.”I would like to thank everyone – family, team-mates, fans and friends – for all the support over the years and I wish Sri Lankan cricket all the best for the future.”Kaluwitharana was an extremely popular cricketer in Sri Lanka, loved for his perma-smile behind the stumps and his electric batting, especially his pinch-hitting exploits during the triumphant 1996 World Cup campaign, when he teamed up with Sanath Jayasuriya to help change the face of the one-day game.But Kaluwitharana’s high-risk approach contributed to a reputation forinconsistency and his final Test average of 26.12 in 49 matches, including three hundreds, does not do his obvious natural talent justice. In 189 one-dayers, he finished with 3711 runs, which included 23 half-centuries and 24 ducks.Kaluwitharana is unsure about his future, but he hopes to continue hisinvolvement with Sri Lankan cricket, although in what capacity he iscurrently unclear. For the time being though he will be concentrating on his job with the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation.Kaluwitharana, who captains his current club side, Colts Cricket Club, will retire from first-class cricket as well at the end of the season.

The purposeful striding of New Zealand over the first two days of the Trans-Tasman series has quickly developed painful limps. While walking remained the main issue during the four days between Tests, the Black Caps must quickly discover a way of standing tall against a team that they must worry can beat them from any position.John Bracewell, the coach, honestly reflected that they were “beaten up” at Brisbane, but he has dismissed suggestions of mental bruising. Another touring team is under intense pressure after only a week and attacks and suggestions are arriving from all directions. The capitulation for 76 on the fourth day was so quick that Greg Chappell offered his services to his former foes for free.Chappell believes the top six are “sitting ducks” if they again employ a defensive mentality. But Bracewell insists crease occupation is the best way of wearing down the Australians and it is a plan that suits the Adelaide pitch. He knows his players are unlikely to win a shoot-out against their opponents, who have not seen Hayden, Langer or Ponting fire since before the India series.The only outright success for the Black Caps at the Gabba was Jacob Oram, whose hundred rescued the first-innings and may earn a promotion. It will have been an interesting selection meeting, which has been the norm since the disruptive tour of England during the winter. Craig McMillan again finds himself at the top of the list for replacing. A late call-up for the tour, McMillan earned a walk-on role in the first Test and found himself in the middle of a storming argument with Adam Gilchrist on walking. The story has run longer than the Test match, where he failed in both innings.New Zealand will consider weakening their already brittle batting by adding another bowler and could move Oram and Brendon McCullum, who also made a valuable contribution with the bat, up a place to Nos. 6 and 7. A spark of good news has come with the expected return of James Franklin, the left-arm fast bowler who pulled out on the eve of the Gabba Test with a groin injury, while the offspinner Paul Wiseman was picked on the tour specifically for this match. Kyle Mills, chosen for his windows of swinging opportunity, could join McMillan.In winning the first Test by an innings and 156 runs, Australia have already retained the two-match series and named an unchanged 12-man squad. While there were whispers of playing five bowlers, the move is unlikely after the relatively easy Gabba workout. The first-innings performance of Michael Kasprowicz means Brett Lee should have to readjust his goal to a potential speed blitz with Shoaib Akhtar in the first Test at the Waca on December 16.While the tail-end partnership of McGrath and Gillespie and the debut home hundred of Michael Clarke were superb, they overshadowed a fine century from Gilchrist, who was then attacked for his walking “crusade”. Gilchrist has been protected and counselled by his team-mates, who support his tactic but are happy to stand their ground, and will look forward to the relative calm of the field.The teams have played only twice at Adelaide. Ian Chappell’s side won by an innings and 57 runs in 1973-74 while in 1987-88 Martin Crowe and Andrew Jones scored centuries and Allan Border collected a double as they shared a draw. New Zealand will happily settle for that result this time, but Australia will aim to walk off with the Trans-Tasman trophy celebrating a clean sweep.Australia 1 Justin Langer, 2 Matthew Hayden, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Damien Martyn, 5 Darren Lehmann, 6 Michael Clarke, 7 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 8 Shane Warne, 9 Jason Gillespie, 10 Michael Kasprowicz, 11 Glenn McGrath, 12 Brett Lee.New Zealand 1 Mark Richardson, 2 Mathew Sinclair, 3 Stephen Fleming (capt), 4. Scott Styris, 5. Nathan Astle, 6. Jacob Oram, 7. Brendon McCullum (wk), 8. Daniel Vettori, 9. James Franklin, 10 Paul Wiseman, 11 Chris Martin.Peter English is Australasian editor of Wisden Cricinfo

The threat of a vote of no confidence in Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) which was widely expected at the special meeting of the Mashonaland Cricket Association never materialised – mainly because of internal discontent which led to the resignation of the entire MCA board.The meeting, attended by 60 or so members, was a heated affair, and the anger with the board’s behaviour soon became clear. Stephen Mangongo, the former head of national selectors, proposed a vote of no confidence in the MCA board. Such was the overwhelming feeling of the floor that a vote was never taken – the board resigned on the spot.Of the eight board members, only Crispen Mandenge, the new chairman, Elvis Sembezeya and Claudius Mukandiwa survived. They were joined byLance Malloch-Brown, the former Mashonaland wicketkeeper, Jeremiah Matibiri, Rory Mcwade, Clarence Musamba and Mike Temhiwa.Tavengwa Mukuhlani, the outgoing chairman, automatically lost his post on Zimbabwe Cricket’s board as he was only there in his capacity as Mashonaland’s chairman.Sembezeya said the new MCA board is expected to carry the mandate of the clubs who elected them into power. “The previous board had people who did not represent any clubs, people like Mukuhlani, just sold themselves to the clubs, they promised to secure sponsorship for the small clubs and that is how they were voted into power. But they have done nothing … all they do is oppress the same clubs who voted them in."One eyewitness said it was now a question of wait-and-see regarding the new board’s approach to Zimbabwe Cricket. "But the mood suggested that those present wanted a committee that would take a tougher linewith ZC," he added.

Simon Katich expects to celebrate his career-best performance with another stint in the dressing-room for Sunday’s VB Series match against Pakistan at the WACA. Despite calmly steering Australia out of a desperate situation with 76 at the Adelaide Oval yesterday, Katich tipped Damien Martyn to replace him when he returns from a week’s rest.Rather than being disappointed, Katich said he was grateful for the opportunity as part of Australia’s limited-overs rotation policy. “I understand my role at the moment, I get a chance if the other guys get a break,” Katich said. “That happened down in Tassie when Matty [Hayden] was having a rest.”Brad Haddin, the reserve wicketkeeper, is another player who has performed strongly in his limited opportunities, collecting a stunning catch to remove Chris Gayle and helping rescue Australia by sharing an 82-run partnership with Katich at Adelaide. Haddin has been named in the New South Wales team to play Queensland tomorrow, and will make way for Adam Gilchrist’s return at Perth.”Every game is a great experience for us, so it’s better to play one than none,” Katich said. “Even though we might miss out on Sunday, I’d rather have played, and then at least you know you can get out there and get a few runs, and hopefully get another chance down the track.”

Brian Lara has said that he was upset about not being part of the selection panel that picked the 14 member squad for the VB Series. Lara hinted that the new coach, Bennett King, had a lot of say in selection matters and the team was suffering because of his lack of experience with the West Indian setup. This was under a new policy where his position as captain was not confirmed until the squad had been selected. The team returned home after being forced out of the VB Series, where they won only one game, but Lara insisted that there were several gains on the tour.”You would think that someone who is in charge of the team and had won the ICC Champions Trophy would have had something to do with the selection,” Lara told the Caribbean Media Corporation, the West Indian news agency, on arrival at the Grantley Adams Airport. “Unfortunately, this was not the case. If you have a new selection policy and there is a coach who has a lot of say in the process and does not have the experience of knowing West Indies cricket, then there will be areas in which you will fall down."I’m sure that the selectors are astute enough to know what’s happening in West Indies cricket," Lara continued. "The right players that are needed, and we will hopefully see some improvement the next time we take the field.”Lara, though, touched upon the silver linings from the tournament. "We looked more like a unit," he told . "We looked more aggressive and more like we knew what we were doing in the middle but it happened pretty late. We didn’t get out of the blocks until midway through the tournament and left ourselves with virtual finals every time we went out to the middle after that."West Indies, who appeared rusty for a major part of the tournament, were away from international cricket for more than three months after their Champions Trophy triumph, where they recorded an incredible victory in the finals in September.Lara also emphasised the need for significant contributions from senior players and singled out Chris Gayle for his batting slump. "It’s a team game and everyone has to contribute," he said. "Unfortunately, one of our best batters, Chris Gayle, was unable to fire but these things happen. Hopefully, in the next series, he’ll get things going."

Darren Lehmann has been ruled out of the Test series against New Zealand and will have shoulder surgery next week. Lehmann, who will lead South Australia in the Pura Cup match against Western Australia beginning on Thursday, aggravated the injury that restricts his bowling and throwing actions, but is confident of fighting his way back for the Ashes series in July.”I want to get the shoulder right so that I am fit and ready for selection for the Ashes later in the year,” he said. “I am keen to play for the Redbacks this week, and have been assured that I will not set back my recovery by doing so. However, the shoulder would not stand up to the rigors of three Test matches.”Lehmann, 35, was dropped for Australia’s last Test against Pakistan in January and his place was in doubt for the New Zealand Test tour once he was cut from the one-day squad last month. The injury delays the decision on his international future and Trevor Hohns, the chairman of selectors, said he would be considered for England. “It is important that he has this surgery to enable him to continue his cricketing career in the future,” Hohns said.Lehmann will at least provide the Redbacks’ awful batting line-up with some class as they attempt to lift from the bottom of the table against the Warriors, who lead the competition on 36 points. After Lehmann scored a brutal 104 against Queensland last Saturday, South Australia collapsed for a mere 200, and they face more stringent tests at the WACA from Thursday.Tom Plant is missing from the Brisbane squad and has been replaced by Shane Deitz. Western Australia will name their side tomorrow as they push to earn the right to host the final, which starts on March 18.South Australia Greg Blewett, Shane Deitz, Darren Lehmann (capt), Daniel Harris, Callum Ferguson, Nathan Adcock, Cameron Borgas, Graham Manou (wk), Daniel Cullen, Ryan Harris, Paul Rofe, Shaun Tait.

Daniel Vettori will rest his delicate back for the Test series after he was named 12th man for the fourth one-day match against Australia at Wellington’s Basin Reserve tomorrow. The precaution is a blow for New Zealand as Vettori was the side’s best bowler in the first three matches of the series, which Australia sealed at Auckland on Saturday.New Zealand were forced to reshuffle their side, which is missing Michael Papps after he was twice stuck in the head by Brett Lee, and handed a debut to Lance Hamilton, the left-arm seamer. Otago’s Craig Cumming will play his 11th match while Jeff Wilson is recalled for his sixth game after he was hit for 57 in six overs during the second ODI at Christchurch.The side is missing valuable experience but John Bracewell, the coach, is also worried about the below-average returns of his big guns Stephen Fleming and Chris Cairns. “These guys know all about their responsibilities, they’re acutely aware of the need to put their hands up,” he told reporters in Wellington. “We know they’re the best players we’ve got, and we know they’re going to give us the best chance of doing well against Australia, so it’s important to support them."New Zealand need to win one of the remaining two games to hold their No. 2 ranking ahead of the 2007 World Cup seedings, which are finalised in April. If Australia cleansweep the five-match contest the Kiwis will swap places with Sri Lanka.New Zealand 1 Stephen Fleming (capt), 2 Nathan Astle, 3 Hamish Marshall, 4 Craig McMillan, 5 James Marshall, 6 Craig Cumming, 7 Chris Cairns, 8 Brendon McCullum, 9 Jeff Wilson, 10 Lance Hamilton, 11 Kyle Mills, 12 Daniel Vettori.

Tom Moody, the former Australian allrounder, has revealed that John Wright contacted him to ask if he was intrested in taking over as the coach of the Indian side. Moody is one of the several candidates tipped to be appointed as the next Indian coach after Wright’s departure at the end of the Pakistan series.”John called me two weeks ago and told me that there was a position open for the coach’s job, and asked if I was interested in it”, Moody told . “I haven’t been formally approached yet but if there was an offer I would be interested in taking up the challenge”.Meanwhile Dav Whatmore, currently coaching Bangladesh, has said that he was open to offers from India and added that coaching the team would excite him. “They’d (Indians) better make up their minds soon — my contract [with Bangladesh] expires on April 30,” Whatmore was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India. “I’m a professional — of course I’d be interested in talking to the Indians.”Moody, who is currently the director of cricket with Worcestershire, termed the Indian side as “exceptionally talented” and singled out Wright’s contribution as a significant factor. “I must say that it has come up brilliantly with the hard work John Wright has put in.” He also added that spending time away from his family, one of the main reasons for Wright’s departure, would not be such a major factor. “I’ve discussed the issue with my family and am sure it won’t come in the way of my time away from home.”Earlier this week Greg Chappell had indicated that he was open to coaching the Indian side.