Bob Simpson has joined a chorus of former Test captains to condemn Australia’s behaviour and believes the players are acting like “small children”. Simpson, one of the country’s most decorated figures as a former captain, coach and selector, is concerned the on-field acts are being replicated in junior matches and finds the pre-series wars of words “distasteful”.Writing in his Indian column, Simpson said the most upsetting aspect was Ricky Ponting did not see anything wrong with his side’s sledging and Steve Waugh felt it attracted more spectators to the game. “I have been very disappointed with these comments,” he said, “for they seem to show a lack of leadership and concern for the game.”Brett Lee, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath have been reported for poor behaviour in the past month and the former Test captains Mark Taylor and Tony Greig have also complained about the antics of the Australians. “While present-day cricketers promote the need for the spirit of cricket to be adhered to,” Simpson said, “many of them do not follow in action this norm, which they publicly endorse in words.”This not only includes sledging but excessive appealing, disrespecting the umpiring decisions and using their well-paid, generally ghost-written columns to bait opposition teams and players. Public criticism of the opposition now seems to be part of the team tactics. All this reminds me of the behaviour of small children and the bravado they use to disguise their own fallibilities.”

Rahul Dravid has defended the decision to appeal against Inzamam-ul-Haq for obstructing the field in the first ODI at Peshawar while adding that the team has decided not to react to allegations of “unsportsmanlike” behaviour.The umpires upheld the Indians’ appeal after Inzamam fended off Suresh Raina’s throw from mid-off with his bat while still out of his crease. Inzamam had written in a syndicated column that the appeal made by the Indian fielders was “against the spirit of cricket” and added that dismissals like “obstructing the field”, “handled the ball” and “hit the ball twice” went against the spirit of the game. Terming the appeal “unsportsmanlike” he went to the extent of saying that it could have an “adverse affect on the relations between the two opponents”.Dravid read out a statement to the press, clearly suggesting that India had no intention of taking the issue up with the concerned authorities. “In my opinion, and in the opinion of the umpires and match referee, both of whom I have spoken to, the Indian team did not act in any manner that was unsportsmanlike or against the spirit of the game,” he said. “If it was the case, the umpires and match referee would have taken action. We had the option of taking up the issue with relevant authorities but keeping the relevance, importance and context of this series in mind we would like the issue to pass and put it to rest.”Moin Khan, a former Pakistan captain, also wrote in his column for Press Trust of India that Dravid’s decision to back the appeal was “deplorable”. He also said that it appeared as though India wanted to win “by hook or by crook” and Dravid should have realised what bearing his action would have on the series.

The ICC Americas region has announced the regional winners for the ICC Development Program Annual Awards for 2005.Nine different countries share the awards from the four person panel of judges. The region received a record breaking number of nominations in this the fourth year since the awards were instituted.Martin Vieira, the ICC Americas regional development manager,congratulated the winners and commented: “The nine winners and other nominees are only a small group of the hundreds we rely on to spread the development of this wonderful sport. With our large geographical area crossing many cultural and language barriers, volunteers are essential to our success in developing cricket in the “new world”. To the winners, a well deserved recognition, but to all volunteers I extend our appreciation and gratitude for your efforts”.The Americas regional winners will now compete with the other regions for the Global Awards to be announced on March 30, 2006. The global winners will be selected by a distinguished panel comprising of Ehsan Mani (ICC president), Malcolm Gray (past ICC president), Dr. Ali Bacher (former Development Committee chairman) and Roger Knight (MCC secretary and CEO).The Regional Winners for the 2005 DPAABest Overall Development Program
Bermuda Cricket ProgramBest Junior Cricket Initiative
Brazil – School Program In ParanaBest Women’s Cricket Initiative
Cuba – Santiago De Cuba ProgramBest Cricket Promotional Program
Canada – Celebration Of CricketBest Spirit Of Cricket Initiative
Chile – All Chilean Team TourPhoto Of The Year
Cayman – Keep Your Eye On The BallUnaids Award
Argentina – U15 Tour Of South AfricaVolunteer Of The Year
Costa Rica – Richard IllingworthLifetime Service Award
Mexico – Brian Gay

Supersubs may be an extinct phenomenon but it’s the Powerplays that came to the fore in the low-scoring dogfight at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Both batting line-ups suffered jolts with the effect of the second Powerplay and, in a coincidence of sorts, both scored exactly 24 runs and lost three wickets in the ten specified overs.While Andrew Flintoff preferred to enforce the two Powerplays immediately after the 10th over, when India were motoring along at a run-rate of 5.6, Rahul Dravid, defending a modest target, chose to hold it back. While England fought back through the nagging accuracy of their unheralded medium-pacers – Kabir Ali and Liam Plunkett – India turned it around with a thrilling spell of spin.It would have no doubt been a tough decision to take: India didn’t have too many runs to play with, the ball had lost much of it’s early shine, and Kevin Pietersen was toying with the medium-pacers with some brash swipes to leg. Dravid, who’s usually favoured wicket-taking to restriction, revealed the rationale behind the move.”It was a tough one as a captain and it’s not easy with players of the calibre of Pietersen and Flintoff to come. We had only 203 to defend and needed wickets. At that stage, Pietersen was going really well. We thought we’ll just break things up a bit and delay it by two or three overs. We got another wicket but Flintoff came in and that posed some more problems.”Flintoff had joined Pietersen in the 12th over and the duo hushed up the jam-packed Kotla by carting 60 in the next eight. To compound matters, Dravid hadn’t yet used his fifth bowler yet. That was when dust started turning into gold. Yuvraj came on and delivered, of all things, a full toss. Pietersen swept it straight to deep midwicket.Dravid needed to act, swiftly. “Once we’d got Pietersen, we had the opportunity to use the second Powerplay. For me it was the last throw of the dice. If Pietersen hadn’t got out in three or four overs, we would have had to use it anyway.” As it turned out, the dice landed magically. Flintoff swept to his doom and heralded a manic passage of play when the stadium erupted back to life. Within the next ten overs the game was as good as over (when England crumbled to 141 for 8) and chants of “Bring back Sourav” (that were heard during the lunch break) were a distant memory.

James Anderson has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka after scans revealed he is suffering from a stress fracture of the lower back.”It’s a huge blow to Jimmy,” said Mike Watkinson, Lancashire’s coach. “He’s worked hard and patiently at his cricket to get back into the Test and one-day environment and obviously was hoping to be involved with England right through this summer. But he is a fighter and he will get all the help possible at Old Trafford to overcome this setback.”This is a further blow for England a day after Simon Jones was forced to leave the field when he felt a twinge in his knee. Anderson has recently forced his way back into the Test team, playing a major role in England’s victory at Mumbai, which levelled the series at 1-1. He then played a significant role in the one-day matches that followed and has been rested since his return home from the tour.Anderson has had injury problems before, involving his heel and ankle. On the 2003-04 tour of Sri Lanka he injured his ankle playing squash and was then forced to withdraw from the England squad to play New Zealand, at Headingley, in 2004 with a heel problem.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has appointed Ranjib Biswal, a national selector, and D Dongoankar as managers of India’s one-day and Test side managers for the series against West Indies starting May 12.Ravi Sawant, the Mumbai Cricket Association vice-president, has been appointed as assistant to Dongaonkar. The BCCI also appointed Arindam Ganguly as India A manager for their tour to Australia from June 28 to July 25.India play five one-day internationals and four Tests against West Indies.

Scorecard

Lasith Malinga took five wickets to stake his claim for a place in the second Test at Edgbaston, but the Sri Lankans were held up by a century on first-class debut from Oliver Rayner. Despite having a lead of 259, Mahela Jayawardene opted not to enforce the follow-on and Sri Lanka lost Michael Vandort before the close.It will be Rayner, though, who will remember the day. He came in with Sussex in all sorts of trouble at 98 for 6 following a fiery spell from Malinga that tore through the middle order. Rayner added 45 with fellow debutant Neil Turk, but the major stand came with James Kirtley, who helped combine for a ninth-wicket partnership of 71 in 26 oversRayner, 20, who was born in Germany, struck 12 boundaries and six – off Thilan Samaraweera – during his innings and became the first Sussex player since 1920 to score a century on first-class debut.From Sri Lanka’s point of view the performance of Malinga was another major plus to come from this match following the centuries by Thilan Samaraweera and Chamara Kapugedera. The Sri Lankan seamers at Lord’s lacked firepower so Malinga’s burst in the morning session, when he took three batsman in quick succession, has made his inclusion on Thursday all the more likely.The other bowling was less threatening, although Nuwan Kulasekara claimed a tidy three-wicket haul and Nuwan Zoysa a couple. Jayawardene went through eight bowlers – including himself – as the Rayner-Kirtley stand built.Faced with a short period before the close, Vandort missed the chance to press his own Test claims and it remains to be seen whether Sri Lanka use the final day for batting practice or decided to make a game of it.

Ajit Agarkar, the Indian fast bowler, has joined Sachin Tendulkar at Lashings cricket club in England for a short stint.The Kent-based club announced the new arrival today: “Just when you thought the Lashings line up couldn’t get anymore exciting, Lashings announce that they have also welcomed Ajit Agarkar to the side.”Agarkar has been pencilled in for three matches for Lashing World XI, led by Richie Richardson, the former West Indies batsman. The first, against Surrey’s Reigate Priory Cricket Club, was scheduled for today, followed by ones against Middleton Cricket Club and Sutton Valence School.Agarkar was not included in India’s Test side in the West Indies despite a fine display in the preceding five-match one-day series. He previously played for Middlesex in 2004, and had indicated that he was keen to spend time before India’s next assignment – a one-day tournament in August-Septemer – playing some form of professional cricket in England.Tendulkar, who joined Lashings as part of his shoulder rehabilitation, smashed a thrilling century in his debut last week.

Another day, another set of injury scares for both England and Pakistan’s cricketers, as the jinx that has pursued the teams since they last met in December shows no sign of abating.Pakistan, already shorn of a trio of their potential opening bowlers in Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, looked set to launch their second innings without their only specialist opening batsman. But Imran Farhat, who sustained a dislocation and fracture to the third finger on his left hand while clinging onto a sharp catch in the gully, was unexpectedly strapped up and sent out to negotiate the four overs remaining in the day.He did so bravely, but how much of that was owed to the worrying rib niggle that Stephen Harmison suffered in the first over of the innings? Harmison, who destroyed Pakistan on Thursday with figures of 6 for 19, bowled an outrageous wide that was fielded by Andrew Strauss at second slip, but England’s laughter got stuck in their throats when he immediately clutched at his side, the same intercostal region that has forced Liam Plunkett to miss the rest of the series.Though Kirk Russell, England’s physio, instantly signalled for him to leave the field, Harmison carried on tentatively for the rest of the over, before being hauled off from his fielding position at fine leg as Russell was sent jogging round the boundary to retrieve him.”Harmison has responded to treatment and will be reassessed in the morning,” read an ECB statement issued at the close of play. “It is not as serious as first thought.” Something similar will apply to another of England’s jinxed Ashes veterans, Geraint Jones, who was hit on the right ring finger by Umar Gul and needed lengthy treatment out in the middle. “Jones’s finger is still sore and he, too, will be reassessed in the morning,” added the ECB.Throw in the travails of Faisal Iqbal, who suffered a bruised hand when nailed by an Andrew Strauss pull shot on Thursday morning, and it is clear that the fates are against these two teams. For the moment, however, all four of the latest injured parties are still standing.

Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s coach, has said that Inzamam-ul-Haq and his team are prepared to accept a punishment for bringing the game into disrepute, but warned that the forthcoming one-day series against England could be scrapped if he is found guilty of ball-tampering.”My feeling is that the ICC have already closed ranks and will penalise Inzamam heavily,” Woolmer told . Inzamam will face an ICC hearing on Friday after being charged with two Code of Conduct offences resulting from the Oval Test, and he faces a possible four Test or eight ODI ban. If the team does pull out, the Pakistan Cricket Board would risk a fine of $2m (approx £1.1m) and a possible suspension by the ICC.”The ball-tampering charge is the sticking-point,” Woolmer told ITV News. “There’s probably room for reason here. We have no truck at all with the England cricket board and players, but we have been accused of cheating [by the umpires], and that is the worst thing you can do to this Pakistan cricket team.”If Inzamam is penalised and penalised heavily, which he could well be, then I cannot guarantee that my side will definitely play. I would think the one-day series may well be in serious jeopardy. It would be difficult for the players to play on if we are labelled cheats.”Woolmer’s comments come after Shaharyar Khan, the PCB board chairman, told reporters that the series was not in doubt. His stance appeared to be backed by Inzamam himself when he told London’s Daily Express: “We will wait for the decision and then make up our minds but it would be difficult for the players to play on if we are labelled cheats.”Inzamam also called on the ICC to declare the Test as null and void after the incidents. Writing in his column for , a Pakistan-based daily, he also stated that this was the biggest disappointment in his career. “If anything we want the ICC to declare the Oval test result as null and void,” he wrote. “The Pakistan Board is already trying to convince the ICC to do this. I am hugely disappointed and hurt by the slur cast on our team by Hair. I never thought my last test in England would end this way.”Inzamam has been charged with two offences, one relating to the condition of the ball and the other – the more serious one – which accuses him of bringing the game into disrepute. The first carries a maximum fine of 100% of his match fee and/or a one Test/ODI ban. The second carries a maximum penalty of a four Test/eight ODI ban.If he is found guilty then he has 24 hours to appeal and he would be free to play until that appeal is heard. Usually, that would mean that the appeal would be heard while the one-day series is still taking place. However, the authorities might opt to avoid a showdown by not scheduling the appeal hearing until after the end of the one-day series.