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Pakistan have refused South Africa’s request to split their tour to the country early next year before the World Cup in the Caribbean. A report in South Africa had said that the board was keen on splitting the tour and playing seven ODIs instead, as final preparation before the World Cup, and postpone the Tests until after the tournament.Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, confirmed that such a request had been made but that Pakistan was not in favour of splitting it and wants to play three Tests and between three to five ODIs in one stretch.Shaharyar told Cricinfo that the schedule was reviewed after Bob Woolmer and Inzamam-ul-Haq insisted they wanted time to rest. “Our management wanted to be back in Pakistan from the tour by February 12. Inzamam and Bob Woolmer both wanted to be back in Pakistan by then to make sure they had enough rest before going to the Caribbean.”We asked the South African board to reduce the series by one Test or one ODI. It suggested splitting the tour and playing the Tests later. But I am not in favour of splitting tours so it sent a counter-proposal suggesting three Tests and between three and five ODIs. The tour now ends around February 15.”Shaharyar also spoke about problems in drafting the Future Tours Program (FTP) which schedules international series and tournaments between now and 2012. Pakistan are scheduled to play up to 54 Tests and 143 ODIs in that period though that is much less than countries such as India (74 Tests and 208 ODIs), Australia (73 Tests and 178 ODIs) and England (76 Tests and 157 ODIs).Despite ongoing concerns about cramped schedules, Pakistan’s problem actually lies in an uneven spread of commitments. For example, while they are due to play as many as 10 Tests between now and April next year and 13 Tests between May 2009 and April 2010, they will have a period between May 2008 and April 2009 when they play only three Tests.Additionally, they are due to play at least five two-Test series in this period. The board has publicly spoken of its dislike of two-Test series in the past, as have a number of players (including Inzamam) but with apparently little success.Shaharyar argued, however, that the FTP wasn’t a final, binding document and that there was room for manoeuvre within it. “There was lots of compromise on the final program. It was only the 10th draft that everyone agreed on and it is a difficult process. Now as far as the two-Test series are concerned and the distribution of matches, I will say that there is scope within the FTP to negotiate with boards themselves. Nobody likes two-Test series so we hope to work with individual boards and maybe tinker around a few things, change the schedule a little.”

The Indian women’s cricket team, who reached the final of the World Cup in South Africa, were received with much fanfare at a suburban hotel in Mumbai. The team, decked out in their India colours, faced uncommon glare and attention from the media, as their sponsors, Sahara, called a press conference to congratulate them on their performance.The team, the first from an Asian country to reach the final of the women’s tournament, got the slightest glimpse of the attention and publicity their male counterparts are used to day-in and day-out. “It’s almost overwhelming to see the kind of support and publicity we have got,” said one team member as the press conference got underway.When the hue and cry – aided at every step by Mandira Bedi, who has almost become the brand ambassador of the women’s team, clapping and cheering – died down, Mithali Raj, the captain, fielded questions with poise. “Australia, with an experience of having played four or five World Cup finals, played better than us,” she said, explaining India’s stumble at the final hurdle. “It was a dream come true for us reaching the final. Many expected us to reach the semis, but we exceeded their expectations by reaching the final.”India’s strength has traditionally been its spin bowling, and this was seen as something that could be a problem on the pitches in South Africa, which traditionally aid medium pacers. “Our spinners did very well even on those pace-friendly pitches, with three of them in the top five of the wicket-takers’ list,” continued Raj. “But fielding is one area which we need to improve. We have progressed but need to improve more.”Another of India’s weaknesses has been chasing targets, and in the final they began well, restricting Australia until halfway through their innings. But Karen Rolton ran away with the game in the latter half, scoring a matchwinning centuryand then India faltered chasing a large total. “In most of the matches we chased small targets, but in the final we lost our way chasing in excess of 200,” said Raj. “We restricted Australia in the first 30 overs, but then couldn’t sustain it.”Sanjay Lal, CEO of Percept D’ Mark, was asked if Sahara were likely to announce a cash bonus, or perhaps go further and gift members of the team with apartments in Amby Valley, a township near Mumbai which they have developed, as they had when the men’s team returned from the last World Cup in South Africa having lost to Australia in the final. “We have been discussing similar matters in management circles,” he said, “but have not decided on anything yet.”For the moment at least, the team, who walked away with a purse of merely 10,000 Rand (US$1600) for being runners up, will have to be content with attention and praise.

Australia’s injury problems deepened on Wednesday morning as Brett Lee’sankle injury flared up again after a training session the previous day. Tomake matters worse, Michael Kasprowicz also suffered a sprained shoulderinjury which prevented him from bowling again in Sri Lanka’s first innings.Lee had initially injured his left ankle during Australia’s practice matchlast week. X-rays revealed no structural damage and Australia hadbeen hopeful that he would be fit in time for the secondTest in Kandy next week. But post-training soreness forced the teammanagement to send him home.”Brett [Lee] is suffering from inflammation at the back of his ankle joint,”said Kontouri. “As a result we felt it was prudent for him to be seen bydoctors in Australia, rather than remain on tour where it is now apparentthat his condition is not improving.” Lee will have his ankle checked by Dr Martin Sullivan, a foot specialist.”Initially I felt pretty good after the training session but once the painreturned I knew I was in trouble,” Lee said in a statement. “I amreally disappointed. I guess it’s back to square one now to rectify theproblem. That’s tough but I need to be as positive as possible to get backas soon as possible.”Lee’s withdrawal paves the way for a possible return of Glen McGrath.McGrath failed to convince the selectors of his form or fitness when theTest squad was initially selected but he has now returned to first-classcricket and claimed he is ready to return to the national team.Kasprowicz, meanwhile, sprained his shoulder after colliding with a ball boyjust before close of play on the second day. Kasprowicz did not appear to haveinjured himself at the time but he suffered pain in his right shoulderafterwards and the team management decided not to risk further aggravation.

The in-form XXXX Queensland Bulls will know tomorrow whether they willfinally gain the services of fast bowler Ashley Noffke for Friday’s INGCup day/nighter against Victoria at the Gabba.Noffke has been on the verge of making his return from a broken rightindex finger for the past two weeks but has been ruled out prior to thepast two ING matches, which have resulted in handsome victories for theBulls.The right-arm quick made a comeback in Brisbane First Grade cricket onthe weekend, taking 1-31, and bowled in two separate sessions today.He will face a final check tomorrow at Queensland’s last session beforethe match.If Noffke is not given the all-clear to return, the Bulls will field thesame side that demolished the Bushrangers on Australia Day in Ballarat,dismissing them for 65 and claiming a 10-wicket win.The Bulls (22 points) currently lead the ING table, two points clear ofsecond-placed Tasmania (20 pts) with Western Australia (17 pts) and NSW(15 pts) bringing up the rear.Friday’s day/nighter will be the Bulls’ final home ING Cup match, withtheir remaining two matches against the Redbacks in Adelaide on SaturdayFebruary 8 and the Tasmanian Tigers in Hobart on Saturday February 15.The leading two teams will play in the Final on Sunday February 23, withthe top side earning the right to host the Final. The Bulls hosted lastyear’s Final that was won by NSW.Bulls pace bowler Michael Kasprowicz needs two more wickets to becomeQueensland’s all-time leading wicket-taker in the ING Cup.Kasprowicz (66 wickets) trails former Queensland allrounder ScottPrestwidge (67 wickets) on the all-time domestic limited overs list.XXXX Queensland Bulls v Victorian Bushrangers, ING Cup, Gabba, Friday,2.30pm start: Martin Love (c), Daniel Payne, Lee Carseldine, ClintonPerren, Stuart Law, Brendan Nash, James Hopes, Wade Seccombe, NathanHauritz, Michael Kasprowicz, Scott Brant, Damien MacKenzie, AshleyNoffke. (one to be omitted).

In a follow up to the betting and match-fixing scandal, the CBI hasdecided to provide further assistance to the International CricketCouncil to unravel the entire ramifications of the menace.A CBI team, which was recently in London, met the Anti-Corruption headof the world cricket body, Paul Condon, and discussed “certain thingsof mutual interest,” official sources said in New Delhi today. Theysaid the ICC has shown great interest in “picking up the threads” fromthe CBI investigations in the case of nine foreign players named byvarious Indian bookies.The CBI, in its 162-page report had named nine foreign players, whohad either been named or had allegedly accepted money from Indianbookies. The agency had clarified in the report that the probe againstthe foriegn players could not be completed as it was beyond itsjurisdiction.The sources said the ICC had assured the CBI that almost all cricketboards of the countries, whose players have been named in the report,were probing the role of these players at their end and the worldcricket body was constantly monitoring the developments.The CBI also shared some more information about the bookies questionedby it during the six-month long investigations into the case, thesources said.The ICC has sought addresses and telephone numbers of some Mumbaibased bookies which the agency has agreed to provide, the sourcessaid.In particular, the ICC has asked about the addresses of two Mumbaibased bookies, who have allegedly been involved with cricketers ofPakistan and Sri Lanka, the sources added.The ICC has also furnished to the CBI some names, which have come upduring the apex cricket body’s probe into the scandal, for locatingtheir whereabouts and the agency has assured necessary help in thecase, the sources said.They said the probe could be completed only with assistance from theinternational organisations like ICC and other countries. The sourcessaid that sleuths of Special Crime Branch had made some headway intothe investigations into the nexus and preliminary reports indicatedthat some bookies were acting at the behest of underworld mafia infixing cricket matches. They said the accounts and other importantbooks of bookies had been scrutinised but added this was a wide areaand needed a detailed investigation before fixing responsibilities.

The Bangladesh-Australia Test series is moving towards taking place as scheduled, according to BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury, after a second day of security-related meetings and assurances in Dhaka. Though the Australian High Commissioner was non-committal, ESPNcricinfo understands the BCB is expecting Cricket Australia to give the go-ahead on Tuesday, with the team likely to arrive this week.The BCB has already acted on its optimism about the tour and at 5.15 pm on Monday named the squad for the first Test in Chittagong from October 9. The team, which began training this afternoon, had been approved by the BCB president before the Eid holidays – September 24 to 26 – but the squad announcement was delayed because Cricket Australia postponed its team’s departure to Bangladesh, citing security concerns.An hour later, the BCB sent out the accreditation form for local journalists, another sign that it is positive about the tour going ahead.Perhaps another positive sign is that only Cricket Australia’s security manager Sean Carroll will return to Australia on Tuesday. Team manager Gavin Dovey and team security manager Frank Dimasi, who arrived on September 27, are staying in Dhaka presumably to receive the Australia team.On Monday, Carroll, Dovey, Dimasi, and the Australian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Greg Wilcock, had discussions with the Home Minister and the heads of the country’s security agencies. BCB president Nazmul Hassan, directors Mahbubul Anam and Lokman Hossain, and chief executive Chowdhury were also present. Later in the day, the CA security contingent also met with another security agency.After the meeting at the ministry, Chowdhury said they were looking to conduct the series according to the original tour schedule, with the first Test in Chittagong from October 9.”We are expecting all the matches to be played on schedule,” Chowdhury said. “We will try to have the main matches of the tour be played as scheduled, because there is plenty of planning that goes behind each international match.”We haven’t discussed any issue with regards to Chittagong as a venue. We have confirmed the facilities which will be given to them in Dhaka will also be given to them in Chittagong.”The Australian high commissioner Wilcock said that the talks at the ministry were a part of an ongoing process. “I want to make it clear that I speak on behalf of the Australian government and I want to send a very short message about this meeting,” he said. “The first is I think as two cricket loving nations we all want to play cricket. The Bangladesh squad has been doing very well recently.”At the same time, the Australian government very recently issued an update travel advice communicating additional guidance on safety and security in Bangladesh. The result of that is that we are here discussing these safety and security measures with the Bangladesh authorities.”We have enjoyed the time, the generosity and the expertise of the honourable minister and his senior police officials. This is part of our consultations with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, with the Bangladesh authorities and with Cricket Australia to address our shared interests. That work continues. This meeting has been one part of that. That work will continue for the rest of today.”

The Pakistan board is set to send a formal proposal to the South Africa board for a three-Test match series to be played after the Champions Trophy in September, as it continues its push to fill up an empty international calendar. After Australia withdrew from their tour of Pakistan for March-April, the PCB has convinced Bangladesh to play a five-match ODI series and has a host of other commitments in the pipeline, but still a hole remains in their Future Tours Programme (FTP), especially with regards to Test matches.”We have had a verbal communication with them [South Africa] over a possible Test series and their response is encouraging,” Shafqat Naghmi, PCB’s Chief Operating Officer, told The News. The proposed series will be an arrangement outside the FTP.”Our first priority is to host the South Africans for the proposed Test series in October but if because of any reason they cannot visit then we will be willing to send our team to South Africa.”Naghmi said that the PCB scanned the FTP and tour commitments of the top Test-playing nations and found that South Africa were the only leading side that had a window big enough in their FTP to fit in a Test series. According to the FTP South Africa finish a tour of England in September, visit Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in the same month and are scheduled to host Bangladesh in November. South Africa toured Pakistan in October 2007, winning both the Test and ODI series.Australia’s pull out, due to security fears, meant Pakistan were left with only three Tests (against India) in 2008. Australia were scheduled to play three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 International. The PCB could not persuade India to visit for a one-day series and their plan to host Sri Lanka is likely to be jeopardised by the Indian Premier League.

Naved Latif and Sohail Tanvir struck centuries to complement Misbah-ul-Haq’s 175 and propelled Punjab to an imposing 576 for 9 declared on the second day at the National Stadium in Karachi. At stumps, Sind had moved on to 155 for 3, still trailing by 421 runs in the first innings.Punjab began the second day on 346 for 4 with captain Misbah on 157 and Latif on 54. Misbah, on 175, was the first wicket to fall with the score on 377. Latif was joined by Tanvir and together they added 106 for the sixth wicket. Latif was finally caught off Tahir Khan for 114.Tanvir marshaled the tail superbly and added another 93 runs with the last three batsmen. He finished on an unbeaten 124 and boosted Punjab to 576 for 9 before the declaration came. Anwar Ali was Sindh’s best bowler with 6 for 137 in 32 overs.Imran Farhat led Habib Bank Limited’s strong reply after Khan Research Laboratories were dismissed for 374 on the second day at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex. Farhat remained unbeaten on 109 at stumps as HBL finished on 204 for 3 at stumps.KRL were 277 for 5 overnight with Mohammad Wasim and Zulfiqar Jan at the crease. Both batsman got off to starts failed to convert them as Wasim fell for 40 and Jan for 42. Abdur Rauf stuck around for 46 and rallied with the tail to reach 374. Abdur Rehman was HBL’s most successful bowler with 4 for 110.Farhat gave HBL a superb start to their first innings as he formed the mainstay of a first-wicket stand of 94 with Taufeeq Umar. Saeed Amjal gave KRL two quick wickets but Hasan Raza and Farhat added another 68 for the third wicket. Aftab Alam and Farhat steered HBL to 204 for 3, still 170 adrift with seven wickets in hand.

Day 1
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

It swung one way, then the other, then back again only to be further prodded and nudged back and forth on an intriguing first day at the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy. Every moment one side sensed an advantage, the other seized it back and as play came to an end, it settled neither here nor there. Mohammad Asif’s first five-wicket haul, backed by Danish Kaneria’s wiles, was cancelled out by another stirring hand from Kumar Sangakkara and some Thilan Samaraweera stodge and meant neither side would be too ecstatic or too despondent at the close with Sri Lanka 267 for 8.It would be cute to suggest that Asif swung the match Pakistan’s way in the morning, but it wasn’t so much swing he relied on as seam. Asif bowled as if on a different pitch, with a different ball to different batsmen than his medium-pace partners, Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar Anjum. His 12-over spell, unchanged and five minutes short of two hours, was similar to that of a spinner’s in its duration, perseverance and probing. The speed gun betrayed tiredness, possibly from an increased burden, but luckily for him speed guns don’t measure movement and cut, the real currency of his bowling. That remained and by the time he finished, it was too late already for Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene.The first innings of Jayasuriya’s last Test promised, with an upper-cut boundary, a pulled six and a dropped catch, all the ingredients for a gargantuan special. Asif disagreed, cleaning him up with one that nipped back subtly but sharply. Tharanga had already fallen by then and when Jayawardene, beaten thoroughly just before, was finally good enough to touch one but only to slip, Sri Lanka were 61 for 3; not in as much trouble as in Colombo, but in strife nonetheless.The first shift in balance came with Sangakkara and compared to much of last week’s century, this innings was luminescent throughout. Rao might have thought, after a maiden debut over, that Test cricket wasn’t such a difficult thing but as Sangakkara took three boundaries off his next over, he understood otherwise. One more arrived in his next over, on one knee, as Sangakkara began numerically on 0 but mentally on the 185 from Colombo.Sangakkara glided through the morning untroubled, picking on Rao and Umar Gul for his many boundaries and smartly leaving Asif alone. With the firm belief that the knee has been given to him to rest on while driving, Sangakkara scored between third man and straight relentlessly. Three overs after lunch, with his 10th boundary, he brought up a stirring 20th fifty. Two overs later, as Pakistan’s medium-pacers toiled to make any impression in the afternoon sun, he hit his first boundaries on the leg side, and that too only marginally, driving an errant Gul just past mid-on.At that stage, Sri Lanka were coasting and Thilan Samaraweera was more than just propping up. He had been lucky not to edge his first ball before lunch, even luckier that it didn’t clip his off-stump but survived with typical adhesiveness. After that, he picked up the pace as both Rao and Abdul Razzaq struggled to emulate Asif. He announced his intentions with a punched boundary off the back foot and soon after, as the fifty partnership with Sangakkara was registered, Sri Lanka were scoring at four an over since the break.Immediately after the drinks break in the afternoon, the balance tipping in favour of the hosts as Samaraweera clipped Rao through midwicket and then drove straight for four, Kaneria finally emerged and, fittingly, another twist. His results were both immediate – Sangakkara fell third ball of the over to end a valuable 81-run stand – and more embedded, as he tied up Sri Lanka’s scoring over the afternoon. Tillakaratne Dilshan survived Asif’s cut and, on 22, soon after tea, was suggesting pugnaciously, another counter thrust to match that in Colombo.But in the third over after tea, Kaneria, who had been scheming away, struck with a ball that many choose to cut for four; short, wide and spinning wider, Dilshan chose to edge it to Kamran Akmal. Farveez Maharoof fell soon after to a Kaneria googly, unlucky and unsure as to whether he was leg-before or caught off his forearm. With Gul finally providing worthy support at the other end, Pakistan tightened their grip. Imran Farhat unfortunately didn’t do likewise around a chance Malinga Bandara offered at gully when he hadn’t scored and considering it was the second chance he had spilled off Gul – the first was Jayasuriya – a soft drink might await the lanky Pathan, courtesy the stocky Lahori.Samaraweera was still jealously guarding one end although having brought up his 13th fifty in over three hours and from 123 balls, he was nudging, rather than yanking the balance away from Pakistan. Bandara, reprieved further in a close run-out call, was providing a comic lower-order cameo until the new ball arrived, bringing the tireless Asif and a final shift in the day’s fortunes. Samaraweera was bowled in the first over and Bandara provided Asif with his first bowling landmark. That Asif and Kaneria shared the wickets won’t have escaped the attentions of Maharoof and Muttiah Muralitharan.How they were outUpul Tharanga c Younis b Asif 10 (18-1)
Sanath Jayasuriya b Asif 14 (27-2)
Mahela Jayawardene c Farhat b Asif 4 (61-3)
Kumar Sangakkara c Iqbal b Asif 4 (142-4)
Tillakaratne Dilshan c Akmal b Kaneria 22 (178-5)
Farvez Maharoof c Younis b Kaneria 7 (195-6)
Thilan Samaraweera b Asif 65 (238-7)
Malinga Bandara c Akmal b Asif 42 (256-8)

Scorecard
Sunny Singh gritted out an unbeaten 62 on a damp opening day in the Ranji Trophy Plate Group semi-final in Chandigarh. Only 51 overs were possible in the day owing to fog in the morning and rain later in the day. Jharkhand, who elected to field, struck in the third over, when Shankar Rao removed Chetan Sharma. But Bagheshwar Bist and Sunny added 108 and revived the innings.
Scorecard
Play was abandoned without even a ball being bowled due to heavy showers at Dharamsala.