Not many may be aware that Wasim Akram's hat-trick ball (victim: Pramodaya Wickremasinghe) during the Lahore Test match of the Asian Test Championships in March 1999 was a no ball as well. TV pictures clearly showed umpire David Shepherd beginning to raise his hand to signal a no-ball and then gently retreat when he saw it turned out to be a hat-trick taking one. It seems no-ball troubles are nothing new to this 61-yearold veteran umpire, who has so far officiated in 56 Test matches. Its high time the ICC considers a retirement age for umpires considering the demands and pressures of today's game that umpires have to be as fit and sharp as the players themselves.

A confident Indian side will take on Zimbabwe at Bulawayo today in the first Test of the two match series. But the tourists will be constantly reminded of its last Test played Zimbabwe when they lost the Harare Test match by 61 runs. Things however look different for both the teams, with India perked up by their recent wins against Australia, while Zimbabwe has just thrashed Bangladesh 2-0 in a home series in April. Zimbabwe should be looking to blood pace bowler Travis Friend to help cope with India's formidable batting line up. Left-handed Ashish Nehra is also likely to get the nod ahead of Ajit Agarkar. The teams from :

Zimbabwe: Heath Streak (Capt), Andy Flower (wk) Guy Whittall, Andy Blignaut, Alistair Campbell, Stuart Carlisle, Dion Ebrahim, , Grant Flower, Travis Friend, Brian Murphy, Brighton Watambwa.

India: Sourav Ganguly (Capt), Rahul Dravid V Capt), Sameer Dighe (wk), Sadagopan Ramesh, Shiv Sunder Das, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Hemang Badani, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Debashish Mohanty, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Sairaj Bahutule, Ajit Agarkar.

The touring Indian team have been asked to forget about their dirty linen problems and concentrate on the first Test. This was what AC Muthiah, President of the BCCI told the team while helping them out with the issue of laundry bills. The BCCI executive secretary Sharad Diwadkar however did not divulge as to how the BCCI had resolved the laundry bill issue. It may be recalled that the Board had received desperate calls as soon as the team landed in Bulawayo complaining that the daily allowance for the players was not enough to meet food and laundry expenses as the laundry charges were too high in Zimbabwe. The players were paid US$ 32.00 instead of the normal US$ 50.00.

The match referee Brain Hastings is reported to have warned the two field umpires on the final day of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Old Trafford through the walkie-talkie that they were missing no-balls. Ray Julian, the third umpire for the match said that it was the duty of the referee to bring to the attention of the field umpire anything untoward that may happen on the field and so he did convey to them the fact that they had missed a few no-balls. However despite this warning four England batsmen were dismissed out on a no-ball, which the umpires David Shepherd and Eddie Nicholls from the West Indies, failed to notice. Meanwhile David Shepherd while admitting that he had made mistakes in that crucial last session of the Test match said he would be standing in the one-day matches in the upcoming tri-series involving England, Pakistan and Australia. The ECB while acknowledging the veteran umpire's mistakes said they would continue to stand by him.

England fast bowler Andy Caddick will be forced to sit out of his team's first two matches in the NatWest Bank triangular one-day series beginning today. England meet Pakistan at Birmingham in the first match of this series today. Australia are the third team in the tournament. Caddick has been having a back injury that has been troubling him. Matthew Hoggard, Ryan Sidebottom or newcomer Gloucestershire's Jonathan Lewis could replace Caddick for the first game.

Australia have one more warm up match before they play their first game in the Natwest triangular beginning today. Adam Gilchrist has been chosen to lead the side against Northamptonshire. Steve and Mark Waugh along with Shane Warne are likely to sit out of this match with McGrath, Bevan and Gilchrist coming into the side that lost to Middlesex in the last warm up game. Australia play their first international on Saturday at Cardiff against Pakistan.

Former West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding will be working as a part time coach for the Hampshire county cricket club. Hampshire who were demoted after bad losses last season will be hoping that Holding's experience and guidance will help them be promoted back to Division One of the county championships. Holding will however continue his work in the television media as commentator.

An interim management committee has been formed to look after the affairs of the West Indian Cricket Board after the resignation of its president and vice president last week. President of the Guyana Cricket Board Chetram Singh, Barbados Cricket Association president Stephen Alleyne and Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board treasurer Richard deSouza will assist the West Indies Board chief executive Gregory Shillingford and finance officer Richard Jodhan in the running of day to day affairs of the Board. Meanwhile in an extraordinary general meeting of the WICB on Tuesday decided that elections for the new president and vice-president will take place on July 21.

Ricky Skerritt, the now reinstated manager of the West Indies cricket team, said he was glad to back on the job after he was fired by the WICB's president Pat Rousseau and his deputy Clarvis Joseph. Later on, both Rousseau and Joseph tendered their resignations, when the rest of the Board members did not agree to their decision. Skerritt however regretted of what has happened and said West Indies cricket is bigger than any individual.

A bat signed by the late Sir Donald Bradman during the Bodyline series in 1932-33 and another signed by the maestro when he played a Prime Ministers XI in 1963 are likely to be auctioned off on July 31 by Christie's. The bat was acquired by its current owner in 1983 and is expected to fetch a packet in next months auction.

After Sachin Tendulkar it is now the turn of Sunil Gavaskar to be felicitated, rather belatedly, by the Mumbai Cricket Association. The MCA had planned a double celebration for its most famous sons but due to his commitments Gavaskar was unable to make it for Tendulkar's felicitation last month. Gavaskar is to be presented with a 10 kg silver bat made by Mumbai based jewelers DP Zaveri. He will also receive a cash award of 2,51,000. The speculated date for the event is July 10, which happens to be the batting maestro's birthday as well.

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