Miscellaneous
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has hired Pakistani Javed Miandad and West Indian Andy Roberts to coach the Bangladesh National cricket team. While Miandad will look after the batting aspects, Roberts will be in charge of the bowling department. They will start their assignment from August and will also assist the national coach Australian Trevor Chappell.
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The United Nations has awarded the West Indies Players' Association for the work they have done with respect to the campaign against drug abuse in sport. The Association members also include former fast bowlers Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, were presented the Serge P Sotiroff memorial award at a special function in Bridgetown on Tuesday. The UN award carries a $1,000 prize as well. Incidentally Serge P Sotiroff was a key figure in preparing the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
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Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds will replace Daryll Cullinan as Kent's overseas player of the season. Cullinan was forced to break his contract with the county following a knee injury. Cullinan who expressed his disappointment at not being able to continue for the county said he would like to be of assistance to them in any way possible. Symonds who had already played for the county in 1999 said he was happy to be back in Kent. Symonds has also appeared for Gloucestershire during the mid-nineties.
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Meanwhile it seems Daryll Cullinan's international career is also on the line. The South Africa Cricket Board will decide shortly if he is going to play for the country again. Cullinan was denied a players contact with the South African Board as he had already signed a contract with Kent. However following his knee injury and termination of the Kent contract the South African officials will have to reconsider Cullinan's availability to represent South Africa from September, although the batsman hopes to be fit to play by then.
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The Australian Cricket Board in a press release has confirmed that India will be touring Australia to play a three match one-day series on September 21, 23 and 26 this year for the Super Challenge 2001. While the first two matches are to be played at the Colonial indoor stadium, Melbourne, the last match will be played at the Brisbane Cricket Ground at the Gabba. Malcolm Speed the ACB chief said India and Australia have had some classic battles in the past and hoped the Australian fans would be treated to some good cricket.
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The United Cricket Board of South Africa is completing ten years tomorrow. An anniversary party will be hosted by the UCBSA. The Board was formed on June 29, 1991 and was readmitted as a full ICC member 11 days later.
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The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association has plans to set up a cricket academy in Chennai on the lines of the national and regional academies. Ashok Kumbat, the secretary of the TNCA said a proposal would be made and adopted soon.
Coca-cola triangular in Zimbabwe
Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly (85 in 125 balls), finally saw light at the end of the dark tunnel he has been passing through for the last four months or so, when he led India's run chase, that stuttered a bit, but made it comfortably towards the end.
Zimbabwe despite losing early wickets yet again were able to post a formidable score on a wicket not really conducive for batting thanks largely due to a swash-buckling 58 not out from temporary captain Guy Whittall and a 45 from Grant Flower. Zimbabwe scored 97 runs in the last 11 overs with the Indian bowlers contributing nine wides and 12 no balls.
Man of the match Rahul Dravid made an excellent unbeaten 72 in just 64 balls. With two wins out of four matches, India has confirmed its entry to the final of this tri series.
Australia in England
Australia trashed the MCC XI by 280 runs at Arundel yesterday. Setting the MCC XI an unattainable target of 561, the Australians completed their demolition despite some stiff resistance by MCC's former West Indian skipper Jimmy Adams, who made an unbeaten 81.
The ICC Trophy
The 16-member Nepal cricket team for the ICC Trophy finally left for Toronto yesterday without four of their main players who lost out because of the visa hassles. The Canadian Embassy in New Delhi had refused to grant visas to the four players for no reason what so ever.
The four include the captain of the side as well. The Nepal Cricket Club general secretary Binaya Raj Pandey said he would be complaining to the ICC regarding this refusal of visas. Nepal play their first match of the tournament today against Namibia, with a new captain.
News from England
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has set up a committee to review the crowd troubles following the invasions that caused ugly scenes in the just concluded NatWest triangular.
The committee will consider all aspects of crowd management and see how such incidents can be prevented. The committee consists of representatives of the England and Wales Cricket Board, sports minister Richard Caborn, the home office minister John Denham and the Association of Chief Police Officers. The committee would assess the situation and report to the ministers within four weeks.
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The ECB will shortly organise a series of forum that will look at promoting racial equality in cricket in England. About 20 of the 38 county associations have promised to stage forums for the minorities beginning October. The effort is being made after the authorities have realised the importance the youngsters from Asian and West Indian origin have on the game in England. While some progressive county's like Worcestershire have minorities on their staff, some like Yorkshire and Lancashire are yet to bring in Asians and West Indians into their teams despite there being a large number of talent available.
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Surrey and Gloucester are to clash in the final of the Benson & Hedges Cup to be played at Lord's next month. Surrey overcame Nottinghamshire by 174 runs, while Gloucestershire beat Yorkshire by 97 runs to enter the finals. Surrey's stars included Alec Stewart, Ben Hollioake and Alistair Brown who came back well after a disastrous NatWest series. Gloucestershire entered the B&H final for the fifth time running.
COCA COLA TRI SERIES IN ZIMBABWE
ZIMBABWE vs INDIA (3rd match)
Played at the Queen's Sports Club, Bulawayo
Toss: India
Zimbabwe: 234-6 in 50 overs (D Ebrahim 42, CB Whishart 46, G Flower 45, GJ Whittall 58 not out; Z Khan 4-42)
India: 237-6 in 49.2 overs (SC Ganguly 85, D Mongia 37, RS Dravid 72 not out; G Flower 4-44)
Result: India won by 4 wickets
Man of the match: RS Dravid (Ind)
Points Table:
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
L
|
Abd
|
Points
|
India
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
West Indies
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
Zimbabwe
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
Yesterday's News
News Roll archive
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon