India to South Africa

On 6th September, the selectors are meet to select the captain for the South African tour and 7th will see the team being selected for the ten one-dayers that are to be played in the first part of the tour. The chips look down for Sourav Ganguly following the continuation of his dismal form and lack of general team performance.

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The good news is that Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble have made themselves available to make the long and arduous tour of South Africa. The team's fitness trainer Andrew Leipus tested the duo's fitness and is to submit his report on Thursday when the selectors meet to pick the team to South Africa.

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Taking to the media on his arrival in India, Indian team coach John Wright said that India deserved to lose the Test series in Sri Lanka as they played some poor cricket both with the bat and ball throughout the tour. "You can't expect to win when you make fundamental errors" he said.

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Meanwhile, former Test cricketer and manager of the Indian cricket team Chetan Chauhan has blamed the hectic schedule for the spate of injuries to players. He has also appealed to the BCCI to reduce the number of matches played at present

Asian Test Championships

The second match of the Asian Test Championships begins in Colombo on Thursday between an upbeat Sri Lankan side and a low on confidence Bangladesh team. Sri Lankan authorities worried about the dwindling interest in the longer version of the game have decided to throw open the gates for this inaugural match between the two sides.
The Sri Lankan team had a few changes from the one that recently played against India. Fast bowlers Ruchira Perera and Ravindra Pushpakumara make a come back into the side.

The full team is:
Sanath Jayasuriya (Capt), Kumar Sangakkara (WK), Marvan Atapattu, Michael Vandort, Mahela Jayawardene, Hashan Tillakaratne, Thilan Samaraweera, Chaminda Vaas, Mutiah Muralitharan, Ravindra Pushpakumara, Ruchira Perera, Russel Arnold, Avishka Gunawardene, Suresh Perera, Dilhara Fernando.

Miscellaneous

The charity match that was to be organised as a fund raiser to develop the famous Oval Ground in London has been called off. The match was to be played between an Asian XI and a Rest of the World XI. Sachin Tendulkar and Alec Stewart were scheduled to lead the two sides. Financial uncertainties involved in the hosting of the event are the reasons given for the abrupt call off.

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The one-man commission, led by Justice Kharamat Bhandani, will look into bribery allegations concerning former Test umpire Javed Akhtar and will also probe into Pakistan's World Cup matches in 1999. The commission will begin its enquiry from 22 September. According to the commission registrar Kazim Ali Malik every one has been invited to provide information or evidence.

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Portugal won the biennial European Cricket Council's tournament for the ICC Affiliate members by registering an impressive nine-wicket win over hosts Austria at the Seebarn No 1 ground at Vienna last Saturday. Portugal, runners-up in 1999 to hosts, Greece, had also won the ECC Indoor Tournament on home soil back in February. Both finalists qualify for the European Championships, to be staged in Ireland in July 2002, where they will compete alongside the nine European ICC Associate Member countries plus an ECB XI.

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