India's tour of West Indies

India go into Friday's only warm-up game ahead of the five-Test series with the West Indies still looking to establish an opening pair.

Shiv Sunder Das does not know who his partner will be in the first Test starting in Georgetown next Thursday.

"We have not decided who the openers will be in the practice game," said Indian coach John Wright on the eve of his team's three-day match against Guyana Board President's XI.

Wicket-keeper/batsman Deep Dasgupta could continue in the role he has taken for the last two Test series, against England and Zimbabwe.

Or Wasim Jaffer could be given a chance to reproduce the domestic form that saw him recalled after two years out of the Test side.

Australia in South Africa

South Africa captain Shaun Pollock believes a missed catch at Durban was a major factor in Australia wrapping up the one-day series with two matches to play.

Australia romped to an eight-wicket win on Wednesday, reaching a target of 268 with eight overs in hand thanks to an innings of 105 in 104 balls from Adam Gilchrist.

But the Australian vice-captain was dropped by Jacques Kallis at slip before going on to put on 170 for the first wicket with Matthew Hayden.

"Had we taken that chance it could've been a different game," said Pollock. "Nobody drops catches on purpose, but it is unfortunate."

The head-high chance went through Kallis' hands just above head height, handing Gilchrist his extra life.
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Match-fixing

The International Cricket Council has unveiled five security managers as part of its strategy to stamp out corruption in cricket.

Each manager will work with two countries, accompanying teams on tour from 1 June.

Their appointment was one of the main recommendations of Sir Paul Condon's Anti-Corruption report of April 2001.

"These appointments are a powerful demonstration of the ICC's resolve to rid the international game from the threat of match fixing and corruption, which have tarnished cricket's reputation around the world over the past two years," said ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed.

"The highly professional security infrastructure now being put in place will provide the game with a discreet but effective long term deterrent," said Lord Condon.

The Betting Scandal

Sharjah Cup Tournament

Opening batsman Mathew Sinclair has been recalled to the New Zealand side at the expense of the injured Lou Vincent for the one-day Sharjah Cup tournament.

Vincent was ruled out of the tournament with Sri Lanka and Pakistan from 8 to 17 April after being hit by a short ball from England's Andy Caddick in the Auckland Test.

It was initially thought that he had severe bruising of his rib cage, but an x-ray later revealed a bruised left lung and a ruptured airway.

Sinclair, who scored a double century in his Test debut in 1999, has scored 528 runs at an average of 29.33 in 19 one-day internationals.

He played his last limited-overs international in August 2001 against Sri Lanka.

Miscellaneous

Nathan Astle, whose batting lit up his country's Tests against Australia and England this et season, has been named New Zealand Player of the Year.

The Canterbury batsman scored the fastest Test 200 ever from just 153 balls against England in the first Test in Christchurch a fortnight ago.

He finished the three-Test series against England with a batting average of 62.80. Last December, Astle helped set up a strong New Zealand charge for victory with 156 not out against Australia in the third Test in Perth.

He also scored a career-best 122 not out to lead New Zealand to victory in the fifth and deciding one-day international against England in Dunedin last month.

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Ace Indian batsman V V S Laxman has been named among the top five cricketers of the year in the 139th edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2002, which will be released on Friday.

Others to find a place in the elite bunch are Australians Adam Gilchrist, batsman Damien Martyn and pace-bowler Jason Gillespie, and left-handed batsman Andy Flower of Zimbabwe.

Laxman had made a record-breaking 281 against Australia in the Kolkata Test in 2001, which is the highest ever by an Indian batsman. It spurred India to win the Test and series 2-1. In the process, the Hyderabad batsman ruined Australia's dream of winning their first Test series on Indian soil since 1959.

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The International Cricket Council is "disappointed" over comments attributed to England captain Nasser Hussain that he was unconcerned his side had been overtaken by New Zealand in the ICC Test Championship.

New Zealand moved into fourth place in the official ICC Test Championship standings after beating England by 78 runs in the third and final Test in Auckland on Wednesday to draw the series 1-1.

"The ICC is disappointed to note media comments about the ICC Test Championship attributed to the England team captain after the Auckland test," the game's world governing body said in a statement today.

"We don't want to get into any actual conflict over this but we wanted to make the point the ICC Test Championship has generated a great deal of interest in cricket right across the globe," an ICC official spokesman said.

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Gauteng Cricket Board chairman Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka has been forced to sever his links with South Africa's national board after criticising chief executiveGerald Majola.

Dr Nyoka, who was also thought to be planning a second challenge to unseat UBCSA president Percy Sonn, said he will quit his post as chairman of the national medical committee.

And he may have to step down from his Gauteng post next Wednesday following his controversial remarks about racial quotas in the South African team.

Speaking to the Business Day newspaper last week, Dr Nyoka said: "How can anyone say transformation has been a success when 80 percent of the SA population is represented by one player in the national squad.

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