The war of words over the International Cricket Council's contract row with players has escalated.
Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Tim May has accused the game's government body of being "bully boys".
The ICC has sent out guidelines restricting player images for up to six months after one of its events, including next month's Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka and the World Cup.
And it wants players to relinquish conflicting endorsements before, during and after tournaments to prevent "ambush marketing".
But many players are unhappy with the ICC's stance and only Zimbabwe and New Zealand have signed the contract so far.
India are even prepared to field an under-strength squad because the vast bulk of the players' incomes come from off-field endorsements.
Key players such as master batsman Sachin Tendulkar and Test captain Sourav Ganguly would lose substantial sums of money by agreeing to the ICC's terms.
Morocco cup
Morocco Cup, Tangiers: Sri Lanka 221-4 (42.1 overs) beat South Africa 220-6 (50 overs) by six wickets
Sri Lanka struck a psychological blow ahead of Wednesday's Morocco Cup final, defeating South Africa by six wickets in Tangiers.
Resting all four frontline bowlers, Sri Lanks still managed to restrict South Africa to 220 for six.
And veteran Aravinda de Silva hit an unbeaten 77, and Kumar Sangakkara hit a half-century as that total was topped with almost eight overs to spare.
Sri Lanka weathered a tight opening spell from Shaun Pollock, and survived the early loss of Marvan Atapattu for 16.
Skipper Sanath Jayasuriya hit a run-a-ball 46, and 96 runs came in 19 overs, courtesy of a third-wicket stand between De Silva and Sangakkara.
The wicketkeeper was run out for 57, but Mahela Jayawardene and Russel Arnold provided support, while De Silva completed a 75-ball innings, including seven fours and a six.
Earlier, Jacques Kallis scored a patient 84 to help his team recover from another poor start.
Medium pacer Buddhika Fernando took his opportunity with the new ball by claiming the first two wickets in the opening five overs.
Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya refused to accept that his team were favourites to win the inaugural Morocco Cup in Wednesday's final despite a compelling run of three successive victories culminating in a six wicket thrashing of South Africa on Monday.
"No, no, you can't say that. South Africa can always come back. We played to our strengths and we bowled well, batted well and fielded well but South Africa can always come back," Jayasuriya said after the final group match in which his team overhauled South Africa's total of 220 for six with 7.5 overs to spare.
Coach Dav Whatmore admitted, however, that the 'favourites' label could be applied to his team. "Played four, won three - I suppose you could say that, but we've played them a lot in the past and we know what they are capable of.
The conditions might be different but that's no reason to think it's your God-given right to win the final," Whatmore said.
South African captain Shaun Pollock admitted that his side struggled for motivation in a match that had no baring on the tournament but refused to use that as an excuse for a clearly uninspired performance.
"These 'dead' games can be difficult to get yourself up for but it was something we identified and talked about beforehand and we really wanted to be up for it. We wanted to go into the final with a victory against them to earn an edge over them but we we didn't manage it," Pollock said.
World Cup
The future of World Cup cricket in Zimbabwe is in doubt because of the strain over President Robert Mugabe's controversial land reforms.
The father of Heath Streak, the captain of the Zimbabwe cricket team, has been arrested for refusing to leave his farm by the 8 August deadline.
And fast-bowler Streak, a part-time farmer, is worried he too might be detained.
Zimbabwe is set to host a number of games in the World Cup, which begins in February 2003.
Australia, England, Pakistan and India are all due to play in Harare and Bulawayo.
But World Cup organisers are concerned about the current situation and are drawing up contingency plans to move the matches out of the country.
However a spokesman said no decision had yet been taken.
Australia-Pakistan Test series
Steve Waugh will captain Australia for the Test series against Pakistan.
But he has not been confirmed as skipper for the Ashes at the end of the year.
Waugh, who is beginning a stint with county side Kent, knows he has got to perform well if he wants to play against England.
He has not played a competitive game of cricket since the third Test between Australia and South Africa in March.
Australia are set to play a Test series against Pakistan from 1-24 October.
Where the matches will be played are still to be decided after Australia refused to play in Pakistan because of security fears.
Waugh told a news conference in Canterbury on Monday: "Pakistan are a very hard side. We're not sure of the venue yet which makes it more difficult.
"We always have good results against them.
"We have a style they don't like although they are a very good side."
Miscellaneous
Michael Atherton says he would have sued if he had been branded a cheat and axed as England captain after being accused of ball-tampering in 1994.
Atherton says in his new autobiography being serialised by The Times newspaper: "I would, I think, have had no option but to take the matter to a court of law.
"While the loss of the captaincy would have been painful, to have been labelled a cheat permanently would have been much more damaging."
Atherton became involved in the scandal during the first Test against South Africa at Lord's in 1994. He was shown on television applying dust from his pocket on to the ball.
The match umpires said the condition of the ball had not been altered but Atherton, who was later fined 2,000 pounds over the affair, admits he should have been more frank with match referee Peter Burge at the time of the scandal.
The former Lancashire player did not initially tell Burge about applying dust on the ball to make it reverse swing.
"That is the thing I most regret now," he writes. "In a sense, you can be judged by how you react in the most difficult times and I failed myself then.
"He looked fearsome, stern and headmasterly in his office that evening. In short, I panicked. I sensed that he felt I was guilty but I was not about to incriminate myself."
After losing the match, Atherton revealed at a press conference he had used dust on the ball, even though he continued to point out the umpires said the ball had not been doctored.
Ashes series
England is facing a possible selection crisis following Graham Thorpe's decision to extend his break from the game.
It looks increasingly unlikely that the left-handed batsman will be available for the Ashes series this winter.
Thorpe, 33, has already retired from the one-day game and just a fortnight after that announcement, announced his intention to take a break from all cricket.
That decision came just minutes after England had completed a 170-run first Test win over India at Lords on 29 July.
Thorpe wanted to spend more time with his two young children and sort out his personal life following his recent divorce from wife Nicky.
England had hoped to see him back in action before the end of the summer in order to stake his claim on an Ashes place, but that now seems unlikely.
Thorpe had a meeting with Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon on Monday and was then expected to inform England's management of his intentions.
Steve Waugh has hit back at claims by former England coach David Lloyd that the Australian captain is exploiting the English county season ahead of the Ashes.
Waugh, 37, is today meeting his team-mates at Kent for the first time, ahead of playing four championship games and five one-dayers for the county.
Having agreed on a month's stay, Waugh will not only be picking up a financial reward for his trouble, he will also gain valuable match practice ahead of the Test series against Pakistan which is scheduled to start in October and more importantly England's subsequent tour Down Under.
Lloyd, now working as a television pundit, has been the most vociferous dissenting voice against the arrival of Waugh, who will earn somewhere in the region of £:15,000 ($43,000) for his 21 days.
Lloyd questioned the sense of allowing leading Australian players matches at a lean time of year in their schedule and Waugh being allowed a watching brief on England's finest young talent before the first Ashes Test in Brisbane in November.
But Waugh countered: "Was he joking or serious? I can watch England on television so I don't have to come over to spy on the players.
"It's not as though I am the only player playing here from outside of England.
Match fixing
A report into allegations West Indian batsman Brian Lara took bribes is set to be released soon.
The West Indies Cricket Board has received a copy of the report, written by Elliott Motley.
Motley was asked to investigate claims made by an Indian bookmaker that Lara received $40,000 to play badly in two one-day internationals in 1994.
Lara has strenuously denied the allegations, which were first made in a separate report into corruption by India's Central Bureau of Investigation.
WICB president Wes Hall said: "I'm currently reading the report, which is quite extensive, and then I shall be making a statement.
"Before then I don't wish to comment on the findings."
The BCCI investigation led to five cricketers including Hansie Cronje, Mohammad Azharuddin and Salim Malik, being banned from cricket.
A number of cricket authorities have commissioned similar investigations into the allegations.
Boards in Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand exonerated players when the bookmaker in question Mukesh Gupta, failed to back up his story last July.
Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Tim May has accused the game's government body of being "bully boys".
Sri Lanka struck a psychological blow ahead of Wednesday's Morocco Cup final, defeating South Africa by six wickets in Tangiers.
Steve Waugh will captain Australia for the Test series against Pakistan.
Michael Atherton says he would have sued if he had been branded a cheat and axed as England captain after being accused of ball-tampering in 1994.
England is facing a possible selection crisis following Graham Thorpe's decision to extend his break from the game.
A report into allegations West Indian batsman Brian Lara took bribes is set to be released soon.