Australia

Steve Waugh has lost the captaincy of Australia's one-day side, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) announced at a press conference in Sydney on Wednesday.

Waugh, who led Australia to victory in the 1999 World Cup final, had expressed his wish to captain the side at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

But the 36-year-old will not be picked for the seven limited overs games in South Africa next month, ACB chief executive James Sutherland said.

There was no immediate word on a successor but wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist and batsman Ricky Ponting are considered most likely to take over.

South Africa

The South African government is considering legislation to force the country's sporting bodies to field more black players in their teams.

"As early as next month, I will be meeting with national [sports] federations to consider their targets for transformation," sports minister Ngconde Balfour said on Tuesday.

Balfour said he fully supported the stance taken by United Cricket Board president Percy Sonn, who forced the selectors to pick a second black player, Justin Ontong for the third Test against Australia six weeks ago.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka have agreed to play the Asian Test Championship final in Pakistan next month. The match will start in Lahore on 6 March, the first home Test Pakistan have played since last August.

But Sri Lanka have turned down a proposal to play five one-day internationals following the Test match.

The two sides reached the final with easy innings victories over Bangladesh last year, but the competition was devalued by India's refusal to take part - a decision which the Asian Cricket Council claims cost them around $30m.

England

Former England captain Mike Brearley is to advise the world's top officials on how to deal with the stresses of umpiring and refereeing.

Brearley, now a psychoanalyst, will counsel officials on coping with the pressure of international matches, including how to deal with making mistakes.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will host a four-day workshop in Cape Town in March to prepare referees and umpires for for the rigours of full-time employment.

"There will be a series of specialist presentations from individuals with special skills, including Mike Brearley," ICC spokesman Mark Harrison said.

Australia vs South Africa

Matthew Hayden, Australia's cricketer of the year, has warned South Africa to prepare for another 'walloping' in their return Test series over the next two months.

Australia whitewashed South Africa for the first time in 70 years in winning their three-Test series at home in December and January.

And they leave for the Republic on Thursday to play a second three-match encounter against Shaun Pollock's team.

"Whilst they'll be a tough opposition knowing that they're in their home venue, they'll also be aware of the fact that we're an imposing structure in terms of world cricket," Hayden said.

Miscellaneous

Indian star Sachin Tendulkar has retained his position as the world's top one-day batsman despite a strong challenge from Australian Michael Bevan.

Both men have been in fine form recently with Tendulkar scoring 266 runs at an average of 53.20 in six matches against England, and Bevan making 251 in the VB Series.

Bevan's teammate Adam Gilchrist has fallen five places to 11th in the list, while scores of 121 and 95 in India have enabled England opener Marcus Trescothick to leap 19 places to 12th.

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