South Africa in Australia

Australia are well on course to complete a home whitewash of South Africa after a dominant performance with bat and ball on the second day of the third Test in Sydney. South Africa finished the day struggling on 94 for 4 chasing Australia's massive first-innings total of 554.

Glenn McGrath and Stuart MacGill took two wickets apiece as the South African opening order crumbled under the Australian attack.
Match report | Images | South African 1st innings

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Former captain Clive Rice has said South Africa's players should revolt against the country's cricket board following the controversial selection of Justin Ontong to play against Australia.

"It's a very unsatisfactory situation that exists in our cricket at the moment as politicians are running the game," Rice told the Bloomberg news agency.

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Disgraced former captain Hansie Cronje could play a part in the future of South African cricket, but not yet, the South African board has said. The reaction followed statements made on Australian radio by United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) boss, Percy Sonn.

"Hansie is one of us," Sonn had said. "He is a son of South Africa cricket. He is entitled to the freedom and liberties of all South Africans and there is a place for him in our cricket."

England's tour of India

Robert Croft says he has no regrets over his decision not to tour India with England, despite missing selection for New Zealand.

Pace bowler Andrew Caddick is the only new name in the 16-man England squad for the three-Test tour in February and March from the squad that toured India last month. And Croft, who joined Caddick in pulling out of the India trip at the last minute over safety fears, has not been handed an immediate way back.

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England all-rounder Craig White will miss the one-day series against India this month to undergo keyhole surgery on his knee.

The 32-year-old will be out of action for 3-4 weeks but he is expected to be fit for the New Zealand leg of this winter's tour and England will not be calling up a replacement player.

Miscellaneous

England have been forced to change the venue of their opening first-class match in New Zealand because of demands from rugby.

The tourists were due to play a three-day game against Otago - one of two warm-up matches ahead of three back-to-back Tests - at the Carisbrook ground in Dunedin from 2 March.

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Pakistan face the possiblility of going a year without a home series after organisers of the Sharjah tournament refused to reschedule the event to allow Pakistan to host New Zealand.

Pakistan asked the Cricket Benefit Fund Series, who arrange the limited-overs tournament, to move it from April 9-19 to March so they could accomodate the Kiwis in April and May, but were turned down.

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Sri Lankan skipper Sanath Jayasuriya admitted that he is faced with an opening dilemma after vice-captain Marvan Atapattu was dropped for the second Test against Zimbabwe.

Atappattu, 31, has been replaced in the squad by 22-year-old middle-order batsman Chamara Silva, who will make his Test debut if selected to play in Kandy.

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Test opener Shiv Sundar Das has been included in the Orissa Ranji Trophy squad to face Bengal in their concluding four-day East Zone league tie to be played here from Saturday.

Das has been taken in the squad in place of left arm spinner Sourav Sehgal, in the only change from the team which defeated Assam at Balasore on the new year's day, Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) sources said.

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India youth skipper Parthiv Patel exuded confidence on eve of the departure for New Zealand for the Junior World Cup. "We have worked hard, the results should come," he said at a send-off at a city hotel on Thursday evening. The teams leaves in the wee hours of Friday.

Coach Balwinder Singh Sandhu said: "The best team has been picked, there are three allrounders, both keepers are good batsmen and there is no bowler who cannot contribute with the bat." He said a majority of players have gone to BCCI's academies and that would stand the team in good stead.

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Nasser Hussain will carry on as England captain after next year's World Cup, providing he believes he can justify his place in the team as a player.

Hussain was quoted as saying he would quit the post after the World Cup in South Africa. It has emerged his comments were misinterpreted. Hussain was attempting to indicate he would review his position after the World Cup.

SCORES AT A GLANCE

Australia v South Africa - 3rd Test
Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia
Toss: Australia

Day 2
Australia: 554.
South Africa: 93/4 (McKenzie 20*, Ontong 8*, 37 overs)

Detailed scorecard: South African 1st innings
Images - day 2 | Match report

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