India's tour of West Indies

India's one-day series away to West Indies, which starts in April, has been reduced from seven to five games.

The two boards have agreed to cut down on the original schedule at the request of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah. The reduced series will give the Indian players a longer break at home ahead of their Test tour of England starting in June.

New Zealand in Australia

Former Australian batting star Dean Jones is talking up New Zealand's chances of qualifying for the finals of the upcoming one-day tri-series.

Jones has been contracted to work with the New Zealand squad during the build-up to the series opener against Australia at Melbourne on Friday, and believes his new-found allies have the ability to win the tournament if they work hard and manage to jell as a combination.

A level-three coach, Jones was enlisted to help the New Zealand team by coach Denis Aberhart, whose first term in the job has been marked by a willingness to pick the brains of as many former players as possible, including Australians Ashley Mallett, Dennis Lillee and Ian Chappell.

Jones is expected to help with issues of local knowledge - grounds, opposition players and tactics, as well as helping individual players with technical aspects of their game. "Do I think they can make the finals?" he said. "Yes, I think they can. But they have to play as a unit, rather than relying on one or two stars.

"It's going to be hard work but they're prepared to put in the hard work and listen - so here I am."

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Dumped New Zealand batsman Mathew Sinclair has to take seriously advice that he needs to work on his technique, says former master batsman Martin Crowe.

It was disappointing that Sinclair appeared to have discounted the chairman of selectors' reasons for not picking him for the one-day tri-series in Australia, Crowe said. Sinclair was reported as saying his omission was more to do with a lack of runs than any problems with his technique.

The chairman of selectors, Sir Richard Hadlee, said last week that the Central Districts batsman was vulnerable against the new ball and there were concerns about his technique.

Match fixing

The United Cricket Board of South Africa have rejected a return for disgraced former captain Hansie Cronje, despite remarks from president Percy Sonn. Sonn hinted last week that Cronje might be permitted to play a part in South African cricket despite a life ban imposed last year.

The executive committee released a statement, after a meeting with Minister of Sport and Recreation Ngconde Balfour, to refute Sonn's remarks, but refused to criticise their president. "The UCBSA would like to reiterate its position that former captain Hansie Cronje has been banned for life by the General Council of the UCBSA.

"This decision has been upheld by the High Court of South Africa and endorsed by the International Cricket Council. "There is no intention to reverse this decision and the UCBSA now considers the matter closed.

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The International Cricket Council is to appoint six full-time officials in an attempt to stamp out corruption in the sport.

The ICC is inviting applications for the position of five Security Managers, who will attend international matches, and an Anti-corruption Co-ordinator to oversee their work. The move goes beyond the recommendations of anti-corruption chief Lord Condon's report into corruption in cricket, published in May last year.

All six officials will be paid for by the ICC. The five managers will each be appointed to a specific region, but may be called upon to attend matches elsewhere.

The regions have been divided into England and the West Indies, Bangladesh and Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, South Africa and Zimbabwe and Australia and New Zealand. The ICC is looking for applicants from the police, services or security occupations.

Pakistan in Bangladesh

Bangladesh have retained faith in captain Khaled Masud for the first Test against Pakistan in Dhaka, starting on wednesday.

The wicketkeeper has impressed since taking over from Naimur Rahman last November and leading the side for a one-day series against Zimbabwe and a Test series in New Zealand. The side also contains Test cricket's youngest centurian, teen-age star Mohammad Ashraful, and experienced stars, Enamul Haque and Habibul Bashar.

Bangladesh squad:
Khaled Masud (captain), Javed Omar Belim, Al Shariar, Enamul Haque, Aminul Islam, Habibul Bashar, Mohammad Ashraful, Sanwar Hossain, Fahim Muntasir, Mehrab Hossain, Monjorul Islam, Mohammad Sharif, Khaled Mahmud and Hasibul Hossain.

Pakistan squad:
Waqar Younis (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq , Taufeeq Umar, Faisal Iqbal, Yousuf Youhana, Naved Latif, Younis Khan, Rashid Latif, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria, Wasim Akram, Mohammad Sami, Abdur Razzaq, Shoaib Akhtar and Shadab Kabir.

England women in India

England's women cricketers were convincingly beaten by India on Tuesday to go 2-0 down in the five-match one-day series. Seamer Jhulan Goswami took three for eight in five overs as the tourists made just 70 for seven in a rain-reduced 23-over-a-side contest.

The best score was recorded by debutant Helen Wardlaw, 13 not out off 18 balls. Selected for her off-spin bowling, Wardlaw then conceded 18 runs off her three overs in a decidedly one-sided contest.

Miscellaneous

Pakistan have agreed to shift their home series against the West Indies to Sharjah - but it will be reduced to two Tests and three one-day internationals.

It will be the first time Test cricket has been played in the United Arab Emirates. "We have finally decided to shift the series to Sharjah after West Indies Board's request to play on neutral grounds," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Tauqir Zia.

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Sri Lankan sports minister Johnston Fernando is set to appoint three new selectors on Wednesday after the resignation of Amal Silva, Kapila Wijegunawardene and Brendon Kuruppu following a high profile dispute with the team management before the second Test.

The outgoing trio had wanted to rest vice-captain Marvan Atapattu and fast bowler Charitha Fernando for the Test against the wishes of captain Sanath Jayasuriya. The players were incensed and the sports minister concurred, overruling the selection committee.

In their place the minister Fernando has appointed three former Test cricketers: wicket-keeper Mahesh Goonatillake, off-spinner Ranjith Madurasinghe and left-arm spinner Don Anurasiri.

They will join chairman Tikiri Banda Khelgamuwa and T.B Nelson, both of whom had apparently been opposed to the resting of Atapattu and Fernando, who picked up four wickets in the second innings as Sri Lanka won by an innings.

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