England in India

India will be fined for slow over-rate during their 22-run victory over England in the first one-day game on Saturday, match referee Denis Lindsay said on Monday.
The International Cricket Council official said the size of the fine had yet to be fixed. India, who scored 281, bowled out England for 259 in 44 overs in Kolkata but were about three or four overs behind the clock. Teams are usually penalised five percent of the match fees per over.
England were also penalised one over for poor over-rate during their defeat at Eden Gardens.

Triangular in Australia

South African captain Shaun Pollock yesterday admitted his team was struggling to deal with the hectic tri-series schedule. New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming last week said the one-day fixture favoured the home team as the Aussies did not have to play back-to-back games. But Pollock said he could understand the rationale behind the schedule.

"It is hard work for us but I think you can understand the Australian Cricket Board," Pollock said. "You can't be having Australia playing two games in the same place."
"For them it's very difficult to have a double-header, they have to try to spread their games around Australia to give them (Australia) the most exposure around the country.

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The omission of Matthew Hayden from Australia's one-day international squad has put Australian batsmen on notice to perform, Ricky Ponting said yesterday.
Speaking at Sydney Airport, Ponting said the selectors' decision to cut Hayden from the squad was a wake-up call for the Australian batsmen, who have underperformed during the one-day series. "We've got to knuckle down and perform week in, week out," he said.
"If you perform badly in a few games you're going to be under pressure, and some of our batters have been under a fair bit of pressure because we haven't been delivering, we haven't been scoring enough runs."

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Nathan Astle is set to join the New Zealand cricket squad for the triangular series with Australia and South Africa after recovering from injury.

The right-hand batsman missed New Zealand's opening four matches of the series after breaking his hand against Bangladesh last month.
Astle, who also bowls useful medium pace, is likely to rejoin the squad next weekend after making a successful comeback in a domestic one-day game on Sunday.

In a further boost to the New Zealanders, who top the standings after winning three of their four matches, one-day all-rounder Chris Harris is also expected back next weekend. He returned home last week to visit a sick relative.

Miscellaneous

India's cricketers face a demanding schedule on their tour to the West Indies, which begins in April. They will play back-to-back Tests in Guyana and Trinidad, with the final three to be played in successive weeks in May.

The West Indies Cricket Board have agreed, however, to reduce the number of one-day internationals, which conclude the tour, from seven to five.
This will allow the Indian players a two-week rest period before they embark on a tour to England, where they will take part in a triangular one-day series and play four Test matches.

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Former Pakistan player captain and coach Javed Miandad has accused Bangladesh of not trying hard enough, while questioning their right to retain Test status.
Bangladesh lost the second Test against Pakistan in Chittagong by an innings and 169 runs on Friday with two days to spare, their 10th loss in 11 matches. Nine of the defeats have come within four days.

"They have to give more creditable performances at Test level or the ICC will soon come under pressure to review its decision to give them Test status," said Javed.
"Every team has taken time to settle down and prove its worth after gaining Test status but the Bangladesh team, I am afraid, have not taken their Test status seriously.

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Pakistan all-rounder Wasim Akram will miss the one-day series in Bangladesh, which gets under way on Tuesday in Chittagong.
He is still not fully recovered from the hamstring injury which put him out of the second Test and is returning home for more treatment with the hope of being fit to face West Indies next month. Akram is only bowler to take 400 wickets in both Test and one-day cricket and captain Waqar Younis said: "We will miss him, but it can't be helped."
Youngster Mohammad Sami has been asked to stay on Akram's replacement and the tourists are still confident of a 3-0 clean sweep after winning both Test matches by an innings.

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