India in West Indies

The Test series defeat against the West Indies has sparked a flurry of criticism of Indian players for their overall performance.

"We lost a golden opportunity... after a gap of 16 years," former skipper and coach Ajit Wadekar said after the Jamaica defeat by 155 runs on Wednesday.

Wadekar is the only Indian skipper who has managed a series victory in the Caribbean, and that was back in 1971.

Before the start of the Test series, he had said the Indian team had the best chance in 16 years to win a series abroad.

"We lost because we didn't click when it mattered," Wadekar said.

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Indian chief selector Chandu Borde has also criticised the national side. He blamed the batsmen's inability to come good on pacy wickets overseas and suggested fast pitches should be provided at home.

He said the Indian fast bowlers also should share the blame for failing to provide early breakthroughs in Jamaica after India chose to bowl first.

But Borde partly agreed with Ganguly's assessment that the Indian players should be mentally more focussed to win the games.

"To a certain extent he is right. The psychological thing plays a huge part," Borde said.

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West Indian captain Carl Hooper felt that it was a consistent team performance that carried his side through the last three weeks of cricket to win the Test series against India.

"We had contributions from up front when we most needed it, with Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle coming good here," Hooper said at the post-match press conference.

"Shivnarine Chanderpaul played out of his skin and it was the manner in which he got his runs that was so important.

"It was good to see the bowlers coming on too - I think we've played better cricket than [India] over the past few weeks," Hooper concluded.

Sri Lanka in England

Muttiah Muralitharan is now rated "very unlikely" to play in the second Test against England, according to Sri Lanka's team manager Chandra Schaafter.

'Murali' missed the opening Test at Lord's after having surgery on his injured left shoulder but the tourists had hoped that he would be fit in time for Edgbaston.

Miscellaneous

South Africa's national selection panel has named 31 players in a preliminary training squad for the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup.

"These players will be given fitness regimes and training programmes and then, once all the team management is finalised, we will look at our strategy and decide on the camps we should bring the squad together for," said selection committee convenor Omar Henry on Thursday.

"I must stress that this is a dynamic squad and we are sure to see many changes to it as the World Cup draws closer.

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England paceman Darren Gough hopes to make his comeback in international cricket in the NatWest Triangular series staring on 27 June.

The one-day series would see him competing against Sri Lanka and India as a prelude to the home Test series against India.

"I want to be back for the NatWest Series. I think that is realistic," Gough said.

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Pakistan have announced a 14-man squad for the one-day series in Australia next month missing all-rounder Abdur Razzaq and off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.

Both players are unavailable due to commitments for English counties.

Razzaq, who won the player of the series award in a tri-series in Australia two years ago, is playing for English county Middlesex.

Saqlain is busy playing for Surrey.

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