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October 31, 2002
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News Roll
  Miscellaneous
Muttiah Muralitharan is talking about a new ball that apparently does all sorts of magical things when it leaves his hand.

Whether the mercurial spinner will unveil this mysterious wonder ball against the Rest of South Africa outfit in Lenasia is doubtful.

Of course, after the boring series against Bangladesh, a bit of psychological wrestling before next week's first Test will certainly be welcomed by those responsible for promoting the series against the Sri Lankans.


The president of the newly formed Indian Cricket Players' Association (ICPA), Mansur Ali Khan 'Tiger' Pataudi doesn't think that the association will be an exclusive club representing the interests of only the country's top players.

"It will involve the state units and we'll look after the welfare of players from all over the country," Pataudi said on Wednesday.

Reiterating what ICPA secretary Arun Lal said at it's formal launch on Tuesday, Pataudi made it clear that the association was not keen on a confrontation with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"I'll speak to the BCCI brass very soon on the issues," he said. "The players have to travel around for most part of the year. Basically, we want to do the talking on their behalf."

Pataudi, however, admitted that running the association wouldn't be a very easy task. "We all have to work together to ensure that," the president said.


Life after international cricket for Mark Waugh is set to follow a well-worn path into Channel 9's commentary team.

Nine director of Sport Gary Burns said discussions with Waugh's management began yesterday about him joining old team-mates Mark Taylor and Ian Healy behind the microphone.

"But I'm not sure he's a certainty this summer for the CCP (Central Commentary Position)," Burns said yesterday.

"He's going to play first-class cricket for NSW this season and that goes on at the same time as the international season. He commentated in the mid-winter season here - the one-dayers against Pakistan - and went well."

But Burns baulked at the idea Nine was keen to secure Waugh.


Mark Waugh will continue to be paid by the Australian Cricket Board until the end of June despite retiring from international cricket on Monday.

Waugh remains one of 25 players who have ACB contracts, all of which run throughout the current financial year. Waugh's involves a retainer worth around $400,000.

Waugh's agent Leo Karis said he was assessing offers from "a couple" of English counties keen to have Waugh play for them next northern summer.


The MCC are to allow girls on to their young cricketers programme for the first time from next year. The move is a further relaxation of the MCC's status as a traditional all-male preserve and follows the introduction of female members three years ago.

The young cricketers scheme offers promising players privileged coaching and education at the global home of cricket. Each year up to 18 players are recruited for what can be a four-year programme of intensive training. Graduates include Denis Compton, Ian Botham, Mark Waugh and Martin Crowe.

  England in Australia
Australia's preparations for the first Test in Brisbane will have to take Simon Jones into account, says opener Justin Langer.

The tourists were held just five runs short of victory after a thrilling run chase against Langer's Western Australia side on Monday.

A target of 135 in 20 overs was set up by Jones' first five-wicket haul for England.

"Jones did well," Langer said. "I thought he probably bowled a bit short, but he looks a pretty good prospect.

"He's been a bit rusty so it's probably not that surprising that he bowled short some of the time.


A determined Brett Lee has pledged to ignore questions over his form and assault England this Ashes series by doing what he has always done best - bowl terrifyingly fast.

However, Lee's NSW bowling coach, former Test quick Geoff Lawson, believes the young speedster needs to correct a minor technical flaw to make himself a more potent force, noticing he had developed the habit of dropping his head on occasions when striving for extra pace.

In contrast to the past three summers, when much has been expected of Australia's quickest bowler, Lee comes into this home season under a cloud. Doubts have been raised as to whether he will even play his 25th Test, in Brisbane next week, or be made 12th man, with chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns saying the NSW speedster has to do better.

Lee came through the recent three-Test series against Pakistan in Sri Lanka and Sharjah with only five wickets at an exorbitant cost, considering the hapless opposition, of 46 runs each. His bowling average has expanded in the past year from 22 at the start of last summer to 28.


Simon Jones has set his sights on becoming the fastest bowler in the world after his superb performance almost guided England to victory over Western Australia yesterday.

The Glamorgan fast bowler's inclusion in the squad for this winter's Ashes series was largely based on the promise he showed during the Lord's Test against India last July when he took four wickets. That had been the only evidence that he was capable of dismissing the world's best batsmen until yesterday, when Jones ended months of injury worries - he sustained a side strain on his Test debut - to deliver a fine display of controlled fast bowling to finish with 5 for 78.

Jones's performance has lifted his confidence to such an extent that he now wants to eclipse the speeds generated by the Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.

"Shoaib's a very good bowler and I want to be as quick as him, but the only way I'll do that is through hard work," the 24-year-old Jones said. "I've still got a bit to go before I'm full pace, I'd say another 10 per cent, but I was able to bowl the odd ball a little bit quicker."

  Sri Lanka's tour of Australia
Australia's Darrell Hair will this summer umpire controversial spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for the first time since they were involved in the infamous Boxing Day chucking affair seven years ago.

Hair has been assigned to Sri Lanka's first two matches of their Australian tour, against Australia A on December 14 and England on December 17, both in Brisbane.

The appointments are yet to be made public but are expected to be confirmed within the next few days.

Since he no-balled Muralitharan seven times in the Boxing Day Test, Hair has not stood in any match involving Sri Lanka.

World officials have tried to avoid inflaming the issue by keeping Hair away from the bowler whose action he once described as "diabolical".

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