Aussies spend time with remote islanders

The Aussies should have been playing the final day of their Test match with Bangladesh on Monday, but instead they spent the day eating buffalo and fishing with Aborigines on the on the remote Tiwi Islands north of Darwin..

The world's best cricket team mixed with the tiny indigenous community of Milikapiti on Melville Island.

They ate buffalo and wallaby, learnt about Tiwi Island culture and went fishing with locals.

"It's been a real eye-opener for us, to visit an Aboriginal community and see the culture and traditions, and the way people live," captain Steve Waugh said.

"It's something new to us and it's a great experience."

"Australian football is obviously number one here, but I think cricket, the kids here have definitely got potential for cricket," Waugh said.

"I see a lot of talent. I think they probably need a role model and they need people to come up here and to show them how to play the game."

Fast bowler Jason Gillespie, who has aboriginal heritage, said the Australian team could inspire aboriginal talent to come through and play top-level cricket.

Ganguly should play domestic cricket: Coach

Bengal's new cricket coach Karsan Ghavri would ask Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly to play a few matches for the state team during his spare time to boost the morale of the players.

"Provided he has some break from his hectic international schedule, Ganguly can always boost the morale of the boys by turning out in a game or two for Bengal," Ghavri told newspersons at Kolkata, hours after arriving in the city on Tuesday to begin his second innings as state coach.

The former Indian left arm medium pacer said he would make the request to Ganguly during their meeting at the morning practice session of the Bengal team on Wednesday.

Ghavri, who took charge as coach during the day, said he would give three mantras to the Bengal players - "Be  focussed, be unwavering in your commitment and contribute to your maximum potential".

Mumbai-based Ghavri, who has finalised a year-long contract with the Cricket Association of Bengal, was earlier named Bengal coach in 2001-02 but quit the job only after a month citing personal reasons.

Ghavri, who would get three championships - KSCA, Buchi Babu and Moin-ud-daulla - to fine tune his charges ahead of the Ranji Trophy, said his side would definitely get a lift if those now busy with English County and India 'A' assignments returned back soon.

Ghavri, who played 39 Tests taking 109 wickets besides representing the country in 19 one-dayers, replaces Sambaran Banerjee, who resigned from the post last month.

Marketing Committee to discuss sponsors for domestic cricket

The Indian Cricket Board's Marketing Committee, which is scheduled to meet at Mumbai on Wednesday, will
discuss sponsors for various domestic tournaments.

The Board's secretary, S K Nair said on Tuesday that the main agenda would be to find sponsors for one-day domestic tournaments, including the one which was called the Wills Trophy.

The meeting, to be chaired by BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya, is likely to be attended by its five vice-presidents Kamal Morarka, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, M Ranga Reddy, Narhari Amin and Prafulla Mahanta, joint secretary Jyoti Bajpai, treasurer Kishore Rungta and Nair himself.

The board officials, along with Dalmiya and Nair, on Tuesday met representatives from a few insurance companies like Om Kotak Mahindra and LIC to form a new insurance policy for the players though nothing was disclosed to the media.