Dream big, Wright tells India's budding talent

India cricket coach John Wright believes hard work and big dreams hold the key to the country's budding talent making it big and donning national colours.

"Work hard and have big dreams," Wright told youngsters at the National Cricket Academy, in Bangalore, on Friday.

Wright, who has been appointed permanent coach of the NCA, was of the opinion that some of the boys have the potential to make it to the senior Indian team.

Speaking at the prize-distribution ceremony of the NCA tournament, for the Colonel Hemu Adhikari Trophy, the New Zealander said one should not be discouraged when results do not come up to expectations.

"Such things happen," he said.

Windies suffer Lawson blow

A recurring back injury has ruled West Indies fast bowler Jermaine Lawson out of the two Tests against Sri Lanka.

The 21-year-old, who was reported by umpires David Shepherd and Srinivas Venkatraghavan for suspect bowling action during the fourth Test against Australia last month, has been out of cricket for almost a month because of bulging discs in his lower back.

His back problems have delayed remedial work on his bowling action, which is under review by the International Cricket Council.

"We cannot make much progress while the injury to the back remains a concern," said Dr. Michael Seepersaud, the West Indies Cricket Board's chief Cricket Development Officer, who is supervising the review process of Lawson's action.

"We have (been) informed that Jermaine has worked almost daily over the last couple of weeks doing core strengthening and has been undergoing tests to determine the state of the back injury," Seepersaud said.

"Initially, he had some stiffness, but now is devoid of pain.

"We are pleased to see Jermaine's response to the treatment, but believe that the rigours of Test cricket would likely overwhelm his back. 

"Jermaine can start the remedial work on his bowling action next week, if it initially involves activities of little intensity." 

Gavaskar to attend ICC Cricket Committee meet

Former India captain and opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar will attend the International Cricket Council's Cricket Committee meeting at Lord's on June 15 and 16, Board of Control for Cricket in India sources said in Mumbai.

Gavaskar, who is already in England to do a special feature on the Wimbledon tennis tournament along with Indian tennis ace Vijay Amritraj, is also the chairman of the Cricket Committee.

Other Indians who will be attending various ICC meetings, from June 15 to 20, are BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya and secretary S K Nair, the sources informed.

India lacks sports medicine expertise: Kapil

The dearth of experts in sport medicine is because of the fact that sports is still not taken seriously in the country, says former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev.

There are approximately 2000 physician-experts in sports medicine in England, because sports is a way of life for them, he told reporters in Nagpur on Friday.

"A large number of physicians and surgeons, specialists in the field of heart, eye and other diseases are available in the country, but when it comes to sports-related injuries, our players are forced to seek help of foreign doctors," Kapil lamented.