Hooper in as Harbhajan Singh cover at Lancashire

Carl Hooper will join Lancashire as a temporary overseas replacement for injured India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh after the English county was given a special dispensation following a meeting at Lord's on Tuesday.

Former West Indies captain Hooper, who last played county cricket for Kent in 1998, could now make his  Lancashire debut in the championship match against Essex at Old Trafford starting on Wednesday.

Hooper, 36, is expected to remain with Lancashire until such time as the Board of Control for Cricket in India clears Harbhajan Singh to play for the county.

Temporary replacements are normally permitted for players on international duty, not because they are injured. But as Harbhajan Singh's finger injury happened while he was on international duty, during last month's one-day series in Bangladesh, the ECB's first-class forum relaxed the rule which states that replacement overseas players coming in because of an injury to a foreign player must then stay on for the remainder of the English season.

Harbhajan is hoping to be fit to play for Lancashire by the middle of next month, a spokesman for the county said.

Hooper withdrew from the Test series against Australia, which finished on Tuesday in a 3-1 series win for the tourists, after being sacked as captain in favour of Brian Lara.

One of the most gifted strokeplayers of his generation, Hooper's Test record of 5,762 runs in 102 matches at 36.46 including 13 hundreds does not do full justice to his ability.

However his under-rated off-spin has seen him take 114 Test wickets.

Sarwan and McGrath bury hatchet over on-field rage

Australian paceman Glenn McGrath and West Indies vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan have apologised to each other over their ugly confrontation in the fourth cricket Test in Antigua.

Sarwan said on Wednesday he and McGrath had cleared the air over the mid-pitch altercation on Monday which had concerned the Australian Cricket Board enough to issue a statement.

Sarwan, whose century helped steer the West Indies to a record-breaking three-wicket win in the 'dead' final match of the four-Test series yesterday, would not reveal what was said between the two players in the clash which caused McGrath to fly into such a finger-pointing rage that umpire David Shepherd had to step in.

But Sarwan was confident they remained on friendly terms.

"Actually both of us have apologised to each other and it's good to know that both of us did that in the good context of the game and what took place in the series and this game," Sarwan told an Australian radio station today.

"It's good to know that we have apologised to each other and appreciate each other's friendship."

Asked about the Australian team's reputation as a world leader in sledging, Sarwan said the West Indies team had no grievance with Steve Waugh's team.

"I'm not sure about that, who's the leader of that (sledging), but obviously players have things to say on the field and it's up to the individual or a team if you want to take it personal but, really and truly, we don't have a problem with each other," Sarwan said.

"You just need to accept certain things that people say on the field and if you put it in the past, that's fine, but if you take it personal well, then I think you might find yourself in a bit of trouble."

Australia back on top of ICC Test Championship

Australia returned to the top of the International Cricket Council's Test Championship rankings despite their defeat in the fourth and final Test to the West Indies at Antigua on Tuesday.

The Australians won the Caribbean series 3-1, after big wins in the opening three Tests in Georgetown, Port of Spain and Bridgetown.

Australia's series win lifted their points tally to 21 from 13 series, improving their average to 1.62 - 0.01 higher than previous leader South Africa's average.

Australia will be the last side to head the criticised ICC Test Championship under the present system with a new method of calculation to be introduced from next month.

The system was agreed by the ICC Board in Johannesburg on March 22 this year and rewards teams for their performances in every Test match played.

The ICC said an announcement detailing the new standings and the new method of calculation would be made towards the end of the month.

ICC Test Championship Table as at May 13:

Lara says historic win is his greatest cricketing experience

West Indies captain Brian Lara described Tuesday's victory over Australia as the greatest experience of his exalted career after his team set a world record score in the fourth Test.

"It's the greatest xperience that I've had, and I've had a few," the 34-year-old Lara said.

"I've had 375, 501, and the win in Barbados against Australia. I've been playing Test cricket for 12 years and this is the greatest cricketing moment of my life. Nothing surpasses this."

Lara's innings of 375 and 501 a decade ago established Test and first-class batting world records, while his unbeaten 153 led the West Indies to a one-wicket win in Barbados in 1999.

Lara said he gained confidence in the West Indies' pursuit after a fan showed him the scores in the previous highest chase, India's 406 for four against the West Indies in 1976 at Port of Spain, Trinidad.

"It didn't look impressive, it looked like it was a great team effort," Lara said. "It relaxed my mind. I personally thought that somebody needed to play a big innings or we needed to be 300 without loss, but I realized that wasn't the case."

Lara revealed how he helped motivate his team during the run chase.

"I tried to get the guys thinking of their best innings," the skipper said.

Drakes, in only his sixth Test, provided positive intent once Chanderpaul was out. Banks, playing older than his 20 years in his second match, followed suit.

"The guys went out confident," Lara said. "In Vasbert Drakes, we had someone who was capable of taking us past the total and he showed exactly what he was made of today."

Lara tagged the unflappable Banks "a breath of fresh air."

"I think he's got a great future," Lara said. "He's got a great team spirit."

Lara, in his first series in his second stint as captain, said that Monday's nose-to-nose verbal confrontation between Glenn McGrath and Sarwan -- which prompted a warning from the Australian Cricket Board to its team to calm down -- was one of those incidents that added spice to the game.

"It's a gentleman's sport, yes, but we're playing for our country and you expect people to give for their country and you expect people to get into a little conflict and stuff  out there," Lara said.

"Of course, a few things were said out there, but it will be left out there as far as I'm concerned."

Lawson receives backing 

Jermaine Lawson has been promised the full support of the West Indies Cricket Board as he tries to re-model his bowling action, says BBC Sport.

The young Jamaican was reported to the International Cricket Council after the umpires expressed doubts about his action during the fourth Test against Australia in Antigua.

"I've told him what remedial action we will take, cautioned him about the hype surrounding the issue and ribbing he will receive.

"He has to cast that out of his mind and be aware that we are behind him," said WICB president Wes Hall.

Lawson has emerged as a bowler with the potential to spearhead the West Indies seam attack for many years to come and returned his best Test figures of 7-78 earlier in the game.

He will now spend six weeks working with bowling advisers, but will be allowed to continue playing during that period.

The 21-year-old has been named in the West Indies squad for seven one-day internationals, the first of which takes place in Jamaica on 17 May, although he is suffering from a back strain.

Hall, a former fast bowler who took 192 wickets in 48 Tests, believes there is too much pressure on youngsters to strive for extra speed at all costs.

"It is quite possible with all the hype surrounding 100 mph that youngsters will strive and go beyond the bounds. We need to look at that," said Hall.