Despite a fine all-round performance of 106 and three economical wickets, Guy Whittall could not bring victory to Manicaland as they went down by three wickets to Matabeleland at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Trevor Gripper, rejected by many as a one-day player, scored a crucial fifty for the home side, while Piet Rinke played a crucial role in a tight finish to take them home.Manicaland entered this match with an outside chance of winning the series, if they won this match, if Mashonaland lost to Midlands in Kwekwe, and if they were able to exceed Mashonaland’s run rate. On another hot day they chose to bat on winning the toss.Matabeleland were handicapped by the absence of Heath Streak, whose wife had just suffered a miscarriage. Manicaland were to be handicapped even more by the quick departure of their first three batsmen, all to Mluleki Nkala, captain for the day but not really dangerous with the ball. Alistair Campbell played what the cynic would call a typical innings: a beautiful off-drive for four off the first ball of the match, two past midwicket off the third, and a sliced catch low to gully off the fifth.His opening partner Neil Ferreira is totally the opposite: a grafter of limited ability who never gives his wicket away, but this time he made just 3 before edging Nkala low to slip in the third over. Glen Barrett made 11 and then hit a skyer to extra cover, and Manicaland’s hopes had virtually evaporated with their score at 27 for three. Mbangwa had doubtless played his part with an accurate opening spell, and he conceded only 23 runs off his 10 overs.Fortunately Guy Whittall finally decided to show his first semblance of batting form this year, and played some good strokes with Richie Sims as a sleeping partner. They added 44 together before Piet Rinke removed Sims’ off stump with a cleverly disguised yorker. Henry Olonga, sent in as a pinch-hitter, did not come off, as he made little effort to attack and only 6 before being trapped lbw by Gavin Ewing, and Manicaland were 101 for six.By then Whittall was past his first fifty for many a long moon, and Stuart Matsikenyeri settled in for a sound innings. Matabeleland began to lose their grip, as the bowling lost accuracy against good batting. However, it seemed to be Nkala’s lucky day, despite an erratic second spell, and he eventually picked up Matsikenyeri for 41, well caught on the straight boundary by Keith Dabengwa who had to run and dive. Minutes later Dabengwa followed it up with an even better diving catch in the covers to remove Guy Croxford (2).Shortly afterwards Whittall reached a much-needed century off 136 balls, but on 16 was surprised to be given out lbw to left-arm spinner Gavin Rennie, bowling over the wicket. Paul Strang (8) was immediately given run out, thanks to a good throw by Nkala, in another close decision, and last man Blessing Mahwire was immediately bowled. The innings therefore closed on 208, with the last three wickets falling in five deliveries of the same over without a run being scored.Matabeleland soon lost Mark Vermeulen without scoring, prodding with diagonal bat outside the off stump to Olonga and providing the keeper with a practice catch. After that a turgid over rate made progress seem slower than it actually was, and it was a surprise when Coventry hit a catch straight to square leg that his 40 had come off only 39 balls.Rennie appeared to have set out his stall for a long innings, while Barney Rogers scored 15 before sweeping a catch off Sims to long leg. Then the balance tilted again as, immediately after the second drinks interval, Rennie drove a catch to mid-off off Whittall. At 115 for four, with 94 needed in 20 overs, the match was evenly poised again.Gavin Ewing made 15 before Whittall struck again, having him adjudged lbw, and things became more difficult for Matabeleland, with not much batting to come. The required run rate rose to more than six an over as Nkala became slightly bogged down, with Gripper required to do most of the scoring. They were just beginning to get on level terms again when Olonga yorked Nkala for 12.This turned out to be a blessing, as Piet Rinke smote two fours off Olonga in his first over at the crease. Then, with victory in sight, Gripper (54) tried an unnecessary reverse sweep off Campbell, surprisingly introduced, and top-edged a catch to the keeper. Matabeleland could have faltered, but Rinke played a fine cameo of an innings, 24 off 16 balls, and won the match with a straight drive to the boundary off Campbell.The ‘crowd’ numbered about 90 at its afternoon peak, slightly more than on Friday. For the first time the impressive big new scoreboard prepared for the World Cup was in operation, although not fully complete. In a remarkable deviation from what appears to be normal practice in some countries, Zimbabwe included, it is fully visible from the press box.

Sunday, March 9, 2003:::
The ump with the crooked finger
Brent ‘Billy’ Bowden is not your ordinary umpire. He has his own fan following, and when he is on the field, he is anything but a silent spectator. He is part of the show or, should one say, he is the show, entertaining as only he can.
Source: Rediff.comDuckworth defends his system
His rain-rules system may not be too straightforward, but Frank Duckworth, he of the Duckworth-Lewis fame, is. “They cocked it up,” said Duckworth of the mess South Africa made of their target against Sri Lanka.
Source: FOX SportsThe World Cup shambles
So, next stop Disneyland. After the dark hilarity of botched politics, naked compromise, rain and numerical dyslexia contributing in some part to the elimination of some of the best teams from this World Cup, the organisers must hope the next tournament does not turn into another Mickey Mouse affair.
Source: The Guardian, UKRead anything interesting lately? Send us the link for the CricInfo weblogs.Saturday, March 8, 2003:::
This is the best one-day side New Zealand has ever had – Hadlee
Stephen Fleming’s current team may not have either Richard Hadlee or Martin Crowe in its ranks, but that hasn’t prevented at least Hadlee from calling it the best one-day side that New Zealand has fielded at any point of time.
Source: The New Zealand Herald, New Zealand
Richards’ Cup hope: Australia v Australia A and B
South African legend Barry Richards believes three Australian sides should be admitted into the next World Cup to boost the standard of competition as their talent far exceeds that of any other cricketing nation.
Source: The Age, Australia
Akram says he will not quit in national interest
Legendary left-arm seamer Wasim Akram, who had announced plans to retire after the ODI World Cup, has suddenly decided to change his mind and stay on in the the national interest.
Source: Outlook, India
Read anything interesting lately? Send us the link for the CricInfo weblogs.Friday, March 7, 2003:::
I am backing India to win the World Cup – Woolmer
“I have always believed and still do that Indians have it in them to win the World Cup. I backed India in England and am backing them now. They are great World Cup contenders,” – renowned cricket coach Bob Woolmer in his interview with Ashish Shukla
Source: Outlook, India
Empty seats at Sachin’s show
India’s six matches in the World Cup preliminary stages have been watched by only 70,005 spectators – not even two-thirds the seating capacity at the famous Eden Gardens stadium, Kolkata!
Source: Rediff.com
Bracken, Dizzy to divvy up spoils
Jason Gillespie will earn (Australian) $27,272 more than Nathan Bracken if Australia wins the World Cup, regardless of whether his replacement takes the field.
Soruce: The Australian
Shooting from the lip
Former Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, who is commentating at this World Cup, feels that the Australians’ inability to handle sledging could prove the catalyst for an upset Sri Lankan win.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Read anything interesting lately? Send us the link for the CricInfo weblogs.Thursday, March 6, 2003:::
Reverse sweep: Men to boys
What’s a tournament without a few individual failures? Or, to be precise, 11 failures – which, oddly enough, gives us just enough fodder to form a World Cup Flop XI!
Source: Mid-Day, IndiaDuckworth and Lewis not so bad after all!
Spoken like a true Kiwi! Further suggestions include an annual toast to Messrs Duckworth and Lewis for denying South Africa a place in the Super Six – which, from a New Zealand point of view, could not have been sweeter, unless it happened to Australia.
Source: Nzoom.comPoints for the captain
India are into the Super Six now, but team attitude will now matter more than ever, and India must aim to win every game possible, not just squeak into the semis on the back of a win over Kenya.
Source: Rediff.com
Article URL sent in by Ashwin Kumar ([email protected])Tendulkar’s sparkling innings encapsulates nature of change
In the hands of the master, the finest batsman of his day, one-day cricket was suddenly rich in elegance, not a game of ugly improvisation.
Source: The Independent, UKRead anything interesting lately? Send us the link for the CricInfo weblogs.Wednesday, March 5, 2003:::
Sourav at war with channels over `insults’
The Indian team has declared war on SET Max and ESPN-Star following comments made by Kris Srikkanth and Navjot Singh Sidhu about skipper Sourav Ganguly.
Source: Mid-Day, IndiaI told myself, if I see it I will hit it – Tendulkar
Keeping one intent eye on the crucial Sri Lanka-South Africa tie, Sachin Tendulkar speaks on his spectacular innings against Pakistan, as well as India’s entry into the Super Six.
Source: Rediff.comThe ooomph goes out of World Cup coverage
Mandira Bedi may have been added to Sony’s coverage of the World Cup to attract a larger female viewership, but not only have her habits of apparel tended to appeal more to men, but women are now actively turning away from La Bedi – and taking their husbands with them!
Source: The Hindustan Times, IndiaArticle URL sent in by Dr Krishna Kumar Venkitachalam ([email protected])No sympathy for Pollock – Waugh
“It was obviously a breakdown of communication but in these days of professional sport where you’re being paid good money, you shouldn’t really make that mistake,” said former Australian one-day captain Steve Waugh.
Source: AAP on FOX SportsSouth Africa were out from the start
South Africa continues the trend of a host nation never winning the World Cup, but in this case, Shaun Pollock’s men never even demonstrated the necessary attitude that would take them to the top.
Source: The Star, South AfricaNasser flunked the test – Botham
After Nasser Hussain stepped down as England one-day captain, former English cricket star Ian Botham said that the team had done as much as it could under his leadership.
Source: The Glasgow Daily Record, UKSouth Africa to support the Men in Blue?
Former South African opener Andrew Hudson offered mourning fans some practical advice. “The fans should pick a team now and follow it for the Super Six,” he said. “And since India seems to be the only team that can beat Australia, the Men in Blue would be a good choice.”
Source: The Indian Express, IndiaRead anything interesting lately? Send us the link for the CricInfo weblogs.Tuesday, March 4, 2003:::
A subcontinental grudge match
Wall Street Journal editor Tunku Varadarajan tries to explain the underlying intricacies – “cricket’s tribal intensity” – in an India-Pakistan match to an American audience.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, USAStewart slams World Cup format
Alec Stewart insists that World Cup organisers have given an unfair advantage to those teams playing their final preliminary matches on Tuesday as England wait to discover whether they have qualified for the next stage of the tournament.
Source: This is Gloucestershire, UKQuestions you’d like to ask Mandira Bedi
It’s not that Mandira Bedi is stupid. But she seems willing to be projected as the silly face of the idiot box, so while Charu Sharma and other wise men analyse away, Ms Bedi gives her little good-luck ditties, bites her lip after each smile, and gives us her cutesy I-really-felt-bad-seeing-a-stretcher-on-the-field type of quotes.
Source: The Indian Express, India“We’re not falling apart”
“We didn’t come into the World Cup wanting to become maths professors but that’s the way it’s ended up,” writes Shoaib Akhtar. “Everyone in the team is really clued up on exactly what we have to do against Zimbabwe to get through to the Super Sixes – and put England out of the competition.”
Source: The Guardian, UKWhite ball at night? Not a fieldsman’s delight
If modern technology has not been able to produce a ball good enough to retain its white shine for the duration of its use, then perhaps they should go back to using a good old-fashioned red one.
Source: Ha’aretz, IsraelRead anything interesting lately? Send us the link for the CricInfo weblogs.Monday, March 3, 2003:::
Proud of Indian heritage, but rooting for West Indies
Mahadev Jaisingh Dukharan, a Jamaican judge of Indian origin, regrets that he doesn’t have time enough to follow the ongoing cricket World Cup. Dukharan, a third-generation Jamaican of Indian origin, is the country’s only ethnic Indian Supreme Court judge, and his loyalties are quite clear: It is the West Indies, and not India, that he’s rooting for.
Source: The Hindustan Times, IndiaCricket match unites ODU crowd
In little-known Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, at 3 a.m., around 160 Indian and Pakistani students gather to watch the World Cup match relayed from South Africa, eating pizza, cheering and sharing a type of bond their compatriots back home may not.
Source: The Virginian Pilot, USAAll Polly and Co. need to do is stick to the basics
Against Sri Lanka, all South Africa really needs to do is stick to the fundamentals, but they must do well in this all-too-crucial game, says Fanie de Villiers.
Source: The Star, South AfricaInspired Bichel’s just reward
It was a surprising day for the man who spends most of his baggy-green minutes pushing the drinks trolley. He went to bed with the second-best World Cup figures ever and a match-winning flurry of runs. Reserves are not supposed to do this sort of thing.
Source: The Guardian, UK
Related CricInfo links: Andy Bichel player profileRead anything interesting lately? Send us the link for the CricInfo weblogs.

Hampshire will continue to fully support Shane Warne, despite the Australian test leg-spinner being unable to fulfil the first year of his contract with the county in 2003 – subject to an appeal on the twelve month ban dished out to him on drug-taking charges.Warne, who tested positive for diuretic – hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride – was found guilty by the Australian Cricket Board anti-doping committee and was banned for a year in the early hours of Saturday morning (GMT).But Hampshire Cricket chairman Rod Bransgrove, although understandable disappointed at the verdict, reaffirmed that Warne will still undertake his contract with the county – but not until 2004.”We will have to await the outcome of the appeal,” said Bransgrove. “Shane has seven days in which to lodge one, and I believe that he is going to do so.”But, we have to look at contingency plans in case Shane does not get this verdict overturned and have already put some into place. That will have a lot to do with Paul Terry, the team manager.”Warne’s original contract was for two years, but Warne is unable to complete the first of them. “However, that contract was two years with an option to renew,” he continues.”The third year – 2005 – is an Ashes year but we had originally considered that Shane would still be an Australian cricketer. This verdict could put a major dent into that as well.”Warne, who is banned from all cricket including club and recreational, was upset by the findings and continues to proclaim his innocence. “I feel that I am a victim of the anti-doping hysteria,” he said in his statement.Bransgrove added, “This is very disappointing to all of us. It seems that we are all being punished for one minor indescretion and that is a great shame.”I have been in regular telephone calls with him, but I do not need to phone him this morning to know how he is feeling. Not being able to play cricket for a whole year will be very difficult for him.”He will have to work hard on his fitness,” adds the chairman, although to do that without playing competitive games will be a wrench to the Aussie legend.”We continue to stand by him and look forward to having him at the Rose Bowl in 2004, such is the standing of the man.”

Outgoing West Indies captain Carl Hooper says the four-Test series against Australia starting at the Georgetown Cricket Club, Bourda tomorrow, will not be a one-sided affair."I think it is going to be an exciting series. A lot of people think it is going to be one-way traffic but I’ve got a different view," the 36-year-old Hooper said hours before revealing he was withdrawing from the team to make way for a younger player."I think that we’ve got the makings of certainly a good side and it will depend on how well we compete in the first Test match that will set the trend for the rest of the series," Hooper noted."I honestly think that we will do well in Guyana. We have got to make sure that the first morning, in the first session, we are up for it and that we carry them tooth and nail, session by session."We’ve got to make them work hard for their runs and everything, but I think we are going to give a very good account of ourselves in this Test series," He said.Hooper, who was replaced by Brian Lara as captain after two years in the job, expressed disappointment at not being re-appointed."Obviously, I am a bit disappointed but I suppose life moves on. I’ve had the opportunity to do it for two years and it was a wonderful experience," Hooper said."I just want to take this opportunity to thank the fellows for all their support, especially a number of the young players, who really rallied around and sort of toe the line . . . .""I thought it [captaincy] worked well and I just hope that we can continue going from strength to strength."I think what we need now is to give them [younger players] the support, a little bit of trust, a bit of loyalty and I am sure that in a few years time, they will be the ones to bring West Indies cricket right back up to the top," he contended.Hooper said one of the pleasing aspects about his stint as West Indies captain was the improvement shown by the team in general."When I took over the job, one of the most important things that I wanted to do was to make sure that regardless of the result, whenever you look at a West Indies team playing, that you saw guys who wanted to play."Regardless to whether we won or lost, you would see a bunch of guys playing as a team which is important and wanting to compete," he said."Obviously, as any captain, you want to have success but it was also important to have things like the discipline come through, setting the right example, raising the work ethics, things like this to make sure that we were heading in the right direction, not just two or three guys but as a team in general."I think as I look back over the last two years, I am fairly happy with the job that I did given the players that we had. I have seen players take massive strides forward, just to mention a few, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels."I have seen them play responsible innings in my stint as captain and I am happy to see that. It shows something must have worked and worked in a favourable manner and I just hope that they can continue with the rest of their careers going from strength to strength," Hooper said.

It is ironic that following such beautiful weather leading up to the cricket season, that the first day at The Rose Bowl in the Championship match against Yorkshire should be seriously truncated, not by a steady drop of rain, but by the overnight downpours that left the outfield saturated.Ironically play on the adjacent nursery ground got underway almost on time, but the easier hillier drying ground, and the fact that it was basically a Second XI practise match against their Somerset counterparts.When the captains decided to stop waiting around, play got underway at 2:30pm, and John Crawley’s decision to insert the Northern county was justified by the taking of three early wickets.Wasim Akram showed why he should become a Rose Bowl favourite when he uprooted Michael Vaughan’s middle stump to the third over of the match. Alan Mullally not to be outdone by his illustrious counterpart then had Yorkshire’s other opener Matthew Wood caught behind. Chris Tremlett then enticed skipper McGrath to cut into the hand of Shaun Udal.Matthew Lumb bedded himself down, but at the other end, Mullally again reeked havoc taking the quick wickets of Blakey (caught wicket-keeper) and Fellows (caught slip).The visitor’s demise continued this time to off-spinner Shaun Udal who off successive balls dismissed Dawson and Silverwood.Lumb and Darren Gough rallied their team with a 46 run unbeaten partnership before the close, but the day or at least the half-day belonged to Hampshire.

The Afghanistan Cricket Federation (ACF), which is already an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has been awarded Associate Membership of the Asian Cricket Council during the ACC’s June 14 meeting in London.In a message Venu Ramadass of the ACC said: “Firstly, we would like to congratulate Afghanistan Cricket Board [Federation] for being granted Associate membership of the Asian Cricket Council. We hope both parties will work together for the betterment of cricket in Afghanistan."The ACF is active in building up cricket in Afghanistan after the recent war, and has already sent teams to play in two of Pakistan’s domestic competitions. They had applied for the ACC membership and also requested permission to send a team to the 2003 Youth Asia Cup, which starts on July 15 in Karachi, Pakistan.The ACC has regretted ACF’s participation in the U19 tournament due to time constraints saying, “We are sorry to say that approval is not being given due to a number of reasons. Approval could only be given after the ACC AGM in London and the time frame is too short for the team’s preparation. The allocation, tournament arrangements and the match schedules are being done to accommodate 10 teams and by having an additional team at this time nearer to the tournament, will not be feasible.”All is not lost for the keen Afghan cricketers as there is a U17 tournament coming up later this year and the ACC has allowed the Afghan team to play, “Asian Cricket Council has welcomed Afghanistan’s participation in the U17 Junior Asia Cup 2003 in India, which will be held at the end of the year.”This tournament will add to ACF’s plans for more international cricket as they are already scheduling a visit to India to play 10 matches in August with a tour to UAE in October to play during the UAE national cricket season.The Afghan team has also been invited to tour Pakistan again for the Quaid-e-Azam Grade-II domestic tournament. They have already played in Pakistan’s Grade-II tournaments in 2001 and 2002.Some more help for the ACF is on the way with ACC’s development officer, Pakistan ex-Test cricketer Iqbal Sikander promising to visit Afghanistan soon to help set up a proper cricket infrastructure.On Monday, while announcing that the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) will help ACC set up regional cricket academies in Dubai, Malaysia and Nepal he had some encouraging words for Afghan cricket.”Since Afghanistan has now been given membership by the ACC, the idea is to move quickly and provide them timely assistance in the development of the game.”Cricket was first taken up by Afghani refugee youth who had fled to Pakistan after the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the early 1980’s and carried on playing till they could return home 10 years later – more than sufficient time to inculcate cricket culture. The ACF was founded in 1995 and in 2001 they were made an Affiliate Member by the ICC.

Heads of Government of West Indian nations will be getting the message on plans for the staging of the ICC Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007 during their CARICOM meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica on Sautrday.The managing director of the organising committee, Chris Dehring, will head a high-level West Indies Cricket Board delegation, including president, the Rev West Hall, chief executive officer Roger Braithwaite and the venue development consultant, Don Lockerbie.Dehring said: “This meeting with the Heads of Government is very important as we move into high gear in our preparations for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. For the Caribbean to reap the tremendous rewards that would be derived from a successful event, there must be a total regional effort spearheaded not just by cricket officials but the governments and the private sector. We are very encouraged by the keen interest and support being shown by Caribbean governments at this time and this augurs well for the successful staging of the largest event that would ever have been held in the region.”

National League Division OneDivision One tableYorkshire 274 for 3 beat Warwickshire 273 for 6 by seven wickets at Headingley
Scorecard
While all eyes were on the England captain, Michael Vaughan, at the start of the game, it was the New Zealand captain and Vaughan’s team-mate, Stephen Fleming, who took the plaudits with a cultured 139 not out from 104 balls as Yorkshire cruised to a seven-wicket win with more than six overs to spare against Warwickshire. Fleming scored his century from 76 balls and shared an opening stand of 167 with Matthew Wood (65 from 63). In all, Fleming smashed 18 fours and four sixes, making the most of a life when dropped by Mo Sheikh on 27. After Wood was bowled by Ashley Giles, Vaughan made a quick 22 at No. 3 as Yorkshire made light work of Warwickshire’s 273 for 6, in which Nick Knight scored 95 and Jim Troughton 77.National League Division TwoDivision Two tableNorthamptonshire 319 for 7 beat Scotland 244 by 75 runs at Northampton
Scorecard
Mike Hussey raced to his highest score in one-day cricket as Northants beat Scotland by a comfortable 75 runs at Wantage Road. The Scotland bowlers struggled to adapt to the hot conditions and failed to take advantage of the turning pitch, as Hussey and Phil Jaques made merry in the sun. Hussey smoked 123 off 115 balls, and Jaques 76 from 77 as Northants motored to 319 for 7 – the highest total conceded by Scotland so far this season. Only Rahul Dravid made Northants sweat, with a typically accomplished century. He scored 114 and apart from a stand of 84 in 18 overs with Neil MacRae (38) none of the other batsmen could give him the support needed to challenge that imposing total.

The fourth in our series of articles examining how the Indian team is shaping up for the coming 2003-04 season. This one focusses on spinners.The emergence of genuine medium-pace bowling options has caused India to rely less and less on their spinners. While Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh might be two of the best spinners around, India often play just one spinner, especially abroad. This virtually closes the door on aspiring spinners in the country. Only injury, or unavailability, even gives rise to the question of India’s spin bowling bench. And strangely, while a new medium pacer seems to crop up every month, you don’t need to look beyond three men if you’re looking to replace Harbhajan or Kumble. Wisden CricInfo examines the options, and takes the opinion of some experts on this matter.MuraliKartik
Murali Kartik is the best left-arm orthodox spinner in the country – youwon’t get any arguments on that count. The fact that he has played justfour Tests and five one-dayers in the last four years, despite showingimmense promise, is testimony to the success Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh have enjoyed. Kartik, once a hot-headed youngster, has matured into a patient practitioner of a difficult art. He has made vital contributions with the bat in domestic cricket, but his bowling skills alone make him the first man the selectors should turn to if Harbhajan or Kumble is injured.SarandeepSingh
Although an off-spinner, Sarandeep is a very different kind of bowlerfrom Harbhajan. Shorter in build and slower through the air, Sarandeep does not quite generate the fizzing turn and bounce that makes Harbhajan so difficult to play. Continued success in the Ranji Trophy keeps him close to national selection. However, it is hard to see the national selectors playing two offspinners in tandem and this weakens Sarandeep’s case. What does go in his favour is the fact that he has made the best of any opportunities that have come his way.AmitMishra
Young, energetic and keen to give the ball a big rip, Amit Mishra hashad plenty of success recently. Fourteen wickets, including a five-forin the India A tour of England, meant that he returned home with hisreputation enhanced. Just 21 years old, Mishra has shown remarkablecontrol over his line and length in the three international outings hehas had so far. If the selectors take the strong move of bringingKumble’s career to an end, Mishra will be the man they turn to.The rest
When you get past these three, there’s not much quality to choose from.SairajBahutule had a good Ranji season with Mumbai, but has had hischances at the international level and failed to deliver. Another manwho caught the eye in the last season, was RameshPowar. Although he did not have five-wicket hauls by the bagful, hisoffbreaks tilted the balance in Mumbai’s favour with crucial dismissals.While it’s all right to entertain some hope, neither should wait anxiously by the phone for a call from the selectors.Expert views
Maninder Singh: For me, Murali Kartik is a class apart. But you have to consider the fact that Sarandeep has made the best of his chances and Mishra has done well on A tours. In the end, though, Kartik wins because he has great attitude to go with talent. He should be allowed to do what he does best. In the few chances he got he was not allowed to flight the ball too much and didn’t always get the fields he wanted. If you gave him the responsibility, and some freedom, I bet he’ll perform beyond expectations.L Sivaramakrishnan: Murali Kartik is the one I would go with. He is by far the best left-arm spinner in the country. If you remember, he was practically the only bowler who did well against the West Indies. He didn’t get to play in New Zealand because of the wickets. I believe he’s the best bet for the longer version of the game. He gives the ball a bit of air, and he can do well on different kinds of wickets. Even in Mohali, where the ball doesn’t turn square, he would be effective because he beats batsmen in the air as well as off the wicket. To my mind, it doesn’t matter whether it’s Kumble or Harbhajan who’s unavailable, Kartik’s the next best spinner and he should get the nod.Arshad Ayub: I would certainly say that Murali Kartik is the first person we should think of in case there’s an injury to one of theestablished spinners. I know that Mishra has been taking wickets andthat Sarandeep is a steady bowler, but Kartik is in a class of hisown. Sarandeep is the kind of bowler who can keep one end tight, bowling a good line and length. But in the longer version of the game, you need someone who can be disciplined and take wickets. In that sense, if Kartik is given the right breaks, I’m sure he can be a matchwinner for India at the highest level.Anand Vasu is assistant editor of Wisden CricInfo in India.Openings for openers
The settled middle order
Finders, keepers
Up to speed

Shoaib Akhtar’s appeal against a ban for one Test and two one-day internationals has been rejected by Richie Benaud, in his role as ICC Code of Conduct Commissioner.Shoaib was handed the ban by Clive Lloyd, the match referee of the first Test at Lahore, during which Shoaib was alleged to have used abusive language to Paul Adams, thus breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct. He will now be ineligible to play in the second Test against South Africa at Faisalabad, but he was doubtful for that game anyway after straining his hamstring. Shoaib’s next game, fitness permitting, will now probably come in the third ODI of the forthcoming home series against New Zealand.Benaud, the former Australian captain who is now a respected TV commentator, said in his judgment: “In my view, the reason for the implementing of the ICC Code is so captains in particular and players in general will embrace the Preamble to the Laws of Cricket, which makes quite clear what is required of them on the field.”He went on: “The appeal I am asked to determine relates to the sentence imposed by Mr Lloyd, not to the actual offence. It seems to me that Mr Lloyd correctly followed the Code of Conduct rules in every way after Shoaib Akhtar accepted, and said, he was guilty.”This was Shoaib’s second breach of the clause involving abusive language in the last 12 months, so the penalty imposed was “upgraded to that of a Level 3 offence in line with the provisions of the Code”, according to the ICC.