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October 26, 2002
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India's top cricketers are planning to form an association to protect their commercial interests.

But the BCCI insisted it would only recognise any such body if all first-class cricketers were part of it.

The decision to form a players' association follows the bitter row between the country's leading players and the organisers of a recent tournament.

Former Indian Test cricketer Arun Lal said that the Indian Cricket Players' Association would be formed within a few days.

"We hope it should be formed on 29 October," said Mr Lal, who is likely to become the secretary of the association.

Former Indian Test captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi is likely to be the president of the players' body, Mr Lal said.

He said, "The main aim of the association will be to protect the interests of the players."

Mr Lal said the present Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly, and other senior members, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, are expected to join the association.

He said initial funds for the association would be raised through charity.

Cricket bats signed by players, gloves, helmets and other cricketing gear will be auctioned, he added.


Speaking after his arrival in Lahore Waqar said, "It was the worst defeat and should not have happened, but we were an inexperienced team pitted against a formidable Australian team.

"Since the team didn't do well my performance as captain was also not good and I take the responsibility.

"But injuries to some key players and absence of others were also key factors in our losses."

With Pakistan now scheduled to tour Zimbabwe Younis continued, "I hope that the youngsters have learnt a lot from the series against Australia and will do their best on tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa.

"I promise that my team will (make a) comeback and do well in future tours because spirits are high."

Pakistan are scheduled to play two Tests and five ODI's against both Zimbabwe and South Africa and it will be crucial for Waqar and his young side to improve their results if they hope to retain their places in the side.

The once powerful Asian outfit have not lost six of their last eleven ODI's as well as the humbling 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Australia.

  West Indies in India
Zaheer Khan is set to miss the first two matches of the upcoming one-day series against the WI with a knee injury.

The left-arm paceman had already been rested for the third Test at Calcutta next week with all-rounder Ajit Agarkar coming into the side.

He has taken eight wickets at an average of 13 in the two Tests so far, helping India to an unassailable two-nil lead.

Zaheer will now undergo a scan and may have to miss the entire series if the results are negative.

"His injury is not serious and an MRI scan was done on him during the second Test," Indian cricket board secretary S Karunakaran Nair said on Friday.

"Another scan will be done after two weeks to see if his condition is better.

"If the result is not satisfactory, he may miss the entire series but nothing is certain as of now," he added.

India are set to name their squad for the five-match series on Thursday.


Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly was on Friday uncertain whether the newly-laid track at the Eden Gardens would be helpful to the spinners but predicted that it would last for full five days during the third Test against West Indies starting on October 30.

"Its a good wicket. But I cannot say whether it will be a slow turner or not until and unless I play on it," Ganguly told reporters after a practice session here.

The pitch at Eden Gardens has been re-laid as part of Cricket Board's plans to prepare bouncy tracks at some of the venues.

Looking fresh and relaxed, Ganguly, whose team has already clinched the three-match series against West Indies with wins in Mumbai and Chennai, said the wicket looked good and he expected it to last full five days.

Asked whether the spinners will be India's trumpcard in the third Test, Ganguly said, "I don't look at it this way. In Chennai, our pacers and spinners all contributed to our win."


Shreyas Khanolkar hit his maiden first-class century when reaching 102 off just 92 balls as the Nehru Stadium continued to favour the batsmen.

Khanolkar hit 20 fours in his explosive two-hour innings before Ryan Hinds, the sixth bowler used, finally dismissed the Railways opener.

It was to be the only success for the West Indies in the 32 overs they had to bowl in the final session.

Earlier, the touring side, resuming on 297-2, added 152 for the loss of six additional wickets before declaring.

Daren Ganga added just five to his overnight 66, while Marlon Samuels, Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Ridley Jacobs all fell cheaply.

Gareth Breese (58 not out) and Daren Powell (39 not out) then put on 95 for the ninth wicket before stand-in skipper Jacobs declared.

By then Kulamani Parida had taken four for 107 with his off-breaks.

  England in Australia
England captain Nasser Hussain expressed his concern at the poor form and injuries affecting his squad after only one week of their tour of Australia. Hussain was speaking after England had recorded a disappointing draw with a weakened Western Australian second XI at the WACA.

"Early on in the tour we've got a couple more injuries than we'd like, and a couple of people haven't found their footing in Australia," he commented.

"We're a little bit behind where we'd want to be.

"These things are sent to test us, and we've got to try and turn it around like we've done in the past."

England spent a day in the field watching Western Australia compile 313 for six, including a career-best 92 from 19-year-old Shaun Marsh, son of former Australian opener Geoff.

Steve Harmison in particular suffered at the hands of a WA line-up which included Northamptonshire's Mike Hussey.

Hussain, however, continued to back his team with the first Test in Brisbane just two weeks a way.


Shaun Marsh, the 19-year-old son of Test star Geoff, hit 92 as England had another unimpressive day at the WACA.

With a two-innings match scheduled over just two days, a result was never going to be possible, but Western Australia were much the stronger team throughout.

When play ended the hosts were cruising along at 313 for six in their first innings having dismissed England for just 221 the previous day.

Most of England's specialist batsmen had failed to reach double figures, and their bowlers toiled in similar fashion on a dry, bouncy surface.

Andrew Caddick and Matthew Hoggard each took two wickets, while Ashley Giles and Steve Harmison managed just one apiece.

Their hosts raced to 115-1 by lunch, Hoggard taking the only wicket, and went into tea on 199-3.

And there was further bad news for the tourists when Marcus Trescothick left the field with an injured shoulder.


Opening batsman Marcus Trescothick has become the latest worry for injury-ravaged England at the start of their Ashes tour, the side's management revealed here Friday.

Trescothick, 26, left the field on the second day of the two-day match against Western Australia at the WACA Ground for treatment to an injury to his right shoulder, a spokesman said.

"He has seen a doctor and will have a pain-killing injection later in the day," he said.

"The injury does not affect his batting - only his fielding."

The spokesman confirmed the injury would not prevent Trescothick from playing in a three-day match starting here Monday.

"The injury had been troubling Trescothick for a while," the spokesman said.

Trescothick's opening partner, Michael Vaughan, sidelined with a knee injury, is a definite non-starter for Monday's game.

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff and fast bowler Darren Gough are also out of action.

  Sri Lanka in South Africa
Shaun Pollock criticised the Potchefstroom's pitch for being too flat despite South Africa bowling Bangladesh out for just 215.

The match is Potchefstroom's first Test and Pollock felt the groundstaff had been too cautious in their preparations.

"It wasn't a great day to be a bowler," he lamented.

"I must admit I didn't think the wicket would play like that, it was very flat and for the first day of a Test match it's not really what you need.

"The first morning it should do something."

  Bangladesh in South Africa
Despite taking five for 46 in the second innings to hasten victory in the first Test, South African seam bowler David Terbrugge could lose his spot in the side.

With skipper Shaun Pollock back from injury, the selectors will be forced to leave out one of the bowlers who started at Buffalo Park.

Nantie Hayward was considerably less impressive than Terbrugge in East London, but Pollock has himself publicly backed the blond paceman.

"I thought the criticism of Nantie was a bit harsh," said Pollock after training at the North West Stadium which on Friday becomes the 11th Test venue in the country.

"Nantie's still a young guy. If you look at Allan Donald when he began his Test career he was also a little wild.

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