Scottish cricket is trying to rope in star Indian batsman Rahul Dravid for their next season. But they have a problem of  resources.

Chairman and Chief Executive of Scottish Cricket Ltd Gwynne Jones met Dravid in South Africa, but the Indian batsman appeared not too keen on joining the Scottish side, media reports said.

"He wants to get married after the World Cup and has no interest in playing county cricket again because it is too demanding," a report in the Times daily said, quoting Jones.

"But he said he is very keen to play for us provided we can come closer to the payment he wants," the report said.

Jones estimated that Scotland's expanded programme of matches this season will raise the funding required from 70,000 pounds to at least 250,000 pounds.

But attempts to find a sponsor for the Scotland team, let alone for Dravid's services, have so far failed, the report said.

India's fast bowlers pose a major threat to Australia's ambitions to lift the World Cup on Sunday, according to Ricky Ponting.

Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra have shared 49 wickets in the tournament and all three impressed on Thursday as India swept past Kenya in the Durban semi-final.

Ponting told Reuters: "India are a good side, their batting line-up is long and good and (Sachin) Tendulkar has had a pretty fair tournament.

"All the same, the thing that has stood out about them for me is their fast bowling and that has done some damage.

"Their bowlers are the ones who have improved a lot over the last 12 months. Nehra seems to have come from nowhere, Khan has been steady and Srinath has been doing the same thing as he always has."

Coach John Buchanan says his Australian line-up will draw from its experience of winning the World Cup in 1999 to again take home the most coveted one-day trophy in cricket.

Australia is one-match away from becoming the first team to win the World Cup three times and the first team to successfully defend it since Clive Lloyd's West Indies in 1979.

The Australians beat Sri Lanka by 48 runs to advance to Sunday's World Cup decider at the Wanderers against India.

The defending champions won the tournament for the first time in 1987 under Allan Border in Calcutta and then again in 1999 when Steve Waugh's side beat Pakistan in a lopsided final at Lord's.

Now record-breaking skipper Ricky Ponting awaits his turn as Australia bids to stretch its winning streak to an unprecedented 17 matches.

"Finals are a special time and it's nice to have experience in finals, so I'll probably be churning over that one, thinking about it a little bit to see whether there are things we can draw from that," said Buchanan.

Zimbabwean fast bowler Henry Olonga fears that he may have to spend the rest of his life in exile but does not regret his decision to join Andy Flower in an armband protest against the 'death of democracy' in his country.

Olonga said he had received "direct and clear" threats over e-mail about what fate awaits him if he returned to Zimbabwe, but he still believes he did the right thing.

"We had no illusions about the kind of consequences and reactions we could get. The people we have dealt with in the past have been ruthless," Olonga was quoted as saying in 'The Guardian'.

"We knew, or at least I knew, that the worst-case scenario was that I might have to go into exile," he added.

"What I have said about the security issue is that I received three e-mails which are very direct and very clear as what these people would longa looked forward to returning to his country. If I had the opportunity to go back to a Zimbabwe that respected human rights and upheld freedom, I would probably love to go back and play."

South Africa's participation in the Sharjah Cup is on the verge of being called off as a result of the war in Iraq.

South African cricket chiefs are holding talks with government officials to discuss the trip to the troubled region where the tournament, which also features Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is due to be held from April 1-10.

The talks were called as South African nationals were advised not to visit the Persian Gulf.

"We wish to advise South Africans not to visit the Gulf region in this period," said foreign ministry spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa.

The South African team is due to leave for Sharjah on March 28 and were due to discuss the issue when they met for a training camp in Pretoria on Monday.

"The United Cricket Board of South Africa and the government are discussing the situation and we will take their advice very seriously," a spokesman for the UCBSA said.

England's David Shepherd and Steve Bucknor of the West Indies will officiate in Sunday's World Cup final between Australia and India in Johannesburg.

Assisting the pair will be third umpire Rudi Koertzen, of South Africa, with New Zealand's Billy Bowden as fourth official and Ranjan Madugalle as match referee.

Sunday's match at The Wanderers will be the third successive World Cup final appointment for umpires Shepherd and Bucknor.

ICC General Manager-Cricket David Richardson said the pair's selection was as a result of consistently high standards throughout the competition.

"David and Steve have both had outstanding tournaments, confirming their standing as two of the best and most experienced umpires in the game," he said.

"Together with Rudi Koertzen, Billy Bowden and Ranjan Madugalle as referee, they will form an excellent team for the final."

"A special mention should be made of Billy Bowden, who came to the World Cup as a member of the International panel and has ended it as one of the best performers of the entire tournament."