Increasing central power and responsibility is vital for the future of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its ability to run cricket, according to Malcolm Gray, the retiring ICC president.Gray said that over the past three years of his presidency the ICC had addressed the issues of effective and appropriate governance in the sport. As a result of this the ICC had developed a central and professional administration which was increasingly able to provide leadership and direction for the game.”For me, the most satisfying achievement that I have been involved in during my time as president has been the initiative to modernise and equip the game’s administration for the challenge of running an international sport,” he said. “Cricket is unusual in the fact that for much of its history a strong, central administration was not present. Its history is one of bilateral agreements between nations organising and administering tours. Indeed, for much of its history, the ICC and its predecessors were nothing more than an annual talkfest that brought together the cricket-playing nations to discuss issues of common interest.”Part of the redefining of the ICC’s role had been establishing a clear separation of the roles of the ICC board and management, which allowed the ICC directors to concentrate on setting policy and management to implement it without interference. Gray summarised: “The players should play, the managers should manage and the directors should direct.”However, he admitted, the process was far from complete: the biggest challenge for his successor, Ehsan Mani, and the directors would be ensuring that the ICC was equipped with the authority and resources to address the demands of the modern sporting environment. Said Gray: “It is inevitable that some people will resist this move as it will inexorably lead to an increase in central power and responsibility – yet it must occur if the game is to prosper.”It wasn’t only at ICC level that change was required. It also was needed at some country board levels. “Some boards resist the need to reform their own management structures,” he said, “but they must grasp the nettle on this issue if they are to keep pace with the changes in the game and its associated commercial complexities.”Gray said the progress cricket was making on its international spread was obvious from the performances of the four leading associate countries at the World Cup. Canada, The Netherlands, Namibia and especially Kenya showed the success of the work the ICC was doing in association with the countries concerned. And the increase in membership from 49 countries in 1999 to 84 this year reflected the growth in the game.Gray said that the move of the ICC to join the General Association of International Sporting Federations would also benefit the non-Test playing countries, because that, and the resulting association with the Olympic movement, would make it easier for associate and affiliate members to get funding assistance from their governments.He also said that while the ICC could never prevent gambling on cricket, it had to be strong enough to ensure the game would never be weakened and tainted by the scourge of corruption that had threatened to overwhelm the sport.

South Africa 272 for 5 (Kallis 125*, Hall 56) beat Zimbabwe 226 for 9 (Friend 82) by 46 runs

Jacques Kallis scored a magnificent unbeaten 125, his 10th and highest one-day century, and his second in consecutive days, as South Africa bounced back from defeat in their opening match of the NatWest Series to record a comfortable 46-run victory over Zimbabwe at Canterbury.Kallis’s 107 at The Oval yesterday had been the bedrock of South Africa’s effort against England, and he was made to sweat once again as Travis Friend launched Zimbabwe’s reply with a confident 82. Zimbabwe eventually ran out of steam, though not before they had confirmed that Thursday’s defeat of England was no fluke.They had been pencilled in as the pre-tournament whipping-boys, but Zimbabwe’s array of workaday seamers and tenacious spinners had Kallis and Co. in some bother for the early part of the innings. Both South Africa’s openers fell inside the first eight overs, and they had been restricted to 84 for 3 at the halfway mark of the innings.But Andrew Hall, promoted up the order to give the innings a bit of oomph, responded with a bristling 56 from 51 balls to kickstart the innings, and they never looked back. Zimbabwe’s fortunes were summed up by Andy Blignaut, who had yorked Herschelle Gibbs with his fifth ball, but was spanked for 19 in the final over of the innings – which he wasn’t even able to complete, after being ordered from the attack for a second (unintentional) beamer.Kallis, who by then was seeing it like the proverbial football, calmly swatted that second beamer for six over midwicket, but the early part of his innings had been a different story. He was dropped on 21 by Doug Hondo – a tough caught-and-bowled opportunity – and had scored at barely a run every two balls for the early part of his innings. But as his confidence grew he shed the watchful defence and launched into some scintillating strokeplay, particularly through the covers.Kallis brought up his century in 137 balls, with 10 fours, and then lamped four more fours and that six in his ten remaining deliveries. Hall himself belted three sixes, two in consecutive overs off the left-arm spin of Ray Price, who had nonetheless bowled impressively and gave Jacques Rudolph a thorough working-over before having him caught at backward-point by Grant Flower.South Africa’s final total was considerably more than had looked likely when they limped to 48 for 2 after 15 overs. While Friend was blazing away merrily in Zimbabwe’s reply, however, even 272 for 5 appeared insufficient. Runs had been hard to come by at first, with Doug Marillier struggling for three overs before swishing at a full-length ball from Makhaya Ntini and edging a simple catch to Mark Boucher behind the stumps for 3 (3 for 1).But the introduction of Alan Dawson was Friend’s invitation to up the tempo, and he did just that in a rumbustious innings. Never afraid to hit over the top, Friend gave South Africa’s captain Graeme Smith the run-a-round with two nine-iron chips over his head at long-off, but he saved his best shot for the spinner Nicky Boje, a soaring six over midwicket.At the other end, Ebrahim played the anchor role to perfection, adding 109 for the second wicket – a Zimbabwean record against South Africa. He had five fours in his 40, including a couple of elegant cover-drives, when he picked out Smith at short midwicket with a firm clip off Boje (112 for 2).Friend’s new partner was Grant Flower, whose unbeaten 96 had sunk England in the series opener at Trent Bridge. But, just as Zimbabwe were inching back into contention, Friend was bowled by a fine yorker from Andrew Hall and the innings fizzled out. Stuart Matsikenyeri ran himself out after a frenetic innings, and neither Heath Streak nor Blignaut lasted long.The end was confirmed when Flower picked out a leaping Dawson at leg gully for 27 (178 for 7), although Tatenda Taibu and Hondo did enough to ensure a bonus point for Zimbabwe, which leaves all three teams level on six points after the first round of matches.

Retired New Zealand umpire Steve Dunne has spilled the beans about his silence during the Muttiah Muralitharan throwing controversy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1995.Dunne, has written a book, ‘Alone in the Middle: An Umpire’s Story’ with Otago Daily Times sportswriter Brent Edwards which is due to be published by Penguin New Zealand next week.An extract was published in the newspaper today and contained Dunne’s side of his controversial silence during the match. He recounted that he was standing at square leg when Muralitharan came on to bowl and was called for no-balls by Australian umpire Darrell Hair.Hair walked across to Dunne and said to him: “Those no-balls were not for foot faults.”Dunne described the mounting tension and said in hindsight his view was: “Here was a cricket controversy of the first magnitude.” Dunne said Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga left the field and then came out and put Muralitharan on at Dunne’s end.”The atmosphere was electric. When spinners bowled, my method had always been to stand as close to the stumps as possible, because the closer you got the more likely you were to be able to pick up a bat-pad nick. I would have got a better view of Muralitharan’s arm by standing back, but I elected not to change the habit I had formed – and which had served me well – during my umpiring career.”There were many thoughts going through my mind. What do I do? Do I support Darrell Hair because he has called Muralitharan and do I call him as well? Or do I support what I believe, which was what we had discussed and decided at a conference in Coventry earlier this year?”That conference had decided in the case of a suspect action that the matter would be reported to the match referee who would have the action filmed and sent to the International Cricket Council.That had been the procedure followed during a tournament in Sharjah where Muralitharan had been playing and where he was the subject of a discussion between Hair, Dunne, English umpire Nigel Plews and match referee Raman Subba Row.”Nigel, Darrell and I were unanimous in our belief that Muralitharan had a problem,” Dunne wrote. “We told Dav Whatmore [coach] what we’d done and said that Sri Lanka should take remedial action because Muralitharan could have problems down the track.”The short answer was that, during that dramatic day in Melbourne, I stuck to what had been agreed on and did not call him. The atmosphere between Darrell and me when we returned to the dressing room at stumps was, needless to say, cool. I have great respect for Darrell as an umpire and person. He is someone I’ve always got on very well with and still do.”Dunne continued by saying calling a player for throwing was virtually saying he couldn’t play the game, and that was too “Godlike”. He said he came under pressure from the media for not backing Hair up, but he countered by believing he had done the right thing.”My argument was that he had played in about 30 Tests at the time, he had been watched by numerous umpires, and only one had called him. They were now telling me I was wrong by not supporting that one and disagreeing with the others.”Dunne recalled at the end of the match, the match referee, New Zealander Graham Dowling, had called him into his hotel room and asked why he hadn’t called Muralitharan for throwing. Australian captain Mark Taylor had implied in his match report that Dunne was more concerned about standing in the next World Cup.”That was absolute rubbish and made mWorld Cup.”That was absolute rubbish and made me very angry,” Dunne said. “I still wouldn’t call Muralitharan for throwing if I was umpiring him today. As I said before, I don’t believe it’s possible to do so with the naked eye and I wouldn’t want to play God. But I would report him to the match referee on suspicion that his action might not be fair. He is a unique bowler, in more ways than one, and I suspect that problems he poses both to officialdom and opposition batsmen won’t go away. They lie in the too-hard basket. It is not his fault, but he has caused more arguments than any player of the past decade. We don’t seem to be any closer to a solution now than when Darrell Hair first called out ‘no ball’ in 1995.”Dunne also recalled the evening he stood in a one-day international in his home town Dunedin when Pakistan fast man Shoaib Akhtar unleashed a torrid display of fast bowling. Dunne, and his fellow umpire Doug Cowie, reported Akhtar to match referee Ranjan Madugalle because they weren’t completely happy with his action.”I might as well make my position clear about Akhtar. I don’t believe he is a chucker, despite the fact that I, along with Doug, signed the report asking for his action to be investigated. I’ve seen the subsequent report produced by the University of Western Australia and it explains what he does with his arm, and that he doesn’t throw,” Dunne said.

If the timing of Lord MacLaurin’s remarks regarding the future of English cricket last week was designed to kick-start a debate on the subject, then it has done exactly as intended.On Thursday, MacLaurin told the BBC that to survive English cricket had to consider reducing the number of first-class counties from 18 to 12 and, as a result, decrease the number of professionals in the game by about 100. He warned that with the next television deal likely to produce far less income than the current one, the alternative was for cricket to become a minor summer sport "like croquet". Several of the county chairmen spluttered on cue, although the biggest reaction came from the world of croquet who were livid at the perceived slight.But the idea was in the public domain, and in the four days since it has been the subject of considerable discussion. At the forefront is the Reform Group, a loose collection consisting of two former England captains – Michael Atherton and Bob Willis – Michael Parkinson, David Willis (Bob’s brother), and Nigel Wray, the multi-millionaire owner of the Saracens Rugby Football Club.Over the weekend the Reform Group published an open letter outlining a four-point plan to safeguard the future of the game. They said they were responding to “England’s performances against South Africa” and supporting MacLaurin’s comments. Their proposals were:1. An end to the First-Class Forum (made up of the first-class counties) which wields considerable power within the game, and its replacement by a streamlined management board responsible for all aspects of the game without the vested interest that the existing forum has.2: A reduction in the number of first-class teams to improve the quality of domestic cricket being played.3. A de-professionalisation of parts of the county game, allied to the establishment of a properly organised and financed county-based Premier League system.4. The creation of a true pyramid structure which allows non-professionals the chance to progress into the higher levels of the game. This would also create closer links between the professional and amateur competition.Mike Soper, chairman of the First-Class Forum, gave the proposal a mixed response. "I don’t agree with half of what the group has said. Some of it makes sense. You don’t just look at a piece of paper and agree with everything written on it, similarly you don’t dismiss it either.”But Soper did support the view that change was needed. “The ECB was formed six years ago, I think it is now time that we started looking at the whole constitution again. I don’t think the First-Class Forum will ever relinquish its power, until they are happy that the governing body and the executive can deliver."I don’t agree that there should be a reduction in the number of professional counties, but I do think Second XIs should be scrapped, and perhaps replaced with an amateur U-19 competition. If you got rid of half-a-dozen players from the 18 counties, reducing squads to 16 or 17 full-time professionals, then that will save around 100 players.”

Glenn McGrath is a rated no more than 50/50 to be fit to play in the first Test against Zimbabwe, which starts at Perth on October 9. McGrath underwent surgery on his ankle in August, and only started bowling in the nets on Wednesday.Errol Alcott, Australia’s physiotherapist, said that McGrath would not be rushed back into action. “He now has to increase his workload and not pull up with any soreness,” he explained. “At this stage it’s still touch and go, we still have to go through a few checkpoints first.”McGrath is due to have his ankle re-examined next week, although a final decision on whether he will play at Perth is not likely to be made until the end of the month.

The Pub Charity CCA Club Cricket Draw – 11 October 2003MEN’S CRICKET1st Grade Men:R1 – 4 & 11 Oct (2 Day)2nd day of 22nd Grade Men:R1 – 4 & 11 Oct (2 Day)2nd day of 2Please note ground change:St.A v OC (Now at Hag 3)3rd Grade Gold Men:R1 – 4 & 11 Oct (2-day)2nd day of 2Please note ground changes:LPW v Ricc (Now at Ensors 2),Syd v BWU Maroon (Now at Syd 2),ES Gold v BWU Gold (Now at HC 3).3rd Grade Red:R1 – 11 & 18 October (2-day)Christs College v SBHS SBHS 1,STAC v St. Bedes St. Bedes 1,TBHS v Burnside HS TBHS 1,St. Thom v CBHS Straven 1.3rd Grade Black:R1 – 11 & 18 October (2-day)Christs College v SBHS CC 1,STAC v St. Bedes STAC 1,CBHS Blue v Burnside HS Burn HS 1,Ricc HS v CBHS Black Ricc HS 1.4th Grade Men:St. A A v LPW Yabbage Ensors 1,BWU v St. A B Burn 3,ES v Mar Ilam 1,ES Hooters v OC Cavs Elm 2.5th Grade Men:Ricc Gold v OC Gold Ilam 6,Ricc Hogs v BWU Maroon HC 8,BWU Gold v BWU Blue Burn 4,LPW Yaks v St. A Wool 2,BWU SNCC v Syd Muppets Ilam 3.6th Grade Men:Mar Fozzie B’s v LPW Ensors 3,OC SGC v OC Tan Polo 2,Syd Red v Mar Gold Ilam 5,Parklands v Syd Blue Polo 4,BWU v St. A Polo 3.President’s Men:Ricc v ES Gold Clare 1,Mar v LPW Gladiators Wool 1,HSOB Gold v OC HSC,LPW Red v BWU Burn 1,ES Blue v St.A Blue HC 9,Syd v St.A Gold Ilam 4,Sum Misfits v Hospital Ilam 2.WOMEN’S CRICKET1st Grade Women:R1 – 4 & 11 Oct2nd day of 21st Reserve Grade Women:R1 – 4 & 11 Oct2nd day of 22nd Grade Women:OC-Country v LPW Malvern 1,Syd v St.A HC 7,Hare Bye.3rd Grade:BWU v Oc-Country Malvern 2,LPW v Ricc Polo 1,St.A v Syd Syd 4.4th Grade Primary Girls:Coaching for all 4th Grade Primary Girls with the State Canterbury Magicians. Coaching starts at 8.45am at Hospital Corner, meeting at the Helicopter Pad – all new players welcome.

Ranjith Fernando, Sri Lanka A team manager in South Africa and Kenya, hascriticised his young players for lacking professionalism. Fernando, speaking after the return of the team, worried about the future of Sri Lankan cricket unless the players accelerated their development by shouldering greater responsibility.He reserved praise though for the captaincy of Russel Arnold and describedthe batting of Nuwan Zoysa, who scored runs as an opener in Kenya, as arevelation. Both players are expected to be recalled to the national squadlater this week.”It is no use trying to fool yourself on the success we achieved in Kenyaand to some extent in South Africa. We have to look ahead and see whether wehave players for the long term,” said Fernando.Sri Lanka A lost the three-match one-day series 2-1 and the two unofficial Tests series 1-0 in South Africa. They followed it up with a 5-0 thrashing of the Kenyan national team in the one-day series, providing some compensation for the Sri Lanka team’s loss to Kenya in the 2003 World Cup.”We have players as short-term replacements, but on the long term theseplayers need definite improvement in their approach to the game. They musttry to take decisions and do things on their own rather than wait forsomeone to push them or tell them what to do. This is what is lacking in ourcricket culture,” said Fernando.”They are a fine bunch of cricketers who will develop with time. But thepace at which they are going now they will need at least another two yearsto get there. They’ll need to accelerate their development,” he said.A good example Fernando gave was that when the fast bowlers came up againstfast and bouncy pitches in South Africa, they were unable to decide on theirown how to adjust to the proper line and length.”The injury to Michael Vandort was the biggest drawback we faced in South Africa. He pulled a hamstring and was out of the two important four-day games,” Fernando said. “Michael was in excellent form and we were looking to him to hold the batting together.”Russell Arnold played very well in the one-dayers in Kenya. Although he didnot get any big scores he showed a lot of potential as a leader,” said Fernando.”Nuwan Zoysa’s batting was a revelation. He bowled well and his fitness hasimproved. But I think his potential as a batsman should be utilised to thefull,” he said.Fernando also said that Jehan Mubarak, who scored centuries in South Africa aswell as in Kenya, should be “ready to shoulder more responsibilities”, thatLanka de Silva “played well within his limitations”, Rangana Herath “bowledwell in conditions that suited him”, and that Prasanna Jayawardene kept wicket”brilliantly” but needed to improve his batting.Apart from the injury to Vandort, the other opener, Avishka Gunawardena, wasforced to return home with a fractured forearm that has put him out of action for at least 4-6 weeks. Fast bowler Omesh Wijesiriwardene suffered a shoulder injury while batting.

Andrew Flintoff, who stood in as captain for England’s drawn tour match in Colombo, has insisted that their preparations are going to plan ahead of next week’s first Test in Galle – despite another day that was cut short by rain in the mid-afternoon.”It’s a shame we couldn’t get a full match in as it starts raining about the same time every day,” said Flintoff. “But we have had some valuable match practice, all the boys had a bowl and we spent time in the middle. That is what we needed going into that first Test match.”Flintoff was unconcerned that England were unable to force victory, although they enjoyed much the better of the final day’s play as the Sri Lankan Cricket President’s XI reached the close on 135 for 4, an overall lead of two runs.”Obviously we wanted to win the game,” said Flintoff. “But it was also important that the batters got an opportunity and the bowlers got mileage in their legs.” With an unbeaten 151 for Mark Butcher, and a wicket apiece to James Kirtley and the three spinners, Ashley Giles, Gareth Batty and Robert Croft, England did just that.The first Test begins at Galle on Tuesday.

The politics of India’s forthcoming tour of Pakistan might have largely been sorted, but now the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing another problem – arranging the itinerary.A report in the Pakistan-based News claims that PCB officials are seriously worried about the logistics involved in the trip. The main centres – Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi – there are not too many issues. Accommodation is plentiful, the facilities inside the grounds are good, and security is tight and well drilled.But an unnamed PCB official is quoted as saying that other proposed venues – such as Multan and Faisalabad – pose altogether more serious concerns. “The available accommodation is not enough in these cities to cater to the requirements of the series,” the source told the newspaper. “You can imagine the logistical problems we are facing in scheduling the matches.”Faisalabad has the problem of few five or four star hotels and the biggest problem is there is limited space for the media in the stadium itself,” he added. “The board is also keeping in mind that Faisalabad this season has already hosted one Test and three one-dayers against Bangladesh, South Africa and New Zealand.”The detailed itinerary has yet to be announced but an official of the Indian board was quoted yesterday as saying that the first Test would be in Karachi, with subsequent Tests in Lahore and Faisalabad.”The first two one-day internationals would be held in Lahore,” he added, “followed by matches at Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Karachi.”

Najmul Abbas, a Pakistani who sought a court order to stop Wasim Akram from coaching India’s bowlers, has been reprimanded and fined by a judge at Lahore.Abbas put forward his case last September after Wasim was reported to be teaming up with India. However, it was today dismissed by Anwar Gondal, a civil judge. He said, “Wasim has been a national hero and unnecessary harassment has been caused to him.”Chowdhry Fawad Hussain, Wasim’s lawyer, said Abbas’s fine of 15,000 rupees (£144) would be going to the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Research hospital, which is run by Imran Khan. Fawad said, “The case was frivolous and a publicity stunt against Wasim, and we are delighted that it is dismissed."Wasim, who retired last May last year, was also happy with the outcome. “I am delighted because publicity mongers have caused disturbance not only for me, but for the court, and such cases should not be accepted in future,” he said. “I can never think of passing any secrets but if a young bowler comes to seek advice, I will help him, irrespective of his nationality.”In the end, the Indian board hired Bruce Reid, the former Australia Test bowler, as their bowling coach last November. However, Wasim has been helping India’s attack on their current tour of Australia, and he was forced to defend his position last week when Javed Miandad, the coach, accused him of passing on his secrets.Wasim’s association with India has also prompted the Pakistani media to question his loyalty ahead of the proposed series between Pakistan and India this March. But Wasim hit back by saying, “I have not modified their actions or anything like that. Nor have I handed them any secret weapons.”