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England allrounder Andrew Flintoff’s chances of playing in Thursday’s first npower Test against Zimbabwe at Lord’s have been described as “very doubtful” by the England & Wales Cricket Board’s chief medical officer, Dr Peter Gregory.Flintoff did not practise at Lord’s today after tests carried out last Friday revealed bruising and swelling around the nerves in his right shoulder. The injury continues to affect his right bowling arm and hand.There was more worrying news for England after Matthew Hoggard underwent an ultra-sound scan this morning which revealed strained abdominal muscles in his left side – but according to an England spokesman, the injury is healing and his fitness will be re-assessed after England training on Tuesday. Hoggard batted during England’s indoor practice at Lord’s on Monday afternoon but did not bowl.James Kirtley looks likely to make his Test debut at Lord’s if Hoggard is ruled out.As if those two injuries weren’t enough, Mark Butcher twisted his right ankle during the practice session, but it is not expected to keep him out of the match.

Tormented once, as Shane Warne says, by master-blaster SachinTendulkar in nightmares, the legendary leg-spinner has finally foundwords to express his admiration for the batsman.A candid and insightful autobiography by Warne, which hit the standsin Sydney, describes how he was “Tendul-corized” and hails the Indianas “number one” in the game.Amongst descriptions of the many memorable matches played againstalmost all cricketing nations across the globe, Warne relates thelegendary on-field battles with Tendulkar and Brian Lara.”Much has been made of my personal contest with Tendulkar,” he writes.”Some people have said that my duel with Tendulkar in India in 1997-98was the most compelling Test cricket they have ever seen, but there isno doubt he enjoyed the better of the exchanges.”He has played me better than anybody. Most Indian batsmen pick thelength very quickly, even when it is flighted above the eyeline, butTendulkar moved into position even earlier than the likes of MohammadAzharuddin and Rahul Dravid.”The eulogy continues. “His footwork is immaculate. He would either goright forward or all the way back and he has the confidence to go forhis strokes. I suppose I would be confident too if I batted as well asTendulkar.”The candid admissions seem to flow right from his heart as he says,”Although my statistics in that series don’t make happy reading, I amstill prepared to say it was a pleasure to bowl to him”.Warne even goes on to write: “Obviously, I never bowled to the Don,but if he was consistently superior to Tendulkar then I am glad he wasan Australian.”On the loss in the Coca Cola Cup final in Sharjah, Warne says, “Wewere once again Tendul-corized!”He also talks of how ahead of the 1997-98 series against India whilehe was recuperating in Australia, Sachin was practising intensively bydeliberately scuffing up an area outside leg stump in the nets to facethe Aussie wrist spinners.”I suppose I should take it as a compliment that he felt he needed todo that before he took Australia and me on. I have nothing butadmiration for the guy and as the series progressed he showed why heis the number one.”The other Indian batsman who impressed Warne during the series was theopener Navjot Singh Sidhu. “One batsman I never felt received thecredit he deserved during the series was Navjot Sidhu,” he writes.Among the spinners during 1990s who gave Warne most pleasure were AnilKumble and Mushtaq Ahmed. Warne writes, “If he was not a hero in Indiaalready then Kumble set himself up for life when he took all 10Pakistan wickets in an innings in Delhi in February 1999.”Kumble was always like an old buddy for Warne. “We would chat aboutour methods. It is no different from a couple of used-car salesmenbumping into each other. They will pass on a few tricks aboutdeceiving customers while we talk about deceiving batsmen.”Kumble’s strengths are his longevity and consistency…. He is athorough gentleman off the field but extremely competitive on thefield.”Warne talks at length about the match-fixing controversy whilepleading his innocence.”I have never attempted to fix a game or any part of a game in mylife. I never would and never will. Nor have I knowingly receivedmoney from a bookmaker.”As far as the man I knew only as John is concerned, I was stupid andnaive to accept money. It didn’t dawn on me that he might be involvedwith trying to fix cricket matches. I thought he was a wealthy man wholiked to bet, who had won money on Australia in the past and wanted toexpress his thanks. I took it at face value and thought he was tellingthe truth.””In hindsight I think it would have been better for all of us if theBoard had made it public straight away.”The news that Mark Waugh and Shane Warne had taken money from a bookiebroke after months of silence from the ACB in December 1998.”In my heart I knew I had done nothing wrong. I would love John tocome forward to confirm my version of the story. In future, if I canstill help the cricket authorities to get to the bottom of anythingrelating to corruption then I will be happy to assist,” he writes.He further writes: “Like Hansie Cronje, Mohammad Azharuddin wasanother guy I never held under any suspicion, but who is said to havebeen involved. I thought of him as a very polite, sensitive, quietperson, who dressed extremely smartly away from the game.”He was also a particularly high class batsman, capable of takingbatting to another level on his day.”Even while discussing Sharjah and charges of it being the hotbed ofcorruption, Warne cannot help but allude to Tendulkar, albeit in ahumurous vein. “I have played in Sharjah, where investigations havecentred, and not to my knowledge, set eyes upon a bookmaker.”I am afraid, like Sachin’s straight drives, it all went over myhead!”In Warne’s opinion, match-fixing warrants a life ban and it is theduty of every cricketer to pass on any information however small andinsignificant it might seem to the authorities.But his own gambling habits are no hidden secrets. “I played blackjackand roulette and bet on Aussie Rules, but never on cricket when I wasinvolved.”Warne, who made his Test debut against India in 1991-92, says, “Apartfrom the pitches in India, the harsh conditions, heat and humidityexplain why so few sides come out on top.”But I must say that food did not present quite the problem for methat people might have imagined from some of the newspaper headlinesand pictures of tinned spaghetti and baked beans being shipped outwith the words ‘To Shane Warne in India’ plastered all over thecrates.”Warne is indignant about the Australian team being labelled as theworst sledgers in the world. “Fast bowlers generally sledge out offrustration. For some reason Australia have acquired the reputation ofbeing the worst sledgers in the world, but I think New Zealand shouldhold that mantle.”Compared to the Australian side I joined in the early 1990s, the teamof today is relatively quiet, even with McGrath in our ranks,” hewrites.And it was none other than Allan Border who taught Warne theusefulness of sledging. “If things were not happening for me, he(Border) suggested it was probably worth having a word with thebatsman – not for the sake of having a go, but to switch myself on forthe contest.”While Shane Warne may not have been included in Bradman’s Dream Team,he has been voted one of the five greatest cricketers of the twentiethcentury along with Sir Donald Bradman, Gary Sobers, Vivian Richardsand Jack Hobbs.In the book, Warne lists his own Dream Team and Tendulkar, who is theonly contemporary cricketer to find a place in Bradman’s XI, figuresin both Rest of the World Test and one-day teams.

Ahead of Australia A’s series against his side, the India A coach Rahul Dravid had made it clear he wanted quick, bouncy pitches. Viewing his role as “someone to develop young players so they can go and perform overseas”, Dravid had called for conditions that would test his young batsmen’s ability against the Australian fast bowlers.”If on tracks that have good pace and bounce, if somebody succeeds as a batsman, then we will know these guys are capable of playing at the next level.”Going by those words, the surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium for the first four-day game will not have pleased Dravid. With the ball barely coming on to the bat, India A’s batsmen were engaged in an attritional battle against stump-to-stump bowling on day one. Australia A did not even bother with a slip after lunch on the first day, reckoning edges would not carry that far. Not that the batsmen were rejoicing: with the ball not coming on, they couldn’t play their shots for fear of scooping catches to short mid-on or short cover.KL Rahul, who scored a composed 96 on the first day, said it would have been “nice” to play on a quicker pitch, but maintained that the sluggish surface still posed plenty of challenges.”As players we were not focusing on what wicket we were going to get,” Rahul said, at the end of the second day’s play. “Whatever wicket you’re going to get, you have to put your best foot forward, make the best use of these conditions. And we know these conditions well.”We came here expecting slow turn, and we were prepared for this, but if we did get a bouncy wicket, it would have been nice, it would have been a good challenge for us. Not like this is not challenging, this is still challenging, because it’s very hot and the wicket is very slow. Outfield is a little heavy, so you have to push yourself as players and physically it is very tough. We’re enjoying this.”Still, between the two camps, you would suspect Australia A are happier with how the series is panning out so far – not so much in terms of the match situation, which is nicely balanced, as much as the kind of challenge their players are coming through.The management has already seen how their players respond to conditions vastly different from anything back home. They must be pleased with the discipline shown by the seamers on the first day, the way the left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe bounced back from a poor start to finish with six wickets, and the century partnership between Peter Handscomb and Marcus Stoinis late on day two. They may even be thankful to the curator for providing their players such a test of their skill and adaptability.It has been a test for India A too; It just isn’t the test their coach had envisioned.

South Africa’s domestic match-fixing scandal could move into the courtroom after CSA confirmed it had sent the information in its possession to the South African Police Services. An update given at a CSA board meeting in Johannesburg on Friday stated that the matter was reported last year to the relevant police crime unit who will “deal with the criminal aspects of the investigation”.When contacted previously by ESPNcricinfo, brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, the spokesperson for the directorate for priority crime investigations, said the police were “aware that there is an investigation going on but we have not received anything”. Mulaudzi was unavailable for comment on Friday but another police source confirmed the department had still not received any information.The priority crime investigation department would be the first port of call for a complaint to be laid but the case, if taken up, would be handled by specialised corruption unit, the Hawks. Match-fixing is a crime in South Africa under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Law.Gulam Bodi is the only player CSA has sanctioned so far. He was banned for 20 years (five suspended) on Monday. CSA said it believed it had caught Bodi in the “planning phase” and no matches were actually fixed. It would not comment on other aspects of the ongoing investigation.However, ESPNcricinfo has learned that two former Test cricketers and at least one other international have admitted to failing to report offers to fix matches in the ongoing South African investigation. They are expected to learn their fate in the next week. One of those players told ESPNcricinfo he believed that by refusing the offer and co-operating with the investigation, he has cleared his name.”I spent five to six hours with the investigator explaining what happened. I knew about what Gulam [Bodi] was doing and he made me an offer but I declined,” he said. “Now it’s about waiting for the investigation to be finalised and then to see what’s going to happen. There are about 12 or 13 other guys in the same position.”Despite several sources, who asked to remain anonymous, suggesting stakeholders within South African cricket are unhappy with the way the investigation is being handled because they fear a cover-up, CSA president Chris Nenzani said the board have given the investigation a stamp of approval.”The board is satisfied with the progress that has been made so far and with the lengthy ban that was imposed on Mr Bodi,” Nenzani said. “We will strongly uphold our stance of zero tolerance on any corruption matter. The internal investigation under the CSA Anti-Corruption Code continues and we are confident that our experienced investigative team will leave no stone unturned.”At the same time, the board supported a request by CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat to hold a comprehensive review of the Ram Slam – the tournament tainted by the scandal – with a “a view to expanding its cricket and commercial values”. The 20-over competition has tried for several years to obtain the profile of some of its counterparts such as the Big Bash or Caribbean Premier League but the timing of the tournament, which often clashes with the national team’s schedule, and the weakening rand are among the obstacles to its success.It may face another roadblock after title sponsor Ram, a courier company, told News 24 they are awaiting the outcome of the match-fixing scandal before renewing their association with CSA. “We are hopeful that CSA is taking every measure to comprehensively investigate the allegations and enforce a ‘Zero Tolerance’ approach. However no one ever wants their brand associated with any dishonest activities and we are seriously considering the outcome of the matter before renewing our sponsorship,” Alan Da Costa said.

Division Two

Bottom-placed Glamorgan are on the verge of defeat after Middlesex – and specifically Murali Kartik, who bagged eight wickets – came close to bowling them out twice in one day. Middlesex pressed on to 361 and then knocked over the visitors for 106, before having them teetering at 120 for 6, still 135 adrift. It was a day to remember for Kartik though, who took six wickets in the first innings at Lord’s and two in the second.Lowly Gloucestershire eased into a first-innings lead of 91 against Derbyshire at Bristol courtesy of centuries from Grant Hodnett and Alex Gidman. While Gidman fell on Nelson, Hodnett was unbeaten on 133 as Gloucestershire closed at 403 for 7. Craig Spearman also contributed 52 for the home side, with Graham Wagg grabbing three wickets for the visitors.

Division One

Durham continued to boss proceedings at The Riverside, piling up 378 for 6 against Warwickshire to take a first-innings lead of 139, with four wickets still remaining. The two sides are neck-and-neck in third and fourth at the moment, but Durham are in much the commanding position, with Ben Harmison not out on 84. Dale Benkenstein made 45, while Kyle Coetzer weighed in with his third first-class ton. He was eventually removed for 142.A full report of Lancashire’s second day against second-placed Sussex can be read here.

The BCCI has decided that from October Indian players will have to seek the board’s permission before they sign endorsement deals. The players’ contracts come up for renewal on October 1 and the board, through a clause in the contracts, will ensure that there is no conflict of interest between the board’s sponsors and those of individual players.”We have decided to ask the players to give us advance information about the endorsement contracts they will sign in future to avoid clash of sponsors’ interests,” said Niranjan Shah, the board secretary.Shah explained that there was already a clause in the contract which required the players to send a copy of every signed endorsement deal to the board. As per the altered clause, the board will insist that the players intimate it about endorsement deals they were interested in and get its approval before going ahead and signing on the dotted line.Asked whether the players would get a chance to look at the deals which the BCCI has signed vis-a-vis the team, Shah said, “we are an open book and everyone knows who are our team sponsors”.Commenting on the new developments, Virender Sehwag said the players had no issue with the BCCI signing up various companies as team sponsors as long as it did not trample on their individual sponsorship contracts.”I don’t think it is a problem. We can do whatever they [the team sponsors] demand as long as it is for the team. As long as it is not an individual demand, it is fine,” said Sehwag.The BCCI has signed a contract worth $ 43 million (Rs190 crore) with Nike that allows the Nike label to be displayed on the non-leading arm of the players’ jerseys and on their trousers.The Nike contract would be in conflict with some of the players who have individual contracts with rival companies, Adidas and Reebok.

Our Punter’s Point about the problems experienced by spectators at the Rose Bowl during the Champions Trophy produced a level of feedback not seen since the Mike Denness Affair in 2001. Most were highly critical of events last weekend, and many vowed never to return. Here’s a selection of your comments:

“The lack of serious thinking about the impact of so many people attending, and the feeling that we spectators were just an inconvenience, means I’ll think long and hard before going back.” Eve Smith“My first visit to the Rose Bowl would have been my last but I had already paid for semi-final day. I certainly did not go back on the Saturday as I would have done at any other ground. The park-and-ride was a complete disaster. As for queuing in the rain for three hours for a bus – never again.” Susan Mills“As we walked out of the ground we were confronted with one of the longest queues we’ve ever seen to get back to the car park. It took at least another two hours, maybe more, to get to my car: the queue had no order and we had to stand in the mud while it continued to rain.” Mark Fernando“The increased seating meant parts of the ground could not be reached by walking behind and so some people were interrupted for hours by people walking in front of them to get to their seats.” Nigel Lander“The standard and variety of food available was lamentable. Tickets priced at £40 per seat demand more than 30-minute queues for a pint of beer. A staff of four attempted manfully to serve a bar that had seven parallel queues of approximately 12 people. Lager ran out in the bar behind my seats at 12.25pm – an hour and ten minutes after play started.” Adam Mason“Closing the east entrance ten minutes before play started and insisting people walk around the ground to the west entrance just made things worse. Our neighbours arrived 45 minutes after the start of play but were in the queue at 9.45am (90 minutes earlier).” Nigel Hills“Arriving at the ground with the game under way, we were met by obnoxious and over-zealous staff who need some serious customer-skills classes. They couldn’t handle the numbers coming in and were going out of their way to wind up and further delay the entrants. I didn’t have a bag but watched the irritation of others unfold before me.” Nicholas Stevenson“17,000 spectators had to go though a single gate. The main hold-up was that stewards were checking for non-sponsor brands in the bags.” Chanaka Wirasinha“I drove down on Saturday, only to find out the park-and-ride was not in operation. This wasn’t mentioned on any tickets or information accompanying the tickets. More focus was on the ridiculous branding information which is killing the thought of a day out to watch cricket.” Rishya Nadeswaran “Chips (half a portion) at £2.00 … bacon-and-egg roll at £4.00 … coffee at £2.00. I know what I will do the next time around – I won’t be at the Rose Bowl.” Philip Gnana-MuttuIf you have any further comments please e-mail us.

As an 18-year-old in 1982, Arjuna Ranatunga played in Sri Lanka’s very first Test, against England in Colombo. Fourteen years later, in March 1996, he tickled the winning runs to third man, to secure victory over Australia in the World Cup final at Lahore. If he had come a long way as a person, then it was nothing compared to the distance he had travelled with his team.In less than a generation, Sri Lanka had developed from international cricket’s whipping boys into a side capable of ruling the world, and Ranatunga’s influence had been felt every step of the way. Few players have been so obviously in command of a cricket team as Ranatunga, who would marshall his troops like a general on the battlefield. Like the best leaders, he instilled in his charges a victor’s mentality, all the while remaining on hand to leap to the defence of his players if the need ever arose.This outlook was reflected in his batting as well – strutting in at No. 5 or 6, he would delegate responsibility to the junior strokemakers in the top-order, who thrived on his trusting approach, but was always on hand to avert the intermittent crises that are part and parcel of a developing cricket team. Usually he would be successful as well.

Pakistan have struck a further blow to the concept of an Asia Cup by announcing their withdrawal from the event scheduled to be held in Bangladesh in August.”We have informed the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) of our inability to participate in the Asia Cup and will issue further details next week,” said Chisty Mujahid, director of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).The PCB decision is believed to have been prompted by India’s refusal to tour Pakistan for a Test and one-day series this summer. Pakistan had initially responded to that slight – New Delhi cites “cross-border terrorism” as its reason for eschewing bilateral matches – by announcing that they wouldn’t tour India in 2004.The Asia Cup, introduced in 1983-84, has had a chequered history as a result of the tension between the region’s two cricketing superpowers. The last time they played each other in an Asia Cup was back in May 2000, when Dhaka hosted the event. Since then, India and Pakistan have met only once, at Centurion during the recently concluded World Cup.India last toured Pakistan during the 1997-98 season, while the Pakistani team hasn’t crossed the border since 1998-99, when they played a Test series despite threats from Hindu fundamentalists.The ACC gave Bangladesh permission to host the event after Pakistan – the first choice – withdraw. Apart from Pakistan and India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and two associate members of the ACC – Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates – were expected to take part.Pakistan’s withdrawal now begs the question: how viable is the event, especially in an international calendar packed to overflowing?

Sheikhupura’s top order batsmen dazzled on theopening day of the National Under-19 Grade-I Championship as theyhanded Islamabad a 68-run defeat at the KRL Stadium Saturday.After batting first, Sheikhupura helped by fine knocks from KashifImran (89), Khalil Ahmed (63) and Javed Hussain (76) scored animpressive 269 for six off their 50 overs.Islamabad however ran out of overs in the end finishing on 201 fornine with Rashid Amin Butt (63) and Shakir Mahmood (43) doing somegood work.Sheikhupura opener Kashif Imran was in cracking form, hammering theIslamabad bowlers to all parts of the ground in scoring 89 thatincluded 13 strikes to the fence.Kashif was ably assisted by Khalil Ahmed who was equally impressive ashe contributed 63 with eight boundaries. Also among the runs was JavedHussain with a valuable 76.When Islamabad batted they suffered some quick blows and it was onlylater in the innings that Rashid and Shakir lent some kind ofrespectability to the total. The two sides now start a three-day gameto be played at the same venue from Sunday.