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Ravi Shastri, who has been appointed cricket manager for the tour of Bangladesh, admitted that the BCCI’s offer took him by surprise but said it was a good chance to contribute and felt he had the experience to do so.Shastri, a television anchor with ESPN-Star Sports, confirmed his appointment on Saturday after settling his other contractual obligations. Later in the day the BCCI announced the appointment – on an interim basis for the tour beginning early next month – at a press conference after the working committee meeting.”It did surprise me but, having said that, if you look at the state of Indian cricket at the moment, I thought it was a good time to put your hand up and asked to be counted,” Shastri said in an interview to ESPN. “For the years you have played the game and the years you have been part of the media, I do believe I have the experience to contribute.”However, Shastri reiterated that he will be available only for the Bangladesh tour. “No, it is just for Bangladesh and I am very clear about that in my mind and that will also give the Board the breathing space for a couple of months to identify the right kind of people, they need for the tour of England,” Shastri told the television channel CNN-IBN.When asked about the sudden dip in form for the Indian side, Shastri believed that there was no need to panic as yet, and that the team has the ability to bounce back soon. “You are not going to change the team overnight and I do not believe this Indian team can be bad in seven days,” he said. “I don’t think this good Indian team can be a very good team in 14 days.”Shastri also welcomed the BCCI’s decision to extend its working relationship with Greg Chappell, former coach, by offering him the post as director of the National Cricket Academy. Chappell made a presentation in the meeting suggesting measures to improve Indian cricket, which impressed Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president.”His presentation was outstanding,” Shastri said. “I am so happy that BCCI has offered Chappell a role in Indian cricket. The man has tremendous knowledge. He might not be happy with the way things have gone for the last year and half to two years. But I still believe he has still a lot to offer for Indian cricket.”Shastri was among seven former captains invited by the BCCI in Mumbai on Friday to suggest changes in the Indian cricket structure following India’s early exit from the World Cup and coach Chappell’s resignation. At that meeting, it was believed that he was the unanimous choice to succeed Chappell, given his good rapport with the Indian players. Shastri is also part of the Cricket Advisory committee set up by Pawar, which comprises seven former Indian captains.

Division One

2nd day
While the actions off the field took most of the attention (click here for more), Sussex fought hard to stay in their clash against Nottinghamshire after their batting failure on the first day. Mushtaq Ahmed, at the centre of the incident with Chris Read, finished with six wickets while Rana Naved-ul-Hasan claimed three to take his season tally to 20. Mark Ealham, though, extended Notts’ lead to 86 with a fighting fifty and an important stand of 68 with Ryan Sidebottom. Sussex lost three crucial wickets before the close, but Carl Hopkinson was unbeaten with a determined half century.Hampshire continued to control their match against Warwickshire by chipping out five wickets after they’d extended their first innings to 406. James Bruce claimed two early wickets and Dimitri Mascarenhas also chipped in with a pair. Jim Troughton held the innings together, but Warwickshire are still some way short of the follow-on target. John Crawley had earlier fallen four short of a ton when he was trapped lbw by Alex Loudon.1st day
Darren Lehmann launched a superb Yorkshire recovery from 34 for 4 with an outstanding, unbeaten 176 against Kent. He formed a stand of 229 with Craig White, who made 79, and turned the innings around in dramatic style. The century continued Lehmann’s productive start to the season and he is now approaching 500 runs in just four Championship matches. After their initial success with the new ball, Kent struggled as Robert Key tried seven bowlers.Jimmy Maher struck his first century of the season, but Chris Silverwood claimed four wickets as Durham and Middlesex shared the opening day honours at Chester-le-Street. Other than Maher, the Durham top order failed to sparkle and it was left to Phil Mustard to take the innings forward after Maher fell. Mustard added 88 with Ottis Gibson, but Silverwood struck late in the day to keep Middlesex in the match.

Division Two

2nd day
Leicestershire piled on the pain for Glamorgan by extending their total beyond 500 in an innings where the run rate only just tipped three an over for 167 overs. Dinesh Mongia could only add 19 to his overnight total but John Sadler reached the seventies, as did Paul Nixon who was accompanied by some solid efforts from the tail. David Masters, removing the dangerous Mark Cosgrove, and Mohammad Asif claimed a wicket each during the final session to keep Glamorgan firmly on the back foot.1st day
Somerset’s re-jigged batting order produced a team effort to as Essex had to work hard for wickets at Taunton. James Hildreth struck 57 and Keith Parsons is still there on 78, while only Wes Durston failed to contribute. With Somerset 244 for 6, Essex could have taken the honours, but without Darren Gough they were unable to claim their next breakthrough. Parsons and Peter Trego have so far added 68.It was a day for the bowlers at Bristol as 14 wickets fell between Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire. Ian Harvey, fit to bowl again, and Carl Greenidge took three apiece as Gloucestershire produced a much improved performance in the field after their abject effort against Surrey last week. Ben Phillips top-scored at No. 8 to highlight Nothamptonshire’s failings, but they hit back by dismissing the Gloucestershire top order in the final session.Graeme Welch played a captain’s innings to rescue Derbyshire from 132 for 6 against Worcestershire. He added 103 with James Pipe, who is playing against his former county, after Zaheer Khan had troubled the top order. Khan returned to wrap up the innings and finish with six wickets, his second such haul already this season.

Greg Blewett, the former Test batsman, will finish his state career at South Australia after signing a multi-year deal with the Redbacks. Despite considering a move for next season, Blewett will remain in Adelaide and be part of an envious top order including Darren Lehmann and Matthew Elliott, the new recruit from Victoria.”[This contract] will probably see me through, I’m 33 now, so it guarantees me I’m going to finish my career in SA, which is always what I wanted,” Blewett, who has played 225 matches since his first-class debut in 1991, told AAP. Blewett contacted players from other states to “sound out” his options and there was a feeling he wanted to leave once Elliott was signed.”It’s always a nervous time, contract time, you never know what the other party is thinking,” he said. “I was never really approached formally by anyone. I’d made all the approaches myself.”An opening batsman for most of the past few seasons, Blewett, who played 46 Tests, will probably drop to No. 3 next summer. “We’ve got one very good recruit but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to go on and win everything,” Blewett said. “At this stage I’d like to think we’re fairly confident of being up near the top somewhere.”

KwaZulu-Natal 33 for 1 trail Western Province 217 (Puttick 70, Dawson 56, Klusener 7-70) by 184 runs
Scorecard
Lance Klusener gave KwaZulu-Natal the first-day honours in the SuperSport Series final with seven wickets against Western Province, who were bowled out for 217 at a sunny Newlands.Western Province, the favourites, won the toss and chose to bat on a decent pitch, but any advantage was soon shortlived as Klusener produced one of his finest bowling performances, taking 7 for 70 in two spells. Using the conditions to assist his swing and change of pace, he mesmerised the Western Province batsmen.However, some resolute batting from Andrew Puttick and Alan Dawson allowed Western Province to limp to 217, having been teetering at 124 for 8 at one stage. Puttick made 70 before falling to a dubious lbw decision, and Dawson chipped in with a patient 56 lower down the order to show that he is still one of the better allrounders.When bad light stopped play, KwaZulu-Natal had progressed to 33 for 1, with Imran Khan and Hashim Amla at the crease.

Michael Vaughan has confirmed his interest in taking over the one-day captaincy from Nasser Hussain, insisting that he believes the future is bright for England in the limited-overs game.Vaughan returned from South Africa with the rest of the squad this morning after their elimination from the World Cup and a disappointing Ashes tour.Speaking at Manchester Airport, Vaughan said: “I seriously think we have come on leaps and bounds, not just over the tour but the last two years. When Australia came here in 1999 and played us in one-day cricket they hammered us in every single game.”Three out of the last five games we have played them in one-day cricket weshould have come out on top. You just see what they are doing to other teams in world cricket. So to get near to Australia in a few games is quite a good achievement.”Vaughan has little experience of captaincy, but would relish the challenge of leading England in one-day games.”The only way to find out is by having a go,” he said. “The best way to learn and gain experience is by going out and doing it. I am up for the challenge.If the selectors sit down and offer me the job there is no way I can refuse.”At the moment I am physically and mentally drained from a long winter, so the next six weeks I am going to sit down and work out a few things. Within those six weeks if I get offered the job I am going to take it.”But there are going to be plenty of candidates, not just within the team butoutside the team. The selectors are going to have a hard job and will have to make some tough decisions. Obviously, if they offer it to me I would be delighted.”It’s been a good winter and the Test matches against Australia went reallywell,” he added. “I am reasonably happy with the way I played. To get knocked out of the World Cup and not reach the Super Sixes is a bitter disappointment as it is a spectacular event.”I would love still to be in South Africa. But it has been a long haul afterleaving in October and I am looking forward to seeing family and friends.”Lancashire’s James Anderson intends taking his game further after a rapid rise through the ranks. He won two watches for man-of-the-match performances.”They are going on the mantelpiece when I get home,” Anderson said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but being around the team has been incredible. The atmosphere everywhere was unbelievable.”I tried to enjoy every minute, the only shame was we had a disappointing finish. Now it is important I build on what I have learned. The senior players were all very helpful. I have got to keep trying to improve and keep working on my action.”

To say that the young cricketers on the Barbados Under-13 cricket teamare delighted to be heading of to England today would be a hugeunderstatement.The 25 youngsters are "on top of the world" in anticipation of thetour, which features 18 matches in a packed itinerary from August 12to September 1.The party has swelled to 40 – with family members, well-wishers andadministrators joining the players and team officials on the trip.Herein lies the future of Barbados’ cricket, said tour manager andveteran sports administrator Adrian Donovan."Cricket in Barbados was on the way down and we realised something hadto be done about it," said the senior administrator of the NationalSports Council.He said the format and idea for such a team came two years ago at apresentation ceremony of the Herman Griffith Primary Schools’Competition.The tour in many ways is a tribute to former Barbados and West Indiesfast bowling great Malcolm Marshall.Former West Indies batting greats Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes,former teammates and close friends of "Maco", were roped into theprogramme when they returned from overseas to work with the Gems ofBarbados Project.Joel Garner, the former pace partner of Marshall, is also workingclosely with the juniors and will accompany them."We felt when Gordon and Desmond came back they were the idealpersons. They readily came aboard and have been of great help,"Donovan said.He also hailed the efforts of coaches Thelston Payne, Milton Small,George Linton and Richard Straker, who all played with Marshall forBarbados."Exposure is the main goal, also the opportunity to play underdifferent conditions," said Donovan."These lads are seen as the most talented crop of cricketers for awhile."They were harnessed from very early and they are showing attributesof dynamism – eating, sleeping and drinking cricket."They are students of the game, a lot like Marshall was. They arereally studying their art," he added."It’s not only about cricket either. It is also about maintaininggrades in school, and this group has been doing well. Here we have awonderful mix between academics and sports."The manager added that the trip is costing over $120 000 and hepraised the efforts of parents, and thanked corporate Barbados fortheir support.It was 13 years ago when Marshall took a record 35 wickets in fiveTests in England at the amazing average of 12.65 per wicket.If we look ahead another 13 years it would be unrealistic to expectall the young players embarking on this tour to emerge as West IndiesTest cricketers of the future.But somewhere in there, a young Marshall is waiting for his chance toblossom in what is turning out to be a sunny, Caribbean-style summerin England.That would surely make "Maco" smile from beyond the grave.

MRF were in a position of considerable strength when bad light stoppedplay about an hour before the scheduled close on the second day oftheir Buchi Babu all India invitation tournament pre-quarterfinalagainst All India Associate Banks at the MAC stadium in Chennai onMonday.Resuming at 320 for five, MRF declared their first innings at 490 fornine. Associate Banks were 84 for three when play was first suspendedand then abandoned for the day.Tanveer Jabbar, 110 not out overnight, scored only four more runsbefore being dismissed. But N Gautam and the later order batsmenprolonged the bank team’s agony. Skipper M Senthilnathan, himself nomean batsman at one time, came in at No 8 and and scored 14, helpingGautam to add 27 runs for the seventh wicket. Then Gautam and Testleft arm spin bowler Venkatpathi Raju (21) were associated in aneighth wicket partnership of 49 runs off 11 overs. Finally, Gautam andZaheer Khan put a tired and dispirited attack to the sword by adding90 runs for the ninth wicket off 20.2 overs. Gautam, who batted ashade under three hours was then caught by Akhil off Sridhar for 83.He faced 121 balls and hit five fours and three sixes. Zaheer remainedunbeaten on 43, scored off 66 balls. He hit four fours and two sixes.The innings was declared when Gautam was out.If Associate Banks were to pose a serious challenge to MRF’s total, agood start was imperative. But they never got it. Opener CP Sahu (12)slipped while trying for a single and was run out by a direct hit fromKanitkar at point. Daniel Manohar and Devendra Bundela battled alongbut batting was generally a struggle. Finally Manohar who battedalmost two hours for 27, was caught by Raju off Gautam.Pankaj Dharmani decided a counter attack was the best method andquickly hit two boundaries. He then lifted the first ball off anAashish Kapoor over high into the stands on the pavilion terrace. Theformer Indian off spinner however kept him guessing for the rest ofthe over and then off the last ball had him edging a quicker one toMSK Prasad behind the stumps. Dharmani’s 17 came up off only 23 balls.Hardly had VST Naidu joined Bundela when the light worsened and theplayers came off. Bundela has so far batted 102 minutes and faced 62deliveries for his 12. It goes without saying that Associate Banksface a herculean task to overhaul the MRF total on the morrow.

Harbhajan Singh’s exoneration for his alleged “monkey” comment towards Andrew Symonds has been hailed as a victory for justice in India, but the decision has incensed Australia’s cricketers, who believe their board has caved in to overwhelming pressure from the game’s financial superpower.In a front-page article in Wednesday’s Sydney Morning Herald, an unnamed Australian cricketer has hit out at the decision, which was only reached after Cricket Australia persuaded their five players at the hearing to downgrade their charge against Harbhajan from racism to abusive language. Instead of being banned for three Tests as per the original verdict, he was fined 50% of his match fee.”The thing that pisses us off is that it shows how much power India has,” the anonymous contracted player told the paper. “The Aussie guys aren’t going to make it [the accusation] up. The players are frustrated because this shows how much influence India has, because of the wealth they generate. Money talks.”In what the paper described as a “brazen act of provocation”, the Indian board chartered a plane to whisk their one-day squad from Melbourne – the venue for Friday’s Twenty20 fixture – to Adelaide, so that they could fly home to India if the charges against Harbhajan were not dropped. The move was described by MV Sridhar, the team’s assistant manager, as a “show of solidarity”.Friday’s match alone – the curtain-raiser for the lucrative CB Series – is expected to attract a crowd in excess of 90,000, and Cricket Australia, fearing the loss of millions of dollars in TV rights, sponsorship and gate takings, opted not to call India’s bluff. It was also believed to be under pressure from broadcasters who could have sued had the series been abandoned. The reported the players had an often fiery meeting with Cricket Australia officials during the fourth Test and it was agreed the charge would be lowered if Harbhajan apologised.An Indian pull-out would have threatened Sri Lanka’s participation in the CB Series as well. Arjuna Ranatunga, the chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket, and other senior board officials told the earlier that the board was keeping an eye on the developments in the hearing before deciding whether to commit to the tour or not.The issue was resolved late on Tuesday night, when Cricket Australia and the BCCI issued a joint statement, saying Symonds and Harbhajan had “resolved” the issue and that both captains were also “satisfied with the outcome”.Australia’s unofficial opinion, however, is less placatory. The team maintain that Harbhajan abused Symonds both in Sydney and three months earlier during an ill-tempered one-day series in India. In audio evidence supplied by Channel 9 – and played before the appeals commissioner, Justice John Hansen – Matthew Hayden is heard remonstrating with Harbhajan. “You’ve got a witness now, champ,” says Hayden. “It’s racial vilification, mate. It’s a shit word and you know it.”Harbhajan can be heard protesting that Symonds started the verbals, but the actual word is inaudible on the tapes. “Ultimately, truth has prevailed,” said the BCCI vice-president, Rajiv Shukla. “India has always stood against racism. Cricket is the victor in all this.”Ranatunga, a former Sri Lankan captain, called for a ban on sledging and hoped the Australians would learn their lessons from this controversy.”Australia have had these issues with some touring sides,” Ranatunga told . “History shows whenever they get it back, they struggle. Sometimes they also need to learn a lesson. I’m a great believer they should stop all shouting in the grounds.”

Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, said his team felt “added pressure” to beat Ireland on Tuesday as they tried to set themselves up to progress past the Super Eights stage. Arthur also said South Africa wanted to avoid a rematch with Australia in the semi-finals.South Africa face Ireland and Bangladesh this week and need a more convincing performance than in their warm-up game when Ireland nearly pinched a shock victory. South Africa were in trouble at 91 for 8 before Andrew Hall led a recovery that inched them to 192. Ireland were on track to overhaul the total until they lost 18 for 6 in a late collapse.Arthur said beating Ireland and Bangladesh, which would give South Africa six points from three matches, was crucial. “They are huge games because when you sit down and make plans for the rest of the tournament, they are both ‘banker’ games and, with games like that, there comes an added pressure,” Arthur told .”If things go well, we would also hope to work a little bit on our net run-rate because, in the event of two teams finishing with the same number of points after the Super Eights, they will be divided by their overall run rate. But first prize is to leave Guyana with six points – if we can do that I’ll be a very happy man.”South Africa almost choked in their opening Super Eights match against Sri Lanka after Lasith Malinga’s four wickets from four balls. Arthur said the tense win had “taken quite a few years off my life”.”At five wickets down with four runs needed to win, I started packing away the kit bags, but then it suddenly became very hectic,” he said. “It was always going to take something extremely special to derail us from there and Malinga certainly nearly delivered it.”Arthur said South Africa’s best chance to make the World Cup final would be to avoid the defending champions. “Based on current form I wouldn’t mind staying away from Australia in the semi-finals,” he said. “Right now I firmly believe the last four teams will be Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and South Africa based on what I have seen but we still have an awful lot of work to do to be sure of our place.”

ScorecardIt will be nothing more than a formality for Trinidad and Tobago when they return to Guaracara Park to wrap up their Carib Beer Cup semi-final against the Windward Islands.Facing a mammoth target of 541, due to T&T’s second innings total of 416, a batting collapse saw Windwards tottering at 102 for 7 at the end of the third day. A sparkling 161 by Daren Ganga, the T&T captain, and late wickets for Amit Jaggernauth and Dave Mohammed made sure that T&T ended the day on the brink of an outright victory and a berth in next weekend’s final.Mohammed gave an impressive allround performance, scoring 43 not out in a 51-run ninth wicket partnership with his captain, before returning to rip the heart out of the Windwards batting with figures of 4 for 31 off nine overs.Devon Smith, the Windwards opener, looked formidable, slamming six fours in his 33, but when Mohammed had him trapped in front leg-before, the Windwards folded easier than fresh linen. Mohammed also removed Junior Murray, the hard-hitting wicketkeeper for 17 via a midwicket catch by Ganga, as well as Darren Sammy (4) and bowled Dennis George (4). Jaggernauth grabbed the important wicket of Craig Emmanuel (21), caught by Sherwin Ganga at leg slip, and gave Dillon a simple catch at mid-on to dismiss Alvin La Feuille.With T&T already firmly in the driver’s seat overnight in their second innings at 171 for 3, Ganga made sure there was no room for the visitors to claw their way back into the match, slamming a century that included 16 fours and a six. He and Jason Mohammed started slowly, pushing the score along to 185, before an impatient Mohammed, attempting to go over the top, looped Rawl Lewis, the Windwards captain, to Butler at mid-off to depart for 20.Denesh Ramdin joined his captain and, looking to make amends for his first innings duck, got off the mark with a cut to the left of gully that crashed into the boundary. In the first hour, T&T had only managed 36 runs, but Ganga stepped up the scoring after the drinks break, smashing George to the square-leg fence and Sammy over backward point for four.Ramdin survived an lbw appeal and Ganga had a close call with another appeal for a catch at silly mid-off. But he responded with successive fours off Smith, hoisting him over long-on and then driving to the cover boundary, before clouting Liam Sebastien for another boundary to move into the 90s.A miscued sweep from Ramdin gifted the visitors their fifth wicket, Lewis taking the catch off Sebastien at slip, with the score at 266. Richard Kelly joined Ganga at the crease and the pair took the score to 277 at the lunch break, with the captain needing just a single to reach his tenth regional century.After tea, Ganga pushed to mid-off to bring up his century as he and Kelly looked to accelerate. Sebastien was replaced by Lewis mid-way through the over, and immediately had Kelly caught at the mid-wicket boundary for 17. Reyad Emrit and Dillon fell soon after, and at 338 for 8, Mohammed took the attack to the bowlers. He was left stranded, seven short of his half-century, after Jaggernauth was bowled for three.