Zaheer Khan is a doubtful starter for India’s next Asia Cup match, against Bangladesh, after picking up a leg injury in India’s 12-run loss to Sri Lanka. Zaheer bowled nine lacklustre overs during India’s defeat on Sunday, and injured his hamstring while sliding to stop the ball in the field.Zaheer has been troubled by hamstring injuries for some time now, with a tear forcing him to miss two Tests against Australia in December last year, and the one-day VB Series that followed the Tests. He recovered in time to play in the one-day series against Pakistan in March, but limped out of the Test series in Multan. Recently, he had to cut a brief stint at Surrey short with further problems.”Zaheer is a concern, especially for the next match,” Sourav Ganguly said after Sunday’s defeat. Ashish Nehra is the only other fast bowler in India’s 14-man squad. After the match against Bangladesh, India play Pakistan and then Sri Lanka again in the second round of the tournament.

Muttiah Muralitharan will miss the rest of South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka, and could be a doubt for the ICC Champions Trophy in September as well after aggravating a shoulder injury that has left him needing urgent surgery. He will fly to Australia on Thursday night, and consult a surgeon on Saturday before deciding on a course of action.”We spoke to Dr David Young last night and Murali will be leaving forAustralia tonight to have surgery,” said Ajit Jayasekara, the team manager. “We hope to have the results back by Saturday and if all goes well Murali can return on Sunday.”CJ Clarke, Sri Lanka’s physio, gave a little more insight into the problem. “Murali has been having shoulder pains for months now,” he said. “He looks to be suffering from two problems, basic wear and tear of the shoulder joint and a build-up of fluid around a nerve, from overuse, which is not usually a serious condition. However, until we know what the surgeon has done we cannot speculate on how long he will be out of action.”If the fluid is drained and that relieves the pain then he could be back for the Champions Trophy, which is our aim at the moment. But if David Young decides to clean up the joint, or discovers something else that is wrong, then he could be out for longer.”Murali had been nursing a sore shoulder for many months, but prior tothe first Test at Galle he complained that the pain was worsening. He played in the Test, and took five wickets, but aggravated the injury.Sri Lanka had hoped that he would recover sufficiently to play in thesecond Test in Colombo, but an hour before the start of play they decided that the risks of playing him were too great. He was replaced by Rangana Herath, aleft-arm spinner.Murali went clear of Shane Warne at the top of the Test wicket-takers’ list during the Galle Teat before this latest setback.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

On a pitch where strokeplay became Russian roulette, Australia batted themselves into a position of strength even as 18 wickets fell in the 95 overs bowled. Jason Gillespie and Nathan Hauritz, the new boy, were the standout performers as India were bowled out in the morning for a paltry 104, and then Damien Martyn produced a superb 55 to wrest the initiative as India dropped four clangers in the middle of a slipshod fielding display. Anil Kumble picked up another five-for without bowling particularly well, but the run deficit may prove too much for India on a surface from which mushroom clouds of dust were exploding each time the ball pitched.Martyn had made just 11 when he prodded tentatively at a beautiful delivery from Murali Kartik, but Gautam Gambhir at silly point couldn’t hold on to a low chance. It was a costly lapse, as he added 44 for the third wicket with Matthew Hayden and 36 for the sixth with Adam Gilchrist, whose blistering 18-ball 26 pushed Australia’s lead past 50.Martyn nudged the ball into the gaps expertly, and played some gorgeous on-drives as Australia made steady progress despite wickets falling at regular intervals. Harbhajan Singh had shared the new ball with Zaheer Khan, and Australia had started well enough, with Justin Langer taking two fours off Harbhajan’s first over. But Dravid’s gamble appeared justified when Langer was reprieved off successive balls – Dinesh Karthik put down an under-edge, and Virender Sehwag fluffed a difficult chance running to his left at deep square leg after Harbhajan had fed the sweep shot.But Langer’s luck couldn’t last, and an unconvincing swish at Zaheer gave Dravid his 109th catch – an Indian record – in Tests. That brought in Ricky Ponting, and a glorious straight-drive off Zaheer suggested that he’d be around for the long haul. But when Kumble came on in the 13th over, the balance tilted back India’s way. Ponting was rapped on the hip playing back, and Aleem Dar upheld the appeal despite the ball having sprung off the pitch (37 for 2).Hayden, who has been a shadow of his titanic 2001 self in this series, had earlier smashed Harbhajan for a huge six over long-on, and with tea looming, he thumped Kumble over long-off for six and then swept him for four. But against Kartik, he got carried away. After belting one over wide mid-on for six, a half-hearted saunter down the track went off bat and pad to Mohammad Kaif at forward short leg (81 for 3).Katich was adjudged caught off the thigh-pad for just 7, but the ebullient Michael Clarke came in and whacked Kumble for two magnificent sixes over his head as Australia moved ahead. But moments after a dozing Sehwag had given Clarke a life at square leg, the adrenaline rush got the better of him. He gave Kumble the charge, played inside the line, and Karthik did the rest (121 for 5).Gilchrist’s punishing cameo, which included a six into the square-leg stand off Kumble, turned the tide once again, and Gillespie’s strokeless defence then took up 32 balls, allowing Martyn to go past 50. Kumble eventually got both Gillespie and Hauritz, but Glenn McGrath and Michael Kasprowicz biffed 19 for the final wicket after Kartik had bowled Martyn off the inside edge.

The cream of India’s batting had been whipped in the morning, with Australia’s formidable pace attack quickly obliterating any thoughts of a batting picnic by tearing through the top order. For the sparse crowd who had made their way into the seats by 9am, the first cut had been the deepest. Sachin Tendulkar stroked one gorgeous straight-drive past McGrath for three, but then got a thin edge to a Gillespie delivery that pitched a fair way outside off stump. He made just 5 (29 for 3).VVS Laxman pottered around for 1 before a combination of subtle movement and negligible foot movement gave the Gillespie-Gilchrist combination another victim (31 for 4). By then, Gillespie was steaming in like a runaway locomotive, terrifying the batsmen with pace, bounce and seam.Kaif cluelessly shouldered arms to one that nipped back off the seam, and though Karthik briefly had the crowd chanting his name after a superb flick through midwicket, he had no idea about a reverse-swung yorker from Kasprowicz that uprooted middle stump.With India in danger of falling short of their lowest total at home – 75 against West Indies at Delhi in 1987-88 – Kumble came in and smacked three fours off the pace bowlers, prompting Ponting to throw the ball to Hauritz. Australian offspinners have had much joy in India down the years, especially Ashley Mallett and Greg Matthews, and Hauritz started on the right note when Kumble’s attempt to slog one over the infield was superbly caught by Ponting running in from mid-off (68 for 7).Emboldened by that, he bowled a fine spell, extracting sharp turn and variable bounce. Several times, the ball beat not only the batsmen, but also Gilchrist behind the stumps. Hauritz got Harbhajan and Kartik – another dubious decision from Koertzen – in quick succession, before Kasprowicz clean-bowled Zaheer to put the finishing touches on another emphatic bowling display. If there is an encore tomorrow, the 3-0 result that Australia crave will be a certainty.

David Terbrugge, the South African Test fast bowler, has been suspended for one Standard Bank Cup match for conduct which could bring the game itself into disrepute. No details about the breach, however, have been released.Terbrugge, 27, appeared before Michael Kuper, the disciplinary commissioner of the South African board, in Johannesburg on Tuesday, after an incident that occurred in the match between Terbrugge’s Lions team and Western Province-Boland at The Wanderers, on Sunday.The suspension will take place with immediate effect, although Terbrugge does have a right to appeal.

Saleem Malik, the former captain of Pakistan who is currently serving a lifetime ban after being found guilty of match-fixing, has spoken out about his country’s weak performances against Australia. Pakistan are 2-0 down heading into the third Test, which starts this Sunday (January 2), at Sydney.”Pakistan had the upper hand in both the matches as they started off well but due to lack of maturity they failed to press the Australians hard,” he told AFP on Thursday. “I am deeply disappointed by the manner we lost both the Tests in Australia and it was mainly due to lack of maturity in boys who are otherwise very talented. The batsmen have been too emotional. Besides the team, the management and the Pakistan Cricket Board lack maturity as they have appointed a foreign coach, Bob Woolmer, which is not our culture.”Malik, 41, also took a swipe at Shane Warne. “Warne has never been good against India, and if our batsmen played him with patience he wouldn’t get as many wickets as he gets against us,” he explained. “He is a negative bowler and tries to frustrate the batsman by bowling round the legs.”Malik, who made his highest Test score of 237 against Warne at Rawalpindi in 1994-95, rated him below Muttiah Muralitharan. “I think Sri Lanka’s Muralitharan is a better bowler because he comes good even when a pitch doesn’t suit spin bowling. Because I had trained with Pakistan’s great legspinner Abdul Qadir I had no problems against Warne. I used to play him with ease.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

The inclusion of Matthew Elliott and Andy Bichel boosted the FICA World XI as they completed a three-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second match of the three-match series at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium.After taking a battering in the first encounter, when lack of familiarity as a unit and jetlag cost them, the World XI scripted a splendid comeback with Elliott and Bichel leading the way. Bichel snapped up three wickets and clattered 37 in quick time at the end of the game while Elliott set the platform with a steady 57 off 67 balls.New Zealand too put in a strong batting performance with Nathan Astle getting them off to a flier before going on to make a superbly-controlled 109 not out. Astle lost partners at regular intervals and was forced to change the rate of scoring as New Zealand ended with 256 for 9, a total they would have surely been dissatisfied with.Stephen Fleming wasn’t able to recapture his blistering form that he displayed at Christchurch, and fell cheaply for only 14. Mathew Sinclair made 30 before perishing to Lance Klusener. Chris Cairns was elevated to No.4 but Klusener andShane Warne, the World XI captain, thwarted his attacking intent with some clever field placements and it eventually resulted in his dismissal, caught at close cover, for just 9. Hamish Marshall followed for 6 and it took a typically bullying innings from Craig McMillan, who carted 33 off 35 balls, to lift New Zealand past 250.Both Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan were unable to weave their magic but it was Bichel who shone for the World XI. He took 3 for 56 from his 10 overs and and his crucial triple strike, when he nailed Brendon McCullum for a duck before dismissing both Astle and Jeff Wilson, frustrated New Zealand at a point when they were preparing to launch the assault.

Warne had earlier suggested that 250 would be gettable for the team batting second and Elliott and Nick Knight, who added 65 for the opening partnership, began the pursuit in rapid fashion. But they soon slumped to 111 for 3 and it got worse when Graeme Hick was trapped lbw to Daniel Vettori for 24. Jonty Rhodes had the misfortune of being run out while attempting a third run with Kumar Sangakkara, his partner, blocking his path.Sangakkara, though, went on to score 51 in what was a vital contribution and helped swing back the momentum. He was undone by an excellent diving catch by Hamish Marshall, turning and catching the ball over his shoulder, but Bichel and Chaminda Vaas charged towards the finish line as the World XI won with 13 balls to spare.The series decider will be in Hamilton on Wednesday with $739,189 already in the coffers as New Zealand Cricket got closer to achieving their target of $1million mark.Meanwhile Paul Wiseman has been included in the New Zealand squad for the third match after Daniel Vettori was ruled out with a back injury. The injury will be given 48 hours to settle before it is reassessed, after which time a course of action and appropriate treatment will be determined.

As if West Indies cricket is not beset by enough sponsorship problems already, there is now growing concern for the future of the Grenada-based West Indies Cricket Academy, which has been instrumental in developing the careers of such players as Ryan Hinds, Carlton Baugh, and Fidel Edwards, but now faces closure because of a funding shortfall.Last year the multinational oil giants, Shell, decided to terminate their sponsorship of the academy, which is based at the St George’s University in South-West Grenada. The academy had been regarded as one of the few remaining success stories in West Indian cricket, with an annual three-month programme that was designed to produce a more rounded cricketer in terms of technique, fitness, personal development (including literacy, media and money management) and mental skills.Now, however, the programme is in strife, and the Academy co-ordinator, Rudi Webster, is at a loss as to whether it has a future at all. "We have got a contract with the [West Indies] board until the end of 2005,” Webster said in an interview with CMC Sport, "but … we haven’t had anything in writing from them whether the Academy is going to continue or not."Webster, a former team manager and psychologist with the senior squad, told the Trinidad Express that his team was ready to take the next batch of students. "I hope some time soon, somebody will take up a pen and paper or send us some correspondence saying that the Academy is on or the Academy is off. We are prepared to start if they want to continue, if they don’t want to continue we are happy with that too."

Bangladesh have stepped up preparations for their inaugural tour of England in May and June, by naming a preliminary 20-man training squad that will assemble in Dhaka over the coming weeks. One notable omission is Alok Kapali, Bangladesh’s underachieving allrounder, although there are two new additions in the left-handed batsman, Shahriar Nafees Ahmed and the Under-19 paceman, Shahadat Hossain.Shahadat, reputed to be the fastest bowler in the country, was first spotted during the 2004 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, and his 12 wickets in the first two Tests against Zimbabwe A were instrumental in their eventual clean sweep. Shahriar, meanwhile, made 218 runs against Zimbabwe A in the three Tests as a specialist opener, and given that both teenagers toured England with the Under 19s last year, they have a degree of experience despite their tender years.The squad has been selected with England’s early-season conditions in mind, and for that reason there are six pacemen in the 20-man squad, and four left-arm spinners. "We had considered two things before selecting the preliminary squad," Faruque Ahmed, the chief selector, told The Daily Star. "We thought that there was no need to make any changes from the last series against Zimbabwe. But we also felt the need to add a couple of new faces who have real potential."Kapali aside, there are few surprises in the squad. The batsman, Tushar Imran and the seam bowler, Anwar Hossain Munir, have been recalled after consistent performances for the Bangladesh A team and the BCB XI respectively, as has the former captain and allrounder, Khaled Mahmud, whose form in Bangladesh’s domestic competitions has been irresistible.Preliminary squad Habibul Bashar (capt), Khaled Mashud (wk), Khaled Mahmud, Mohammad Ashraful, Javed Omar, Rajin Saleh, Nafees Iqbal, Aftab Ahmed, Tushar Imran, Shahriar Nafees Ahmed, Mohammad Rafique, Manzarul Islam Rana, Enamul Haque, Mashrafee Bin Mortuza, Tapash Baisya, Nazmul Hossain, Anwar Hossain Munir, Talha Jubair, Shahadat Hossain Rajib, Abdur Razzak Raj.

Scorecard

One of the most abused clichés in sport is the one about the game, ratherthan a team or individual, being the winner. For those on the losing side,especially after a contest decided by the length of a fingernail, such aglib phrase is no more than a slap in the face, another reminder of fallingagonisingly short. But sometimes, maybe once every decade or so, sport hasthe ability to transcend itself and render the result immaterial. So it waswith this one-day international at Karachi.Years from now, those present will still marvel at the vivid memories, whilethose who watch archival footage will stare in awe at the splendour of thesporting theatre on offer. For India, the victory erased bitter memoriesthat went back almost two decades, but ultimately the result mattered littlewhen compared to the atmosphere that enveloped the ground as the afternoonslid into night.It had been seven years since an Indian team played in Pakistan, and therehad been no full tour since 1989. With Karachi being denied a Test match,the opening one-day match carried additional resonance, and there was asecurity phalanx in place by the time the two captains walked out to toss.Inzamam-ul-Haq won the toss to thunderous applause, and then befuddledeveryone by sending India in. The expected Sachin Tendulkar-Shoaib Akhtarsideshow didn¹t disappoint, but after the master had played some gloriousshots, it was Shoaib who wheeled away in celebration. By then though, withVirender Sehwag blazing away in all directions the run-rate had reachedastronomic proportions.By the time Sehwag was outfoxed by a slow yorker from Rana Naved-ul-Hasan ­tarred, feathered and hung out to dry by some scintillating shotmaking ­India were rattling along at ten an over, with the fielding restrictionsstill in place. Though Pakistan hauled it back in the second half of theinnings, a majestic 99 from Rahul Dravid gave India the impetus to reach349, leaving Pakistan to make 20 more than any team had ever done to win amatch batting second. And while the batting had been dazzling, it wasovershadowed by the effervescence and sense of fairness of a capacity crowdthat accorded a surprised Dravid a standing ovation.Pakistan¹s run chase, for the most part, seemed to consist of chasingshadows. The openers barely made a dent, and even though both Inzamam andYousuf Youhana batted with refreshing positivity and class, the requiredrun-rate refused to climb below eight. Youhana¹s was a coruscating hand, ajoyful amalgam of drives, cuts, languid flicks and outrageous hoicks thatappeared to give Inzamam heartburn. After he departed for a brilliant 73,the stage was all Inzamam¹s.He had eased into the cricketing consciousness with imperious shotmaking ina World Cup semi-final 12 years earlier, and faced with near-impossibleodds, he delved into his treasure chest of experience to unveil an inningsof intelligence and beauty. Paced to perfection, it had both bludgeon andcaress and strokes timed so magnificently that the fielders were made tolook clumsy and second-rate. With Younis Khan providing inventive support atthe other end, the 350-run oasis suddenly appeared to be more than achimera.It was Murali Kartik, playing only because both Harbhajan Singh and AnilKumble were out injured, who gave Ganguly respite, coaxing the faintest ofnicks from Inzamam¹s bat after he had stomped to 122 from just 104 balls.Suddenly, the equation ­ 72 from 47 balls ­ didn¹t seem as easily solvable.Younis and Abdul Razzaq though wouldn¹t entertain negative thoughts,thumping some fine boundaries as the target was whittled down. But Kartikthen bowled Younis, and Zaheer Khan pegged back Razzaq¹s off stump to leavethe burden to Moin Khan, an impudent and aggressive shotmaker in his heyday,and Shoaib Malik.With only 10 needed from eight balls came another defining moment in a matchthat was full of them. Malik¹s mighty heave had both Hemang Badani andMohammad Kaif running for it, and it required stunning concentration andspectacular agility from Kaif to prevent a sickening collision and hold onto a catch that gave the Indians fresh spring in weary stride.Nine were needed when Ganguly tossed the ball to Ashish Nehra, the mostinfuriatingly inconsistent element of India¹s pace attack. But Naved wasnervous, and Moin not quite the batsmen he was, as Nehra managed five ballsfor just three runs. After close to eight hours of compelling action, it hadcome to this ­ a six off the last ball.Up on the players¹ balcony, Javed Miandad played out the stroke which woulddo it, desperately wishing to transmit the thought and action to Moin.Almost 18 years earlier, Miandad had picked up a legside full-toss fromChetan Sharma and slammed it over midwicket to stab a gaping hole in India¹scricket psyche, and he must have watched in amazement as Nehra came up witha waist-high offering.Moin, though, was no Miandad, and this full toss hastened on to his batbefore he could complete the cleaving motion that would send the ball intoorbit. As the ball looped up to Zaheer at midwicket, there were yells oftriumph from the Indian fielders. After a moment of stunned resignation, thecrowd responded with a chorus that no Indian present there will ever forget.In a rivalry characterised by mindless posturing and hatred on both sides,it was an epochal moment, that once-in-a-lifetime occasion when a tiredcliché about triumph and defeat being irrelevant made perfect sense.

Scorecard
The CCA President’s XI put up a solid batting display and posted a comprehensive win over the OCA President’s XI in the in the first game of the three-match series at King City. After rattling up 272, the CCA side rolled OCA over for a paltry 164 and ran home easy winners.After John Davison choose to bat first, the CCA side got off to a poor start and were reduced to 49 for 3. But Iain Dixon (42), Haninder Dhillon (65) and Surkari (45) held the innings together and helped them build a launching pad for the final assault. The batsmen were also helped by some wayward bowling with 61 extras, including 40 wides, being conceded.OCA were never in with a chance one they were tottering at 35 for 5 and George Codrington (45) and Don Maxwell (38) salvaged some pride before they inevitably folded for 164. Davison finished with 2 for 3 while Sanjay Thuraisingham and Umar Bhatti snapped up three wickets apiece.