India to South Africa

Former Indian keeper and Bengal team mate Saba Karim felt that the selectors had done right in naming Deep Dasgupta for the tour of South Africa. Karim said he has over the years seen Dasgupta deliver in crucial matches under pressure situations. Karim who also incidentally made his one-day debut in South Africa in 1997 said he had offered some tips to the young keeper on how to keep on the wickets there.

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Meanwhile former Indian keeper Syed Kirmani felt that Ajay Ratra would have been a better choice for the keeper's position. He said he was impressed with Ratra's glove work and moreover he appears to be a competent batsman.

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It seems the Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly had wanted Punjab's Vikram Rathour as keeper for the tour of South Africa. Rathour essentially an opening batsman has been keeping wickets in the past season for his state and Zone with a view to try and make a comeback into the side.
Ganguly had said he was looking for a keeper who was a competent bat, however the name of the 33-year-old Punjab player was played down by the selectors looking at his age as well as by the fact that he had failed miserably in earlier opportunities given to him.

South Africa in Zimbabwe

Yet another flower show was what stood between South Africa and a clean sweep of the first Test at Harare yesterday. Resuming the day at 143-4 with Andy Flower unbeaten on 54 the Zimbabwe innings bloomed until Andy was at the crease.
By the time he was last dismissed for 142, Zimbabwe had managed a respectable 286 but were still forced to follow on.
Zimbabwe 314 runs behind on the first innings were tottering at 97-3 with Andy Flower yet again offering resistance with a defiant 43 in the second innings.

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The South African Sorts Minister Ngconde Balfour has thrown a challenge to the Australian cricket team after watching his side decimate the hapless Zimbabweans in the first Test being played at Harare.
Balfour referring the home and away series the two teams are going to be playing later this year said that the South African team would "murder" Australia. Speaking on the political crisis in Zimbabwe, the minister said he was sitting amidst the hosts and enjoying the cricket.

New Zealand in Pakistan

New Zealand named their team to play the three match one day series in Pakistan beginning on the 19th September. Six stand bye players have also been named for the three Test matches to follow with a few of the specialist one-day players to return home prior to the Test matches. The team is as follows
Stephen Fleming (Capt), Nathan Astle, Matthew Bell, James Franklin, Chris Martin, Craig McMillan, Shayne O'Connor, Jacob Oram , Adam Parore, Mark Richardson, Mathew Sinclair, Glen Sulzberger, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori, Lou Vincent.
Stand byes for the Test series are: Paul Wiseman, Brooke Walker, Shane Bond, Chris Nevin, Hamish Marshall, Matthew Horne
The following return home after the one-day series: Chris Harris, Dion Nash, Kyle Mills, Chris Nevin.
The selection panel consisted of Sir Richard Hadlee (chairman), Brian McKechnie, Ross Dykes and Denis Aberhart

Miscellaneous

After Steve Waugh it is now the turn of the Australian coach to play down the quality of first class county cricket played in England. Australia's John Buchanan hit out at the mediocrity of county cricket in England and hoped that the formation of an Academy and classification of teams into two divisions will help improve the system.
He played down the fact that there are far two many matches played, most of which are of little consequence and said it was necessary to cut down the number of matches and enable players to have more constructive practice time available.

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Buchanan has also hit out at the ongoing rivalry between England's two fast bowlers Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick saying that they should concentrate more on the rivalry against Australia than between themselves.

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Meanwhile fast bowler Darren Gough has stated that he was prepared to stand down from the final two Ashes Tests against Australia this summer so that England could find his replacement for the winter Test tour to India.
It seems the fast bowler had already informed the England management well in advance that he did not wish to tour India. Despite this he was dropped for the subsequent winter tour to New Zealand.

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New Zealand A continued their good form in the Indian domestic circuit when they entered the quarterfinals of the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup cricket tournament being played in Hyderabad. The team had earlier won the Buchi Babu Tournament in Chennai defeating Bengal on the first innings lead.

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Former President of the International Cricket Council Jagmohan Dalmiya is likely to contest the elections during this year for the post of president of the BCCI. With current president AC Muthiah also keen on a one year extension there is likely to be a minor tug of war for votes.
The Mumbai Cricket Association is reportedly promoting two of its candidates for important posts; former Indian skipper Dilip Vengsarkar - as chairman of national selectors and Prof. Ratnakar Shetty - as secretary of the BCCI.
Interestingly, the MCA, who had earlier passed a resolution that Prof. Shetty would represent the association in the BCCI, has now decided to send president Sharad Pawar to attend the forthcoming AGM of the BCCI.

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Former Indian pace bowler Karsan Ghavri, who had recently taken over as coach of the Cricket Association of Bengal, now wants to resign from the post to be with his ailing mother in Mumbai. The final decision will be taken after the cricketer meets Jagmohan Dalmiya, the president of the CAB.

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The CBFS has signed a new deal with the Cricket Boards of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which is reportedly worth half a million dollars per tournament. With this arrangement both Pakistan and Sri Lanka will have to participate in cricket tournaments at Sharjah for the next three years.
The next tournament at this venue will be between Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from November 4 to 14.

SCORES AT A GLANCE

Zimbabwe v South Africa (1st Test)
Played at Harare (3rd day)
Toss: South Africa
South Africa: 555-5 (H Gibbs 147, G Kirsten 202 not out, J Kallis 157 not out).
Zimbabwe: 286 (DD Ebrahim 71, A Flower 142, T Friend 30; A Nel 4-53)
97-3 (H Masakadza 37 not out, A Flower 43 not out; S Pollock 2-14)

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