India's tour of West Indies

Leg spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo will miss the second Test against the West Indies, starting on Friday, because of a hamstring injury.

He has been replaced by Dinanath Ramnarine, however team manager Ricky Skerrit expects Nagamootoo to be fit for the third Test.

"We will miss him," West Indies captain Carl Hooper said.

"He is also a fine lower-order batsman and a good fielder."

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Sarandeep Singh will not be returning home despite the return to fitness of first choice spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Team manager Gautam Dasgupta said, "I couldn’t talk to the Board secretary as he is in London, but Sarandeep is staying back for the second Test."

A happy Sarandeep, who starred with the bat as he helped Rah

ul Dravid steer India past the follow-on mark added, "I felt a little disappointed when I heard that I may be asked to return, but now I don’t think I will go back."

New Zealand's tour of Pakistan

New Zealand's one-day cricket squad arrived in Pakistan on a 25-day tour on Thursday amid tight security.

The Kiwis are to play three one-day internationals and two Tests during the tour.

Large numbers of police and paramilitary troops were deployed on the arrival of the Black Caps at Karachi's Quaid-e-Azam International airport.

The visitors were escorted directly from the airport to their hotel.

Sri Lanka's tour of England

Sri Lanka have included injured off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, but have compensated by adding one more player than expected in a 17-man squad for the tour of England.

Seamer Eric Upashantha, who has played only one Test, and slow-bowling all-rounder Upul Chandana are added to the provisional squad of 15 named earlier in April.

Chandana has played six Tests, and had moderate success as a leg-break bowler and lower middle-order batsman.

Prior to Murali's injury it had been announced that only one player would be supplemented.

Miscellaneous

South African captain Shaun Pollock will be present at the United Cricket Board indaba on 23 April to discuss the ills besetting their cricket.

Pollock was originally going to miss the meeting, due to his obligations to Warwickshire, who play their first match on Wednesday. The national captain has now decided to fly to England from Johannesburg after the meeting on Tuesday night.

"I will arrive early on Wednesday and will within hours go into my first match for the county. It is not an ideal situation, but the indaba is an important event and I don’t want to miss it," Pollock explained.

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