South Africa's new coach

Former all-rounder Eric Simons has been confirmed as the new coach of the South African cricket team.

The 40-year-old replaces Graham Ford, who was sacked earlier this month following the team's poor performance against Australia.

They lost five of the six Test matches and were also beaten 6-1 in the home one-day internationals.

Although those results cost Ford his job, his assistant Corrie van Zyl and team manager Goolam Rajah are staying on to work with Simons, and Shaun Pollock has been re-appointed as captain.

Australia's tour of Pakistan

Australia's planned tour of Pakistan in October could become a home series if security fears persist in the subcontinent.

Three Tests are scheduled for Pakistan, but the tour is almost certain to be scrapped following the suicide bombing in Karachi in May.

The bomb, which killed 14 people, exploded outside the New Zealand team's hotel, forcing the tourists to cut their trip short.

Several neutral venues have been put forward, but International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Malcolm Speed said Australia would be given first choice if the series were switched from Pakistan.

New Zealand in West Indies

West Indies batting star Brian Lara was a relieved man after returning to form with an unbeaten 59 as they beat New Zealand by seven wickets in St Lucia.

Lara was back to his brilliant best in Sri Lanka last year, scoring 688 runs in three Tests before dislocating his elbow during a one-day international.

He returned to action in the recent home series against India but averaged only 28.85 in the Test series and a highest score of 36 in five one-day internationals.

Lara was demoted to number six in the order for Saturday's match against New Zealand, but a return to number four 24 hours later led to his match-winning innings.

"My form and fitness are at 80 per cent and improving," he commented.

Miscellaneous

Fast bowling great Jeff Thomson has urged Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar to go for broke and liven up a cricket world full of "pop gun" bowlers who give batsmen a soft life.

He believes the impact of speed merchants Lee and Akhtar has been more pronounced due to the general lack of express bowlers on the world scene.

The shootout of the world's two fastest bowlers is the promotional focus and potential saviour of the all-but-ignored Super Challenge series between Pakistan and Australia, which starts at Colonial Stadium tomorrow.

Thomson was officially recognised as the fastest bowler in the world for 27 years after clocking 160.45km/h in the Boxing Day Test of 1975.

Shoaib recently recorded 161km/h in a one-dayer in Lahore though the speed gun was commissioned by a private sponsor and doubts linger over its bona fides.

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George Mudie, who played one cricket Test for the West Indies in the 1930s, has died at age 89, a relative said yesterday.

The left-arm spinner died Saturday at home in Jamaica's central St Catherine parish, his daughter-in-law Sheila Mudie said. She did not give more details.

Mudie's lone Test was in 1935 against England at Sabina Park, which the West Indies won by an innings and 161 runs. He took three wickets in the match.

Though he never got the attention of the West Indian selectors again, Mudie played for Jamaica for many seasons in regional competition until 1951.

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