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Darren Gough, the former England fast bowler, has criticised England’s insistence that Steve Harmison must prove his fitness and form before securing a place on the plane to Sri Lanka.Harmison, who has been recovering from a back injury, wasn’t among the squad of 15 named yesterday for England’s three-Test tour of Sri Lanka. However, if he doesn’t have any adverse reaction to his brief stint at Lions in South Africa, he could yet join up with the team.This, however, does not sit well with Gough who feels Harmison is being treated unfairly.”Steve is such a vital bowler for England and he has proved time and time again how good he is,” Gough told the . “He brings something different to everyone else and he is a must for me in the England team.”He is a match winner and with (Matthew) Hoggard also coming back, England will go into Sri Lanka with a very good bowling line up, with everyone vying for a spot desperate to do well and win.”Harmison will travel to South Africa with England’s recently appointed bowling coach, Ottis Gibson – a man who Gough insists is key to “firing” up Harmison.”Ottis has already shown what influence he can have on the bowlers and I have no doubt he is the man to get Steve firing,” Gough said. “He has got all the qualifications, played at Test level and he knows what the international game is all about.”All I want is for Steve to come out firing on all cylinders. We want him running through brick walls for England and hopefully he will come out and prove to everyone how good he is because he is one of our best bowlers.”

There will be a serious challenge to the existing Gladstone Dainty-led USA Cricket Association administration at next month’s executive board elections.Cricinfo has learned that a group of senior administrators is standing against the existing board and has already gained the backing of several regions. Sources suggest that they have the support of the majority of the regional presidents.California’s Ram Varadarajan is lined up to oppose Dainty as president. Varadarajan would not only bring his passion for cricket to the post but he has considerable business acumen as president and CEO of Arcot Systems, an authentication software company based in Sunnyvale, California. He is backed by John Aaron, a well-known and respected figure inside US cricket circles, as secretary and John Thickett as treasurer.The group has already underlined its credentials by launching a slick website outlining who they are and what they stand for. This is in direct contrast to the moribund USACA site which has become almost legendary for its lack of any meaningful information to stakeholders.”Our team is receiving endorsements every day from players, current and former administrations, and cricket lovers from across the length and breadth of the country,” a statement on the new site says. “This outpouring of support is a clear indication that cricket enthusiasts across America see a complete break from the current USACA management as a necessary step for the game to flourish here.”

Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium has been confirmed as the venue of the final of the IPL on June 1. Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, said the match had to be shifted out the Wankhede Stadium because the capacity of the DY Patil Stadium is much higher.”That stadium has more capacity and also there are many ICC representatives who will be attending the final and Wankhede doesn’t have so much space to accomodate,” Pawar told reporters in Mumbai. “Wankhede can accommodate only around 32,000 and DY Patil can house around 55,000. It’s (difference) huge.”Originally the DY Patil stadium, which is in Nerul (about 40km from south Mumbai’s business district), was scheduled to host Mumbai’s five league games between April 27 and May 16. But the MCA told the DY Patil authorities that since Mumbai’s next two games – against Chennai and Kolkata – take place on weekdays, it would be difficult for the fans to travel such a distance late in the evening after their office hours. Both games were shifted to the Wankhede Stadium, in South Mumbai’s business district. Wankhede, however will host the two semi-finals as scheduled.With the Wankhede Stadium set to host the final of the 2011 World Cup, Pawar said plans were on to demolish the stadium and rebuild it from scratch to meet ICC standards.”We had a meeting with the Mumbai Hockey Association and they have given us in writing that one portion of their space can be utilised by us. There’s no way we can conduct the World Cup final in present conditions. ICC will not accept it. We need to build better facilities for all, including for the media.”We will start work in August. The whole structure will be razed down first and a fresh one built. The refurbished stadium will be ready by December 2010 and the World Cup is in March-April 2011.”

The ill fated South Zone under-22 game between Kerala and Andhra,badly affected by rain, ended in a tame draw at Kakinada on Saturday.The first two days were totally washed out because of inclementweather. On the final day play started only at 12.30 pm and in the 60overs possible, Kerala put in to bat, struggled to make 102 for fivewickets off 60 overs.KS Shahabuddin and Md Faiq each bagged two wickets as Kerala lostwickets at regular intervals. Symbolising Kerala’s struggle for runswas Vipin Lal. Coming in at No 3 after the first wicket had fallen at16, Vipin Lal remained unbeaten with 30 at the end for which he batted194 minutes and faced 150 balls without hitting a boundary. The teamsshared three points each.

The rhetoric was familiar, but after a less than impressive performance in the first Test at Darwin, Steve Waugh’s assertion that Australia would be looking to improve carried a little more weight than usual.”I think people expect Bangladesh to improve in the first Test, but I expect us to improve more," Waugh told reporters in Cairns ahead of the second Test which starts on Friday. “So we’ll be putting on a good show in this Test match, we’ll be going hard, we’ll be playing as tough, as competitively as we can be. There’s a chance we’ll bowl on that wicket. There’s a bit of grass there. We like to attack as a general rule and we’ve got some good bowlers. I don’t mind what we do at the toss but I expect us to go hard."The pitch is expected to be hard and fast, unlike the one at Darwin, and with tinges of green, Australia’s bowlers are sure to give Bangladesh’s batsmen a hard time. "I think that’s what they need," said Waugh. "You want to see your players put under the most possible pressure and see who puts their hand up and see who’s a Test match player and who isn’t a Test match player.”Tempo, poise, purpose, intensity, body language, patience and self-belief are words that they need to use and put into practice. They have talent in all areas of the game, which will develop as they acquire match practice in pressure situations.”Dav Whatmore, Bangladesh’s coach, welcomed the chance for his charges to be tested to the hilt. “Our objectives are still to strive as hard as you can to show that we can get through some tough periods, to actually bat a session as individual players, those are the things," he said. “The boys are very keen to play. You can see they are keen to show some fight and be very competitive. I can’t ask for much more than that.”

Hong Kong 64 for 3 (Sharma 29*) v New Zealand 67 for 1 (Sinclair 33*)
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Dermot Reeve’s return for the Hong Kong side, two decades after his last match for his home city, with a waistline to match his 40 years, failed to inspire the hosts to an opening win, a victory they desperately needed to achieve their ambition of securing a place in the cup stages for the first time. Their batting failed to click, with Reeve struggling at No. 3, meaning New Zealand required just 65 for victory. Matthew Sinclair made short work of the target, bulldozing 33 from just eight balls.Sri Lanka 109 for (Indika de Saram 34*) v Kenya 97 for 1 (K Otieno 33*, Odumbe 35)
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Sri Lanka were considered outsiders coming into the tournament. But at the end of the first game it was clear that they could spring a surprise. Indika de Saram smacked the first three balls of the match for six, clumping 30 from the opening over bowled by Collins Obuya, before retiring after a whirlwind 34 from only seven balls. Kenya’s slow bowlers were flogged for 109 – one run away from a tournament record. But Kenya still made a good fist of the chase, with Kennedy Otieno (33) and Maurice Odumbe (35) both scoring freely, before a tight final over left them 12 runs short.India 82 for 2 (Kanitkar 35*, Kambli 28*) v Hong Kong 45 for 3
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India’s first game for the tournament was an easy win against the hosts, who dropped Dermot Reeve. Nevertheless, the batting was far from impressive. Reetinder Sodhi (5) fell cheaply and Vinod Kambli (28) dawdled during the early part of the innings. Hrishikesh Kanitkar provided some impetus with 35 from 10 balls. But Hong Kong were never in the hunt after tight opening overs from Nikhil Chopra and Rohan Gavaskar.South Africa 64 for 4 (Bosman 37*) v Sri Lanka 65 for 0 (Indika de Saram 31, Saman Jayantha 29*)
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Sri Lanka’s odds shortened further with a surprise win against South Africa, thesecond seeds after Pakistan. This time it was their bowlers who starred,restricting South Africa to 60 for 4 – a below-par score in this form of the game. Loots Bosman prevented a rout with a powerful 37. Sri Lanka then waltzed to victory within three overs. Once again Indika de Saram produced some fireworks, cracking 35 before having to retire. Justin Ontong had a nightmare, conceding 35 from his over.Pakistan 78 all out (Naveed Latif 22, Azhar Mahmood 26*) v New Zealand 79 for 0 (Horne 34)
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Pakistan, the tournament favourites after victories in 2001 and 2002, flopped intheir opening game against New Zealand. Their five-wicket defeat now meant that they needed to perform against arch rivals India in the afternoon. Andre Adams was the hero for New Zealand, completing a remarkable double-wicket maiden in the first over as Imran Nazir and Moin Khan miscued wild slogs. They did mount a recovery though – Naved Latif (22) steadied the innings and Azhar Mahmood (26 not out) tucked into an over from Tama Canning that cost 26 runs. But New Zealand cruised home, their task made easier by Pakistan’s sloppy fielding. Matt Horne scored a solid 34 from 13 balls, an innings full of neat deflections.England 82 for 4 (Brown 43, Dross 3-5) v South Africa 83 for 2 (Ontong 35*)
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England, watched by David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, suffered adisastrous collapse in their first match, losing four wickets for 11 runs. Gerald Dross, a giant of a man, was the chief destroyer, taking 3 wickets in the space of four balls. Fortunately for England, Dougie Brown, their last man, biffed 43 from nine balls, including five fours in the last over – the highest score so far in the tournament. Justin Ontong launched a spectacular South African reply, hammering 35 from nine balls. Glen Chapple’s over cost an embarrassing 33. Chris Silverwood steamed in for the penultimate over, conceding just 3 runs, but Darren Maddy’s medium pace provided less problems in the final over.India 89 for 2 (Sodhi 31, Kambli 31, Chopra 26*) v New Zealand 94 for 2(Sinclair 33*, Horne 29, Sodhi 2-14)
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New Zealand topped Pool 1 with their third win of the day against India – a tight match that leaves India facing a do-or-die clash against Pakistan. India had started well enough, as Reetinder Sodhi (31 not out) and Vinod Kambli (31 not out) blasted seven sixes in the early overs, but then faltered mid-innings as both Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Rohan Gavaskar were dismissed for ducks. They reached a competitive 89 for 2 thanks to Nikhil Chopra who stroked 26 from eight balls. But New Zealand, despite a slight wobble in the penultimate over when Sodhi claimed two wickets, powered home. Needing 10 to win from the final over bowled by Gavaskar, the weakest of the Indian bowlers, they won with three balls to spare. Matthew Sinclair, dropped in the first over, top scored with 33 from nine balls.South Africa 85 for 2 (Bosman 29*, Dros 35*) v Kenya 77 for 0 (K Otieno36*, Odumbe 31*, Hall 1-4)
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South Africa put one foot into the semi-finals with a eight-run victory against Kenya. If England lose either of their remaining games then South Africa will qualify. Kenya, who brought a full-strength squad for their first trip to Hong Kong, will now play in the plate. South Africa, asked to bat first, recovered well from a slow start – 19 runs from the first two overs – to post a decent 85 for 2. Loots Bosman (29*) was once again powerful, hitting three sixes, while Gerald Dros continued his fine start to the tournament with 35 from 12 balls. Kenya started well, crashing 17 from the opening over, before Andrew Hall, moments after a painful collision with the boundary fence, stalled the innings with a miserly over in which he conceded just four singles. Kenya, despite not losing a single wicket, never recovered sufficient momentum and were left needing an improbable 28 from the final over.India 58 for 4 (Sodhi 22, Nazir 1-2, Razzaq 2-6) v Pakistan 60for 2 (Mahmood 32*)
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The much-awaited heavyweight clash between India and Pakistan failed to live up to all the hype. But the one-sided nature of the contest mattered little for thelarge group of flag-waving, whistle-blowing, zinzabad-shouting Pakistanisupporters. India’s smaller contingent of fans burst briefly into song, asBahutale struck twice in three balls in the third over of Pakistan’s chase, butAbdul Razzaq (12*) and Azhar quickly ended any doubts over the result with aflurry of boundaries. Pakistan won with nine balls to spare – a countrymile in six-a-side terms. India’s problem was their batting. Vinod Kambli (10) and Ritender Sodhi (22) added 39 for the first wicket before India crumbled, losing four wickets for 13 runs. Only eight runs were scored from the final two overs bowled by Imran Nazir and Razzaq. Pakistan, the top seeds, now only need to knock over the hosts on Sunday morning to confirm their place in the cup competition.
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Darren Maddy held his nerve with the ball to keep English hopes alive in the final match of the day. Maddy conceded only six singles in the last over as Kenya, who needed 14, made a meal out of chasing a modest 72. England’s seven-run victory means they still have a chance of qualifying for the cup stages if they can beat Sri Lanka tomorrow morning. Asked to bat first by the Kenyans, England hobbled to 71 for 3. Robert Croft top-scored with 19 and Dougie Brown struck 18 from 5 balls. The total looked too small but Kenya lost their way in the last two overs after Croft grabbed the wicket of Kennedy Otieno. Steve Tikolo and Maurice Odumbe, needing 25 from the last 12 balls, struggled against the slippery pace of Chris Silverwood – the quickest bowler on show today – and the nagging medium pace of Maddy.

Naveed Nawaz will lead the 16-member Sri Lanka A team on their New Zealand tour next month. Thilina Kandamby, the 21 year old left-hander from Bloomfield, was named vice-captain. Kandamby, who is looked upon as future captaincy material, has proved to be a thinking cricketer during club matches in the Premier trophy tournament.Nawaz will lead a team which comprises five fast bowlers, an all-rounder and a spinner on the five-week long tour which will see Sri Lanka A play three five-day unofficial Tests and three one-dayers against New Zealand A.Lasith Malinga, Mario Villavarayen, Tharanga Lakshitha, Charitha Buddhika and Dinusha Fernando are the fast bowlers in the team with Hasantha Fernando as the fast bowling all-rounder. Left-armer Dinuk Hettiarachchi is the only recognized spinner. Prasanna Jayawardene is the only wicket-keeper in the side and in an emergency Chamara Silva may be asked to don the gloves.Though the squad is named it is awaiting ratification from the Sports Ministry. Squad
1 Naveed Nawaz (capt), 2 Thilina Kandamby, 3 Ian Daniel, 4 Shantha Kalavitigoda, 5 Pradeep Hewage, 6 Jehan Mubarak, 7 Bathiya Perera, 8 Chamara Silva, 9 Hasantha Fernando, 10 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 11 Dinuk Hettiarachchi, 12 Lasith Malinga, 13 Mario Villavarayen, 14 Tharanga Lakshitha, 15 Charitha Buddhika, 16 Dinusha Fernando.The tour itinerary
March 3: ArrivalMarch 5-7: Sri Lanka A v Otago at AlexanderMarch 11-15: 1st five-day unofficial Test at QueenstownMarch 19-23: 2nd five-day unofficial Test at LincolnMarch 27-31: 3rd five-day unofficial Test at ChristchurchApril 3: 1st limited-over game at LincolnApril 5: 2nd limited-over game at LincolnApril 7: 3rd limited-over game at LincolnApril 8: Departure

Shaharyar Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, has looked to defuse the growing row with Javed Miandad, claiming that comments attributed to him were taken out of context. Reports at the weekend indicated that Shaharyar had spoken of other reasons surrounding the dismissal of Miandad as Pakistan coach.In a statement issued by the PCB, Shaharyar insisted that he had been asked a question by a reporter from Dawn, Pakistan’s largest English-language newspaper, whether he would fire Woolmer if he lost the series against India “as you had fired Miandad”. Shaharyar replied that it was wrong to suggest Miandad had been dismissed for the series loss to India alone and that “other factors” had been considered.Miandad reacted angrily, stating he was considering legal action and adding thatShaharyar had created “an impression in the minds of followers of the game that I could have been involved in betting and match-fixing.”But Shaharyar insisted that Woolmer’s hiring “was based on the need tomove to a more scientific and technological method of coaching the national team.” He continued: “This policy of hiring highly qualified coaches hasbeen adopted by every cricket playing country from New Zealand to West Indies, and includes all four Asian countries, England, Australia and South Africa.”Famous cricketers like Garry Sobers, Viv Richards and Kapil Dev have been triedand replaced by highly qualified coaches with proven credentials and withno outstanding record in Test or even first-class cricket. No denigration of Miandad’s known inspirational method was intended then or now. In fact, he was invited to use these qualities to inspire the younger generation of Pakistani cricketers.”The PCB continues to hold Miandad in esteem for his cricketing qualities,” Shaharyar concluded. “Incidentally, the decision to hire Woolmer was made by the Advisory Council who voted unanimously in favour of the change.”It is unlikely that Shaharyar’s comments will placate Miandad. His real anger, however, appears to be centred on Woolmer, under whose stewardship Pakistan hadachieved “zero”.

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
A lead of 270 had been whittled down to 136 and, suddenly, Pakistan’s bowlers, so effective in the first innings, seemed out of place in the second. Sanath Jayasuriya was single-handedly changing the course of the second Test with a sublime knock. After five sessions on the field, he realised the pitch had nothing for the fast bowlers and proceeded to wrest the initiative from Pakistan.Sri Lanka are not out of the docks yet. The deficit is still substantial, and the pitch will only get easier to bat on in the last innings. A wicket or two could lift Pakistan’s spirits, especially if one happens to be Jayasuriya. But at the crease were two of Sri Lanka’s most prolific batsmen this year. Kumar Sangakkara was not his fluent self yesterday, and was nearly dismissed by Danish Kaneria, but a stay at the wicket against the easy-paced bowling could do a world of good for him.A Sri Lankan win seems unlikely from here, though a draw and Pakistan winning are viable options. It depends on how quickly they score, and whether they can play for time.

Samir Inamdar, Cricket Kenya’s chairman, has spoken of his frustration over the lack of fixtures which Cricinfo highlighted yesterday.Kenya has only one official ODI against South Africa, but the fixture scheduled for October 30-November 1 may not take place as the dates clash with a home tie with Ireland in the ICC Intercontinental Cup. Cricket South Africa was due to host Kenya for two ODIs in June but the matches were postponed to November because of South Africa’s other commitments.”We are faced with a dilemma whether to honour the series,” Inamdar said. “Cricket South Africa informed us today that they were only prepared to host us on these two days and yet at the same time we will be playing Ireland at home. We will have not choice but to try andswitch the dates for the Intercontinental Cup.”We look at South Africa to support us. They made the commitment at the ICC board meeting two years ago but it seems that commitment is not there now and that worries us.”Inamdar confirmed that Zimbabwe had indicated that they were willing to visit Kenya in early July but those plans are still at a very early stage.