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The same old story regarding Sachin Tendulkar and his elbow© Getty Images

Sachin Tendulkar is a self-confessed doubt for India’s forthcoming Test series against Pakistan because of the same elbow injury which caused him to sit out most of last year’s home series against Australia.Tendulkar was sidelined for almost three months last year with tennis elbow, and on Monday he told reporters in Mumbai that he was again struggling. ” I played my last match on December 27 and have not touched the bat or ball since then. As of now I’ve been advised (to take) five to six weeks’ rest by the doctors,” Tendulkar said. “We’ll have to wait and see. After the rest period is over, I’ll meet the doctors again and we’ll take a decision.”I am not going to hurry my return,” he continued. “I am eager to play against Pakistan but I would do so only if I am fully fit and able to play. I will strictly go by what the doctors say. “Tendulkar’s injury dominated the headlines last year and, although he returned at the end of the Australia series, he struggled. In six innings against Australia and South Africa he managed 93 runs, but he did make a big double-hundred against Bangladesh.There were those who blamed a heavy bat for his problems, but Tendulkar again dismissed those suggestions. “I have been reading articles wrongly attributing my injury to my usage of heavy bats,” he explained. “A lot of people have been saying that but they don’t know much about the game. I have used heavy bats for 15 years without any trouble.”The dates for the Pakistan series have not been confirmed but the first Test is expected to start on March 4.

Steve Tikolo:’ The association was mismanaging the sport and we did not utter a word as things deteriorated’ © Getty Images

Kenyan captain Steve Tikolo has admitted that he wished that he and his team had taken a stand against the old Kenyan Cricket Association earlier than they did.Tikolo and a number of senior players finally went on strike last October after more than a year of disputes over payments they claimed were owed to them by the Sharad Ghai led board. That regime was finally removed by fresh elections in May, and Ghai is awaiting trial on charges that he misappropriated around $3.5 million of KCA funds.”The association was mismanaging the sport and we did not utter a word as things deteriorated,” Tikolo told the Nation. “Last year we said enough was enough and refused to play. Our action prompted the government to act. Now the rot in cricket has been cleaned out. Had we protested earlier then we would be at a higher level in the game.”Tikolo also revealed that he regretted his role in chosing Andy Moles as the national coach. He was one of three people given the task of finding a replacement for Sandeep Patil, but revealed that it was a decision he immediately rued.”We could not work with Moles,” he told the paper. “Our relationship in the dressing room deteriorated by the day … it even threatened our performance.”This made me realise my work is to play – hiring and firing coaches is the job of the association. When things went wrong we could not complain as we were part of the selection panel.”

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Karen Rolton: in form© Getty Images

Karen Rolton was Australia’s star for the second match in a row as they beat the Indian women by three wickets in Mysore to go 2-0 up in the seven-match series. Rolton bowled nine economical overs, conceding only 26 runs as India made 171 for 7 from 50 overs. Then, coming in to bat at the fall of the first wicket, she anchored the run-chase with an unbeaten 62 from 93 balls, as Australia won with four balls to spare.As in the first game, the most productive partnership for Australia came when Rolton and Lisa Sthalekar got together. They added 61 for the third wicket before Sthalekar (30) was run out – one of four Australians to be dismissed in that fashion. Three more wickets went down in quick succession as they slumped to 147 for 6, but Rolton guided the team through.Earlier, Anju Jain and Anjum Chopra were the main contributors for India. Jaya Sharma was dismissed for a fifth-ball duck, but Jain (51) and Chopra (43) then added 101 for the second wicket. The platform had been built, but the Indians failed to accelerate, adding only 33 runs in the last 11 overs to end with a below-par total. The Australians had a few hiccups, but held their nerve to seal the win.The third match will be held in Mumbai on December 16.

England will wait until the International Cricket Council has signed the agreement for them to host the Champions Trophy in September before announcing whether the tour to Zimbabwe will go ahead.Speculation has been rife that were England to refuse to tour then the tournament would be moved to another venue in retaliation – several countries’ boards are understood to support such a move.England are keen – some would say desperate – to avoid such a scenario as it would cost the already financially strapped England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) millions of pounds. The ECB signed the agreement last week, and it expects that the ICC will countersign by the end of March.Officially, the ECB says it has not made a decision over Zimbabwe, but few believe the tour will take place. So its main aim now is damage limitation.The ECB has reacted to the ICC’s threat of a large fine by looking to the government to come up with something more concrete than verbal disapproval. If the government were to say that England couldn’t tour, then the ICC would be unable to fine the board. The ECB is believed to be seeking legal advice as to whether letters and statements saying England shouldn’t go amounts to the same thing.

Habibul Bashar missed the previous edition of the Champions Trophy in 2004 due to an injury to his right thumb. Injury to his left, this time, might see him out of the tournament to be played in India beginning October 7 © AFP

The Bangladesh Cricket Board is faced with a quandary ahead of picking their 14-member squad for the Champions Trophy with Habibul Bashar’s fitness status not yet confirmed. Bashar, their captain, has said he can confirm his fitness status only a week after the ICC deadline of September 7 for submitting the squads.It is possible that Bashar will be included in the squad and later replaced if he fails his fitness test. “As far as I know, one can only replace an injured player from the 30-member probables but we are still not clear about the rules,” Mahbubul Anam, the board general secretary told the , a Dhaka-based daily. “That’s why we have to go through the ICC laws first about the matter then we will discuss with the selectors,”Bashar fractured his left thumb during the second one-day match against Zimbabwe in July. He missed the last Champions Trophy in England in 2004 because of a fracture to his right thumb. Mahbub said that the Bangladesh board might ask the ICC to look at Bashar’s case as a special consideration.But Faruque Ahmed, the chief selector, was confident that Bashar would recover in time for the tournament. “Yes, you can say it is a little bit of a dilemma for the board as well as the selectors because we have to pick the final team by September 7 while we can know the exact position of Bashar only a week later. But I am not too bothered with the situation as Bashar is recovering well and his injury is also not a serious one.”Though Faruque himself supported Bashar’s inclusion in the squad, he said that the final decision would be taken only after the selection panel had discussed it. “I don’t know the details of the ICC rules about the matter but I don’t think there is any rigid law,” he added. Bangladesh are scheduled to play West Indies, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in the qualifying round of the Champions Trophy beginning October 7. If they finish in the top two, they will advance to the next round of the tournament to play the six top-seeded teams.

Michael Vaughan: caught in the middle © Getty Images

England’s cricket authorities may have been given a get-out clause in their dilemma over the Zimbabwe tour, after claiming to have received a letter from the government instructing them not to go.Tim Lamb, the ECB’s chief executive, said his letter from Jack Straw, the British foreign secretary, was “tantamount to an instruction”. Under ICC rules, teams may only withdraw from a fixture if there are safety risks or if there is a Government ban.In his letter, Straw said the current situation in Zimbabwe is worse than it was this time last year, when England were faced with their World Cup crisis. “The EU, the US and others maintain targeted restrictive measures against leading members of the Zimbabwean regime,” wrote Straw. “The UK has taken a leading role on this issue. You may wish to consider whether a high profile England cricket tour at this time is consistent with that approach.”Lamb added that the letter is “couched in political language” but “as close as we’re going to get to an instruction”. He told BBC Radio Five Live he would seek further clarification from the government before a final decision is made.The ICC remain opposed to England’s stance, and Ehsan Mani, the president, once again raised the possibility of financial redress if they fail to meet their obligations. “Where governments fall short of strong and decisive action,” he said, “all members of the ICC are committed to touring.”The Zimbabwe Cricket Union, meanwhile, reminded England of the verbal undertaking they made a year ago, when the chairman David Morgan flew to Harare to negotiate over Zimbabwe’s summer tour of England. Peter Chingoka, their chairman, said: “We have a right to host England and they have a corresponding duty to honour their obligations.””I’m well aware of our international obligations,” said Lamb. “But at the end of the day our directors will make the right decision on whether to go or not.” The ECB executive board will meet for a dull debate on January 29, after Lamb has met with Mani and Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s chief executive.Lord MacLaurin, the former ECB chairman and current chief of Vodafone, England’s main sponsors, called on the government to clarify its position. “The government took the decision to take us into war in Iraq,” said MacLaurin. “The regime in Iraq is not that different from what’s going on in Zimbabwe.”

Close England 445 and 0 for 1 (Vaughan 0*) lead South Africa 362 (McKenzie 90, Anderson 5-102) by 83 runs
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Worth a shout: Andrew Flintoff roars with delight after trapping Mark Boucher lbw

Marcus Trescothick’s wicket to the final ball of the evening rounded off a fruitful day of fight, with a touch of finesse, for South Africa in the third npower Test at Trent Bridge. After a dramatic start by James Kirtley, who took two wickets in as many balls, South Africa were hauled right back in to the contest by some determined and, at times, dazzling batting from Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock.McKenzie and Boucher led the fightback for South Africa with an 129-run partnership, as England lost their way after a good morning in which they took three quick wickets. McKenzie was solid in defence and looked to get forward at every opportunity, stroking a host of superb cover-drives in his 11 boundaries. He and Boucher batted throughout the afternoon session and they passed the follow-on target with ease as the England bowlers couldn’t match their good early work. McKenzie played a cracking square cut off Steve Harmison and brought up his 11th Test fifty with a classical cover-drive two balls later.The new ball didn’t faze him either. He drove Harmison for another four to signal the hundred partnership. Boucher, meanwhile, was happy to play second fiddle to McKenzie as he quietly went about his business. It was the highest sixth-wicket stand for South Africa against England and it squashed England’s early spark and zest in the field as they, like the pitch, went strangely flat.Harmison missed the evening session with a thigh strain, but James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff did temporarily lift England’s spirits again after their wicketless afternoon. Anderson struck to give England, and himself, a boost when he ended McKenzie’s eye-catching innings. Anderson bowled a good length ball outside off which McKenzie drove at loosely and edged to Trescothick at first slip (261 for 6). It was uncharacteristic lapse of concentration from McKenzie who fell 10 runs short of what would have been a well-deserved hundred.Boucher continued to play cautiously until he was adjudged lbw by Daryl Harper. Flintoff nipped one back off the seam and hit Boucher on the back pad for a dogged and effective 48 (284 for 7).Cue Pollock. He strode out with a purpose and batted with one. He played his shots from the off, carting Anderson through the covers and spanking Flintoff past midwicket among his nine boundaries. He’s in good form and he played a crucial cameo for South Africa, guiding them under the 100-deficit mark and frustrating England’s progress.Pollock received handy support from the tail as well. Andrew Hall was beginning to fire until Anderson squeezed one through his defence for 15 (309 for 8). Paul Adams then hung around for a niggly 13 and put on 28 with Pollock before his stumps were shattered by an Anderson offcutter (337 for 9). Pollock was eventually out for 62 when he lofted Anderson (5 for 102) to Kirtley at mid-on, but those 62 runs could be vital come the end of the match.But don’t forget McKenzie. He may have a bad back, but he was the backbone of the innings and was their one shining light in their bleak morning, in which England made an explosive start. Kirtley took his first Test wicket, and his second the very next ball, as South Africa struggled to come to terms on a pitch of increasingly uneven bounce. Jacques Rudolph thick-edged an off-stump delivery to Alec Stewart for 15 (88 for 3). Boeta Dippenaar then fell to a big inducker that rapped him on the pads plumb in front of middle (88 for 4).Jacques Kallis was never comfortable and he played a miscalculated leave to Anderson as the ball crashed in to his off stump.South Africa were reeling at 132 for 5 at that stage, but McKenzie and Pollock battled hard to leave the match finely balanced. And this evening, South Africa will feel things have swung right back their way after Harper incorrectly adjudged that Trescothick gloved Pollock to Adams at short leg. It was the first ball of England’s second innings, and the last of an intriguing day’s play.Click here for the Wisden VerdictClick here for yesterday’s bulletin

Sunil Gavaskar’s speech at the Colin Cowdrey memorial lecture raised the issue of sledging in international cricket, but Sourav Ganguly has played down its importance, calling it a “part of modern-day cricket”. In an interview with ESPN-Star Sports, Ganguly said: “I don’t totally disagree with Gavaskar, these things happen. There are a bit of words exchanged on the field these days. It happens with every team. But the players have learnt to live with it. It is a minor issue which should not be blown out of proportion.”Ganguly said that he wasn’t worried by the Australian team’s reputation for sledging, but admitted that the tour to Australia presented a huge challenge to his team. “We know what the conditions will be in Australia, we know what to expect. It is going to be a tough tour. We have to be honest and work really hard and raise our game if we have to compete with them.”India are scheduled to play four Tests in Australia later this season, their first tour to that country since being blanked 0-3 in a Test series in 1999-2000, but Ganguly indicated that he would try to gain some psychological points over Australia when they visit India for a one-day triangular tournament in October. “Obviously, Australia are a great side, but they have not won against us at home.”

David Gilbert, CEO, Cricket NSW is pleased to announce the following selections for NSW Breakers to play in the Women’s National Cricket League against Victoria Spirit at the Frankston Oval, Vic, on 20th & 21st December. Selectors have kept the same team who played against SA Scorpions in Bowral on 6/7 December.NSW and Victoria last met in the WNCL Final Series in 2002-03 at MCG and this season are currently on equal points, each winning 3 out of 4 matches and earning3 bonus points but NSW take top position with a better net run rate.Selections for NSW Breakers v Vic Spirit:

1. Julie Hayes (Captain), Gladesville
2. Lisa Sthalekar (Vice-Captain), North Sydney
3. Leonie Coleman (Third Selector) (Wk), Moonbi
4. Sarah Andrews, Fern Bay
5. Alex Blackwell, Griffith
6. Kate Blackwell, Griffith
7. Bronwyn Calver, Amaroo, ACT
8. Shannon Cunneen, Lane Cove
9. Michelle Goszko, Chiswick
10. Lisa Keightley, Mudgee
11. Emma Twining, Glenwood
12. Jenny Wallace, Wyong

Coach: Kerry Marshall, Haberfield
Assistant Coach: Matthew Betsey, Penshurst
Manager: Jacqui Hoban, Cronulla

West Indies have named the following 14-member squad for the opening Cable & Wireless Test Match of four against Australia at Bourda Oval in Georgetown, Guyana, starting on Thursday.Brian Lara (captain
Carlton Baugh
David Bernard
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Pedro Collins
Vasbert Drakes
Mervyn Dillon
Daren Ganga
Wavell Hinds
Carl Hooper
Ridley Jacobs
Jermaine Lawson
Marlon Samuels
Devon Smith
NOTE:Ramnaresh Sarwan, who was appointed Vice-Captain for the Series, has not recovered from his cracked finger injury. A Vice-Captain to replace Sarwan will be named later.