Former Indian captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth and former Indian leftarm spinner Venkatapathy Raju will visit Singapore, Hong Kong,Toronto, London and some major cities in the Unites States, besidesthe United Kingdom during August- September to promote cricket amongthe Non-Resident Indian population in these countries.NumTV, a web casting division, from the house of Pentamedia GraphicsLimited, Chennai, is sponsoring the entire show. The highlights of thevisit by the two cricketers will be a cricket clinic for youngsters atvarious venues where Srikkanth and Raju will also share theirexperiences. The organisers also plan to hold fun filled cricketmatches in which Srikkanth and Raju will play in opposite teams. Thetwo will also host quiz programmes and there will be prizes for thewinners.The schedule for the tour: Singapore: August 7. Hong Kong: August 8.Los Angeles: August 9 and 10. San Jose and Sunny Vale: August 11 to13. Dallas and Houston: August 14 to 16. Washington DC, New York andNew Jersey: August 17 to 20. Florida and Atlanta: August 21 to 23.Toronto: August 24 to 27. Detroit: August 28 to 30. Boston: August 31to September 1. Chicago: September 2 and 3. United Kingdom: September4 to 7.

Suresh Perera, the Sri Lanka fast-medium bowler, has been reported for asuspect bowling action by umpire Steve Bucknor to International CricketCouncil (ICC) match referee Cammie Smith, according to a Sri Lanka cricketboard release on Saturday.Perera, a right-arm bowler playing in only his second Test, sent down 12overs in the Indian first innings, but did not take a wicket. He was notused by skipper Sanath Jayasuriya in the second innings.He is the third Sri Lankan bowler to be reported for a suspect bowlingaction in the past six years. Spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and KumarDharmasena were the others. Both of them were later cleared by the ICC andcontinue to play international cricket.This is not the first time that Perera has been reported by an umpire forhaving a suspect action. Two years ago umpire Asoka de Silva, who also stoodin the First Test, reported Perera to the Sri Lankan cricket board after adomestic match between Sinhalese Sports Club and Sebastianites.Perera, however, has been retained in the unchanged 16-member squad for theSecond Test against India starting at Asgiriya International Stadium, Kandy on August 22.According to the revised three-stage process adopted by the ICC for bowlerswith suspect actions, the ICC will now acquire detailed video footage ofPerera during the First Test and send to the Sri Lankan board, who arerequired to conduct an assessment of Perera’s action within a six-weekperiod. The BCCSL’s bowling advisors will review this report and work withPerera to make any necessary changes.If Perera’s action is reported again within 12-months then there is a stagetwo review process, which will involve an ICC advisor working directly withPerera. If he is reported for a third time, within the same 12-month period,the the ICC will appoint a Bowling Review Group to conduct a hearing andmake a judgment on the action’s legality.

Somerset Chief Executive Peter Anderson has paid tribute to the hundreds of fans who had wished Somerset well before the Lord’s final last weekend and those who have sent their coingratulations since the victory.Talking at The County Ground this afternoon he told me, “I would like to send a personal message to all of the hundreds of people who have made contact with the club by e mail, by letter or by telephone before and since the final. We have been overwhelmed by the response of the public to our Cheltenham and Gloucester victory. There are far too many to thank individually but I want everyone to know how much their good wishes have been appreciated by us all at the club, and in particular the players themselves.”A film has been shot to record the historic day at Lord’s and details of how this can be obtained will be announced by the club in the near future.

Andy Roberts, the pace giant of West Indies, believes that Bangladesh shouldshake off the idea that they would not be able to produce genuine fastbowlers. He thinks that the country is capable of sprouting quick bowlers;therefore, they should evade any sort of negative attitude. A press briefingwas arranged in Navana Tower, the newly built office of BCB, where thisformer pace demon shared his ideas with the journalists present there.Roberts, who came to guide the bowlers of Bangladesh-A and Under-19, isquite optimistic about Bangladeshi pace bowlers. He came here to run afifteen-day crush program on fast bowling and he found latent talents amonghis students who may appear as real fast bowlers if properly groomed.He believes that Bangladeshi journalists should cut off their rotten ideathat the boys here are physically too poor to bowl at 90- miles per hour.Kowshik and Talha, the due of Under-19, are quite fast and they are going toemerge as fearsome bowlers for the country within two or three years. Hefirmly believes they are going to get the ability to generate pace nearing90 miles per hour soon.He spoke from a different angle that real quickies don’t need very goodheight always. Fast bowling has nothing to do with height or the strength ofshoulders, a physic does not bowl fast he believes. Attitude should comefirst and then the power of the legs. Most of the real quickies of the worlddon’t possess a very good height Malcolm Marshall, Lillie or Imran werebarely six-footers.He refuted the journalists saying that fast bowlers could thrive on slowpitches too. It would never be an impediment. The only thing that matters is"aggressive attitude" and it would sound good that he has located suchattitudes in some of his students.After the briefing, Roberts divulged the secret of reverse swing to everyonewith a ball having black marks on one side. The way he was conducting theact of reverse swing, enthralled the journalists present there.Andy, who is prone to give hostile pitchers, is regarded as the mostformidable of the famous pace-quadrant of West Indies in the seventies. Hehas a busy schedule in front at BKSP with the boys before his departure onSeptember 13.

Once again, the dominance of Australians on cricket fields across the world this winter has extended well beyond merely the national team’s endeavours.While the country’s top teams were claiming the NatWest Series of one-day internationals against England and Pakistan and a 4-1 Ashes victory over the old enemy, many more of its players were making a similarly emphatic mark elsewhere.The highlights of another outstanding collective performance from 13 Australian imports in English county competition this year arrived in memorable victories for Darren Lehmann and Jamie Cox at Yorkshire and Somerset respectively.Lehmann was the shining light behind a remarkable triumph for his club as it gained the accolade of being English cricket’s champion first-class team for the first time in 33 years. Under the coaching of fellow Australian Wayne Clark, he played a pivotal role in all nine of the northerners’ victories, amassing 1416 runs at the mountainous average of 83.29. Little wonder then that Yorkshire captain David Byas was moved to describe his deputy’s contribution as akin to having Sir Donald Bradman in the side.Somerset followers will remember 2001 as a similarly golden year in their club’s history. For this was not only the year in which, in finishing as runner-up to the Yorkshiremen, the men from cider country ended in their highest-ever position in 111 assaults upon the Championship. It was also the year in which its team, under Cox’s leadership, claimed a one-day title for the first time since 1983. Back then, it had the services of no less a trio than Ian Botham, Joel Garner and Viv Richards at its disposal; now, just a Tasmanian and a hard-working troupe of largely unheralded players performing gallantly in game after game for him.Elsewhere, Mike Hussey’s insatiable appetite for runs helped him shatter the convention that the 2,000 first-class run mark has now become insurmountable in England. He was not simply the leading run-scorer in the country for 2001 but, six months after his first step into county competition, he has a triple century, two double centuries, three other three-figured scores, and 16 half-centuries to show for his efforts at the top of the order for Northamptonshire.Although only a late call-up, Andrew Symonds was a key member of the side that delivered Kent the National League title, and Murray Goodwin exerted a heavy influence over Sussex’s success in clinching the Division Two title at first-class level. With 66 first-class wickets (not to mention a hat-trick and a one-day century), Andy Bichel was Worcestershire’s Player of the Year and fellow Queenslanders Stuart Law, Martin Love and Jimmy Maher were consistently among the runs for Essex, Durham and Glamorgan respectively.After stunning success in recent times at one-day level, it was a disappointing year in many respects for Gloucestershire. But such a summation of the season could not be extended to Ian Harvey, whose all-round talents were again demonstrated with aplomb. Greg Blewett also enjoyed a fruitful season at Nottinghamshire, particularly with the bat.Although the advent of a fractured cheekbone brought an early end to his season, Daniel Marsh was an integral part of Leicestershire’s very successful start to the summer, and fellow Tasmanian Michael DiVenuto again produced a number of fine innings for Derbyshire. A third Tasmanian, Chris Bassano, took advantage of his dual citizenship to join DiVenuto in the Derbyshire first eleven, and sent statisticians scattering for their record books by scoring twin centuries on Championship debut.Victorian John Davison and Queenslander Jeff Thomas are others who will also fondly remember their winters. As an important player and a cool-headed coach respectively at this year’s ICC Trophy tournament in Toronto, the pair were at the heart of an amazing triumph for Canada as it secured a berth in the World Cup.Canadian-born Davison and now Canadian-resident Thomas were both key members of the team which finished third in the tournament, and which will therefore join the Netherlands and Namibia as the other ICC Associate qualifiers on world cricket’s biggest stage in South Africa two years from now. While the tournament was not a source of such happy memories for Joe Scuderi and Peter DiVenuto (whose own chance to play in the event was dashed when ICC officials ruled them ineligible to compete for Italy), Davison and Thomas will likely never forget the mood of euphoria that greeted their team’s achievement.Tasmania’s Damien Wright made his now customarily huge impression in Scotland, even to the point of starring for its national team as its one permitted overseas player in Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy competition. Last winter a popular choice as the ‘Overseas Player of the Year’, he was again a major contributor as his Grange club swept all before it. One of the few prizes his team didn’t win (the national one-day championship) was taken by Greenock, a side which relied heavily on fellow Tasmanian Dene Hills’ input. Victoria’s Jason Arnberger also enjoyed another solid year at Aberdeen.Victorian influence was also strong in league competition in England, nowhere more clearly than in Lancashire. Bowlers there found the task of curbing the talents of Matthew Mott and Brad Hodge near-impossible, as each set about accumulating record-breaking personal run-tallies for club teams Rawtensall and Ramsbottom. It was also the stage for a tremendous season for Tasmanian all-rounder Shaun Young, who not only received a championship medal for Bacup but also narrowly missed out on securing the double of scoring 1,000 runs and claiming 100 wickets.With the vast bulk of these players returning to begin state commitments back at home almost immediately, it leaves it a moot question as to whether many will have adequate time to reflect on their achievements. Given the amount of prizes they’re likely to bring back with them from awards nights, though, they should be able to at least partly reminisce as they alter from living their lives by the moon to the sun again over the next week or two.

The Indian innings at Kingsmead resembled a pre-climax scene from abad B-movie, where the villain has a noose around the neck of theheroine standing on an ice block. Most of the Indian batsmen appearedto having nooses around their necks, and they only succeeded inpulling it tighter, resulting in their dismissals. The only differencewas that they could not conjure up a hero to save the team from adebacle. South African captain Shaun Pollock was clearly intent onplaying on the psyche of the Indian batsmen by inserting the touristson the day when it mattered most.

The Indians somehow got into all sorts of tangles by adopting somestrange tactics. The skipper perished in trying to up the run-rate byplaying, against his opposite number, a shot that had worked well forhim in the series. His dismissal meant that the Indians were peggeddown in the first fifteen overs, from which they never reallyrecovered. The only positive aspect of the Indian innings was the wayin which Virender Sehwag batted, though his mode of exit wasdisappointing.The move to make Rahul Dravid keep wickets opened up a slot for anadditional bowler, but the Indians stuck to their regular formula offour bowlers. Dravid shouldered the additional responsibility withoutany fuss, but it is not a long-term solution. He tried his best totake the Indian score to respectability; in the end, though, it wasnot worth the effort, as the South Africans overhauled the Indiantotal without any problems. But for the mini-partnerships that Dravidbuilt with Sehwag and Reetinder Singh Sodhi, the final would have beenan embarrassment for the visitors.What really made a telling impact was the inability of the Indianmiddle-order to play shots off the back foot. The pitch at Kingsmeaddoes have a lot of carry and bounce, but the shot selection ondisplay was poor by any standards. Nantie Hayward worked up good paceconsistently, and he will be a force to reckon with in the Testseries. A team that had seven batsmen in its ranks was unable to putup a total to even make a contest out of it. The Indians, in fact,gave the impression that they got things wrong in terms of the totalthey planned to set; a total of 220-230 would have been verycompetitive, given the conditions, but it seemed that the visitorswere looking at 250-plus , which might have caused the top order toplay rash shots.Yet another final was lost simply because the Indians as a collectiveunit do not believe in their ability; Sachin Tendulkar and SouravGanguly always have to click with the bat if the Indians are to evennurture hopes of winning. Even they, however, can succumb underpressure when it matters most, in spite of all their achievements ininternational cricket over the years. The Indian victories againstKenya notwithstanding, the limitations of the make-up of the team werealways under the microscope.Looking at a broader perspective, any side that struggles for the 10crucial overs, in both departments of the game, is bound to strugglein a pressure-cooker situation. That is the problem with the Indians,since they are a bowler short and the middle-order batsmen do not makethe most of the last 10 overs, the most vital phase of the innings.The idea of completing a fifth bowler’s quota with Yuvraj Singh andTendulkar is just wishful thinking, and it will be difficult onpitches where the bounce is even and true.It is all history now, however, and one can only hope that the Indiansget their thinking sorted out during the forthcoming Test series. Itgoes without saying that the Tests will be much more demanding, andonly the tougher side will eventually prevail.

The International Cricket Council has criticised South Africa and India forgoing ahead with their match in Centurion without official ICC match refereeMike Denness.The former England captain upset India’s cricketing public when he penalised six players, including Sachin Tendulkar, for various offences during the second Test at Port Elizabeth.As India threatened to pull out of the third and final Test should Denness officiate, the United Cricket Board of South Africa sided with the tourists, appointing a new referee in Denis Lindsay.The ICC has refused to sanction the match as a Test, and awarded the series toSouth Africa.”The ultimate response by the Indians would appear to be an over-reaction, while South Africa for their part did not act correctly,” said ICC spokesman Jonathan Hemus.”Our focus is on protecting the power of the referee and umpire – otherwise there would be anarchy in cricket.”The ICC is deeply concerned with the integrity of the officials – they mustbe protected and if not it sets a very bad precedent.”Hemus refused to rule out the possibility that South Africa and India wouldface further punishment. But he said there was a possibility that the game might regain Test status in the future.”This is a dynamic situation … it is not a closed book. But while saying that, the ICC is determined to be resolute in its decision,” said Hemus.”Our chief purpose is to protect the rights of referees and umpires. In other sporting codes – for example soccer – the referee’s decision is final and teams have to abide with his decision regardless of circumstances.”In cricket the referee has hindsight and time for consideration increasing his perspective on the incident.”

Denis St Eval Atkinson the former West Indies cricket team captain died from cancer at the age of 75 on 9th November in southern Barbados. He was born on 9th August 1925 in Barbados, Trinidad.The World Record:
Denis Atkinson whose cricket career spanned 1948 to 1958 playing in 22 Test matches is more remembered for his part in a world record stand in 1955. In fact his 347 runs seventh wicket partnership with CC Depeiza is still a world record. Leading the Caribbean team in that Test he scored 219 to save his team from a certain defeat. The West Indies were tottering at 156 for 6 and were facing a huge Aussie total of 668 when he associated with Depeiza (122) to produce the record stand which ultimately lifted the West Indies total to 510. Atkinson continued to fight back and returned to claim five Australian wickets for 56 runs in the second innings. This brilliant all round performance of scoring a century and claiming five wickets in a match until then was the fifth such instance in test cricket history.Successful home series against England, 1953-54:
Earlier, in the home series against England in 1953-54 he scored 53 in the second test at Bridgetown which the West Indies won by 181 runs and later went on to score 74 and 53 not pot in the fourth drawn test at Part of Spain.Led from the front in New Zealand, 1955-56:
Again his contribution was significant when he led the West Indies team in New Zealand in 1955-56. During the series he scored 85 at Christchurch, clamed 5 wickets for 56 and scored 60 at Wellington and then returned his best bowling figures in an innings, 7 for 53 in the fourth and final test at Auckland. Incidentally this valiant bowling effort went in vain as the Kiwis recorded their first victory in test cricket.Hanif-His most prized wicket:
Brothers Denis and Eric Atkinson became the first West Indian pair to play in the same test (against Pakistan) at Bridge Town, Barbados in 1958. It was during this match that Denis claimed the most prized wicket of his entire career when he dislodged Hanif Mohammad after the ‘Little Master’ had played a monumental and marathon knock of 337 runs consuming 970 minutes. It was a historical moment as Hanif was just 27 runs away from the then world record when he edged an out-swinger and was caught behind the wicket by FCS Alexander to the utter disbelief of the West Indians. His figures of 62-35-61-1 in Pakistan’s second innings total of 657 for 8 declared compared to other bowlers, including Roy Gilchrist, Eric Atkinson, OG Smith, Alf Valentine and Gary Sobers, were very respectable. This was his last test match.Test Career Record

Auckland begin their quest for a third consecutive State League women’s cricket title when they open their campaign with four home games at North Harbour Stadium and Melville Park this weekend.The State Auckland Hearts play the State Canterbury Magicians at North Harbour Stadium on Saturday and Sunday followed by the State Otago Sparks at Melville Park on Monday and Tuesday. It will be the first time a provincial women’s cricket match is played at North Harbour Stadium.The State League will be played over four rounds with the final taking place on February 3.Auckland captain, Kathryn Ramel says the team are greatly looking forward to the challenge of defending their title against the best of New Zealand’s provincial women’s cricket teams. The team are also the current holders of the Sport Auckland WestpacTrust Team of the Year Award for their efforts in winning the title in 2001.”Winning our third consecutive State League title is the primary goal, however, we will also be striving to achieve the high standards we set ourselves in batting, bowling and fielding during matches,” Ramel said.”We will be fielding a team with a mix of youth and experience. Some of the players will have their first experience of playing cricket at this level. In combination with the more senior players we have created a really committed and supportive team environment to work with,” she said.While top order batting is a strength for Auckland, a new and untested bowling attack is one of the areas being targeted for specific focus by Ramel and the team.CLEAR White Ferns Emily Drumm, Ramel, Rebecca Rolls and Helen Watson will all be in action for Auckland in the January/February competition.The Auckland team to play Canterbury in the first match at North Harbour Stadium on Saturday is: Kathryn Ramel (captain), Ingrid Cronin-Knight, Emily Drumm, Shelley Fruin, Paula Gruber, Kelly Hill, Michelle Lynch, Deb Ramsey, Rebecca Rolls, Natalee Scripps, Megan Tyler, Helen Watson.The full Auckland programme is:Saturday: Auckland v Canterbury, North Harbour Stadium 12 noon. Sunday: Auckland v Canterbury, North Harbour Stadium, 10.30am. Monday: Auckland v Otago, Melville Park, 10.30am. Tuesday: Auckland v Otago, Melville Park 10.30am.

Somerset all rounder Mike Burns is back in full training after undergoing an operation to rectify an ankle injury earlier in the New Year.The thirty two year old who joined Somerset from Warwickshire in 1997 enjoyed his best ever year in 2001, and played a major part in the county’s most successful season.At the indoor nets in the week Mike was showing that he has lost none of his batting ability and was striking the ball in the same way that earned him nearly nine hundred championship runs last season including a double century at Bath, which is still being talked about by those who were present.Head of injury prevention Darren Veness, who has been working closely with the player told me: “Burns is back with the bat in the nets for the first time since his ankle injury. He looked comfortable and next week he will be able to bowl flat out as well.”Mike Burns told me: “The ankle feels pretty good, and next week I’ll be back to bowling at full pace. I was batting with a new Gunn and Moore bat and it is a real belter.I’ve used their bats for nine years and now they’re available from Boundary Sports at the County Ground. Several of the others use Gunn and Moore as well.”The following morning Mike Burns was back at the County Ground, and after a session at the Indoor School was being put through his paces on the new weights that have been set up in a separate area , away from the Academy Fitness Centre.Daren Veness told me, “Mike is a natural athlete and incredibly fit.He’s a great example for the youngsters to follow. It’s good for them to see someone who is a number of years older than them working as hard as he does at training.”