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Robert Mugabe: stumbling block © AFP

In less than four months’ time Australia are due to visit Zimbabwe to play two Tests and three ODIs. The likelihood is that the tour will be cancelled, but Heath Streak, Zimbabwe’s captain, is doing his best to argue the case for the trip going ahead.”I’d like to think the security side of things is not a major issue and I’m sure our cricket board will make a huge effort,” Streak told Melbourne’s The Age. “The West Indies have just been out, and obviously they [the Zimbabwe Cricket Union] will step that up even further for Australia, so really it’s more the political side of things that could affect it. If anything major happens between now and that tour, that would change, but on the current situation, Australia should be able to come out and I’m sure the security will be fine.”It’s not that simple though. Relations between the Australian and Zimbabwean governments are at an all-time low following the recent Commonwealth summit in Nigeria, and Zimbabwe’s decision to quit the Commonwealth – arguing that the organisation had been hijacked by racists – will have further deepened the divide.John Howard, Australia’s prime minister, was one of the leading proponents of the extension to Zimbabwe’s suspension from the organisation which led to Mugabe’s decision. “[It’s] because of the criminal ancestry he derives from,” Mugabe said, adding “Criminals were banished to Australia and New Zealand by the British”.Cricket Australia is planning to send a delegation to Zimbabwe in March, and it is liaising closely with the department for foreign affairs. The murder of a Perth accountant in Zimbabwe shortly before Christmas will not have gone unnoticed.”It’s very important for the game in Zimbabwe, for the development. To have Australia out is a huge thing,” Streak said. “Cricket supporters and spectators in Zimbabwe really cherish and love having the world champs out. People they only see on TV, now they can see in the flesh.”

India just couldn’t win.Not only did they lose both Tests in the National Bank Series, they found their over-rate was so slow in the first Test in wind-blown Wellington that they lost 35% of their match fees.If they didn’t feel fleeced over the conditions that developed at the Basin Reserve and Westpac Park, then that fine was probably the final straw.While the wet early summer was clearly an influence on the pitches that were produced, it was the same for both sides.It is all too easy to say the New Zealand’s batsmen know how to handle these pitches.From the observations in the two matches, they are clearly little better at handling them than the Indians were.New Zealand were advantaged by the winning of the toss on both occasions, although it must also be said that the Indian bowlers were not the fearsome unit that the New Zealanders were, especially in Wellington where the pace of Shane Bond was a new experience for the visiting batsmen.It was the ability to utilise the bounce in both Test pitches from tall men like Daryl Tuffey and Jacob Oram that was most significant. That, and their generally relentless accuracy.India’s Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra were finding their lengths by the end of the second Test and a third Test played in more favourable conditions could have seen them as a more fearful prospect.However, the abbreviated nature of a two-Test series satisfies no-one. The players are just getting into their rhythm and it is all over while the public, especially in rain-shortened matches like these were, are left in a blur over what actually happened.While the odd ball may remain in the mind’s eye as something worth recalling from the series, it is batting that fans most like to recall and sadly that wasn’t on offer from either side.Certainly there were glimpses of the supreme technician that Rahul Dravid is, and there was 50 runs of delight from Sachin Tendulkar in Wellington. Mark Richardson’s international season came and went in a flash and he will now be looking to score heavily in the State Championship.The conditions did best suit New Zealand but there were extenuating circumstances. And there will be plenty of former New Zealand players who have been to India who will say that they have also had to play in conditions that were of far more value to the home team than they were to New Zealand, whether deliberate or otherwise.So there should not be any bleeding hearts among New Zealanders about how unsporting it all was. What goes around comes around, and always has done in sport.What was encouraging from New Zealand’s point of view was that the side was capable of taking advantage of the position it found itself in, this despite a lack of matchplay and all the upset that had occurred with the players’ strike.Oram emerged as a potential all-rounder replacement for Chris Cairns, whenever his career reaches its end. It will be interesting to follow his development in the tougher conditions coming up in New Zealand’s future Test programme.Robbie Hart confirmed that he was a fine choice as a wicket-keeping replacement for Adam Parore and his catch to dismiss Sourav Ganguly in Hamilton in India’s second innings was one to store on video tape and recall many times over.Mind you India could claim the same of their 17-year-old star Parthiv Patel, whose effort to remove Nathan Astle could have been a match-winner with a little more luck going India’s way.What was of concern was the lack of work for left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori. While the New Zealand camp were happy with the victories, there must be concern that Vettori has been increasingly shut out of Test matches in this country, and with twin series coming up in Sri Lanka and India, that is not good.Taking into account the lack of bowling Vettori had on the fiery portable pitches in Christchurch and Auckland last summer, and no bowling in two Tests this year, that averages 21.14 overs per Test, 10 overs in one innings and 11 in the other.Take out the 49 overs he bowled on the slow dry wicket in the second Test against England, and the situation is much worse.Spin bowlers need to bowl and Vettori needs to be bowling more.While it is easy to say he will get plenty of bowling on the subcontinent coming up, he still needs to be getting the work, and with all the one-day cricket coming up it is not the sort of diet a spin bowler would relish.New Zealand still has problems, certainly off the field, if less so on, with the poor drainage of the Basin Reserve and Westpac Park. It is no longer acceptable to have sunny days and no cricket because the outfield is damp.Things are on the improve and these problems are noted, but there are, if you’ll pardon the pun, no grounds for complacency.

Something positive looks likely to emerge from left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori’s injury-forced absence from international cricket.Vettori suffered a stress fracture to his back during the 1999/00 Test series with Australia and while coming back to start out on the tour of Zimbabwe later that year, he was forced out when the injury re-surfaced and was properly diagnosed after more intensive scans.New Zealand Cricket’s director of player development Ashley Ross said Vettori’s absence and the prospect of his injuries being career-threatening had resulted in a much more serious attitude being taken to changes in Vettori’s bowling style.Problems with his style had been diagnosed before last year but Vettori had been reluctant to change because of the lack of time to make changes during New Zealand’s intensive programme and they hadn’t been pursued as slow bowlers were not perceived at much at risk as faster bowlers.NZC utilised facilities at Auckland University which allowed three-dimensional camera studies to quantify angles and degrees in Vettori’s bowling action. The work was aimed at improving Vettori’s core stability.”It didn’t produce any revolutionary information but it did put numbers on what we’ve observed before,” Ross said.The main interest was in working on the hip and shoulder angles of Vettori’s bowling.”We have been making those changes. Daniel is a very talented athlete and he has incorporated the changes very quickly into his bowling,” he said.In practical terms, Ross said, the most obvious changes to Vettori’s action would be seen in his running into the wicket a little straighter. His front leg will kick straight towards his target and his hips will also be straight on to his target and in line with his shoulders.”He will have far more body in his posture.”The spine is designed to take an impact, as long as it doesn’t combine with rotation,” Ross said.Spin bowling was often referred to as a science from the ground to the elbow and an art from the elbow to the fingers, Ross said, and Vettori’s control of the art aspect had been magnificent. The changes in style were aimed at lifting the science aspect to the same level.

Aston Villa will have Carney Chukwuemeka available against Leeds United this evening, Ashley Preece reports.

The Lowdown: Chukwuemeka’s absence

Chukwuemeka, labelled as ‘outstanding’ by Paul Merson following his full Premier League debut this season, has missed the last two fixtures with a slight injury.

Steven Gerrard’s side have recorded back-to-back wins without the 18-year-old and are now gearing up for a trip to Elland Road. A win will take Villa into the top half, and Chukwuemeka could well make a return to the matchday squad.

The Latest: Back in the group

Preece shared an injury update on Birmingham Live on Wednesday morning following Gerrard’s pre-match press conference.

When it came to Chukwuemeka, he said that the midfielder ‘will join the group’ ahead of the clash with Jesse Marsch’s side.

The Verdict: Another boost

Gerrard now has a near fully fit squad to choose from, with Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne also available after missing out on the weekend.

The update on Chukwuemeka is therefore another welcome boost, and you’d expect he could return to the bench in Yorkshire.

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That will give Gerrard another option to call upon, with the boss also needing to make calls on Konsa and Digne following Calum Chambers and Ashley Young’s impressive displays against Southampton last time out.

In other news: Preece now drops major Philippe Coutinho news from sources ahead of Villa’s trip to Leeds. 

Lara is optimistic over making a quicker return to the fold © Mid-Day

Former West Indies batsman Brian Lara is hoping to be fully fit in six weeks and able to resume duties for Trinidad and Tobago. Lara returned home on Saturday after suffering a fractured arm while playing for Trinidad and Tobago against Leeward Islands in their third-round Carib Beer Series match last Friday in St Maarten. He was struck on his left arm by a rising delivery from fast bowler Lionel Baker on the opening day of the match.Lara was at Woodford Square in Port of Spain yesterday with a cast on his left arm. “These things happen,” Lara told the . “I play sport so you have to expect at some point in time for injury to step in. Unfortunately, I was unable to get out of the way of a short ball and I broke my arm. But in six weeks and I’ll be fine. I’ve been through many broken bones in the past and I’ll get over this one.”X-rays showed a fracture in his left arm just above the wrist. Over the weekend, T&T team manager Omar Khan said Lara would be out of action for approximately eight weeks.Despite a lingering shoulder injury, Lara struck a century and an unbeaten half-century in a winning effort against Guyana two weeks ago in T&T’s opening game at the Queen’s Park Oval. He made himself available for the national team this season but said he would step down once the international players returned from West Indies’ tour of South Africa, to give younger players a chance to develop.

Malcolm Speed says the ICC has a good chance of catching any players who take banned substances © Getty Images

The ICC will target-test players for banned substances at the World Cup because of the “embarrassment” of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif continuing to play after their drugs punishments were overturned. Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s chief executive, said the new approach would be on top of random checks on four players – two from each side – in 17 of the 51 matches.Tests will be able to be undertaken at any time from the start of the tournament’s support period on Friday. The two Pakistan bowlers had their bans thrown out on appeal and the result sparked the tougher stance from the ICC, which says it was unable to intervene because the positive results came as part of Pakistan’s internal testing.”Both Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif have played for Pakistan over the past few months despite testing positive for prohibited substances,” Speed said. “That is a fact neither player has disputed and it is also a fact that has caused the game a high level of embarrassment as a result.”We want to make absolutely sure that all players who take part in the World Cup do so on the basis that they are free from banned substances. Having the option to target-test as well as the already-scheduled tests in place means that if a player does have anything in his system then there is a very strong possibility he will be caught out.”The ICC’s decision to increase its regulations comes as the World Anti-Doping Agency continues its fight to challenge the overturning of the bans on Shoaib and Asif. Pakistan will depart for the Caribbean without the two fast bowlers, who have spent the week in England for medical check-ups.

Habibul Bashar, Bangladesh’s captain, has slammed the practice facilities at Bogra as his side prepares for the forthcoming series against Sri Lanka.”Out nets for three days in Dhaka were very poor and it was same in Bogra, Habibul said. “The central pitches where we had our session today was not perfect for practice. It’s not good for us the way we are making important net sessions on unfriendly surfaces. Everybody should understand that it is a very important part of a team’s preparation. I am really frustrated and I must say we have wasted fours days.””It is really unfortunate what our captain has told about the facilities,” Rafiqul Islam Babu, chairman of the grounds committee, countered. “Still, the team management has not expressed what kind of wicket they needed. Everybody knows that seamers will get some movement in Bogra, so I can’t understand why our captain told this.”Meanwhile, hundreds of cricket fans took to the streets to protest about the lack of any Test or ODI matches against Sri Lanka being played in Dhaka. All three ODIs and two Tests will be staged outside the capital because the new stadia being built there will not be finished in time.The centre of the protests was at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, the previous Test venue in the city. It was always used for a variety of sports and the Bangladesh board (BCB) decided that it needed a purpose-built venues to enable the pitches and outfield to be of as higher a standard as possible.A recent ICC inspection concluded that the two new arenas in Dhaka were not ready to stage major matches, and so all games were switched to Bogra and Chittagong.

England 180 for 2 (Edwards 99, Taylor 55*) beat South Africa 174 for 6 (Brits 46) by eight wickets
Scorecard

Lucy Pearson: two wickets for England© Getty Images

England’s women wasted no time in getting back to winning ways, as they brushed aside the hosts, South Africa, to secure an eight-wicket victory that will all but guarantee them a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup.Charlotte Edwards was the mainstay of England’s innings. Chasing 180 for victory, Edwards racked up 14 fours in her 133-ball innings, and though she was dismissed one short of a richly deserved hundred, Clare Taylor was on hand to seal the contest in style. With one needed for victory and more than 10 overs to spare, Taylor clobbered Shandre Fritz for the only six of the match, to bring up her half-century and cue the celebrations.Following their dispiriting loss to India on Sunday, England were back on song with the ball and in the field, as they restricted South Africa to 174 for 6 from their 50 overs. Isa Guha and Lucy Pearson grabbed two wickets apiece, while Arran Brindle executed a fine run-out to remove Fritz for 19. Only Cri-Zelda Brits, who top-scored with 46, was able to hang around long enough to set a competitive total, but it never looked like being enough.New Zealand 184 for 9 (McGlashan 57) beat India 168 for 9 (Milliken 5-25) by 16 runs
ScorecardFollowing their top-of-the-table victory over England on Sunday, India lost ground on the new log leaders, Australia, as they stumbled to a 16-run defeat against New Zealand at the Technikon Oval in Pretoria. Despite being set a modest target of 185 in 50 overs, India faltered in the face of a hostile spell from Louise Milliken, who finished with 5 for 25, as they collapsed from 136 for 3 to 162 for 9 in 38 chaotic deliveries.The match seemed to be going to plan for India, after they won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat. Neetu David bamboozled her way to 5 for 32 with her left-arm spin, and the wicketkeeper, Anju Jain, held onto three catches and two stumpings. Only Sara McGlashan, with 57 from 73 balls, was able to get to grips with the attack, although Aimee Mason (36) and Rebecca Rolls (23) both made starts.Milliken, however, soon rocked India with two quick wickets (10 for 2), and though Anjum Chopra and Mithali Raj battled back with a 91-run stand for the third wicket, India were chugging along at a run-rate of less than three an over, and looked ill-prepared for a late push. So it proved, as Milliken returned to make the breakthrough, and India’s tail folded meekly.Australia 58 for 2 beat Sri Lanka 57 (Nitschke 3-5) by eight wickets

Emma Liddell: two wickets for Australia© Getty Images

Australia confirmed their status as favourites for the Women’s World Cup by marching to an effortless eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at Hatfield. Shelley Nitschke epitomised a suffocating performance by taking 3 for 5 in six overs, as Sri Lanka used up almost 39 overs in making a pathetic 57. Shashikala Siriwardena top-scored with 14 from 40 balls, while Julie Hayes and Emma Liddell both took two wickets.Australia, in reply, hardly broke sweat. Lisa Keightley and Belinda Clark strolled to a first-wicket partnership of 52, as the match was wrapped up with more than 33 overs to spare.West Indies 162 for 2 (Nero 71*, Lavine 66*) beat Ireland 159 for 6 (Joyce 37) by eight wickets
West Indies eased to an eight-wicket win over Ireland at the Laudium Oval, thanks to half-centuries from Juliano Nero and Pamela Lavine. Ireland, who have yet to win a match in the tournament, had given themselves an outside chance of pulling off an upset by posting a competitive 159 for 6 after losing the toss and being asked to bat first, but in the end it wasn’t enough.Ireland’s openers, Cecelia Joyce (37) and Anne Linehan (25), added 79 for the first wicket, before Catriona Beggs (31) and Una Budd (21) completed a spirited performance by adding 40 for the sixth wicket.

The long wait … and then Sachin Tendulkar was given leg-before by Steve Bucknor © Getty Images

Steve Bucknor has rejected criticism of his umpiring during the first Test between Australia and India at Brisbane, especially his controversial leg-before decision against Sachin Tendulkar in India’s first innings.And Bucknor, long regarded as one of the best umpires in the world, dismissed suggestions that his form was on the wane. “Just recently I was umpiring the World Cup final so I don’t understand what is happening, but at the moment I am pretty comfortable with my form,” he told the Australian Associated Press. “The criticism doesn’t bother me. Mistakes are going to be made. I know that. Everyone makes mistakes including myself.”The plethora of television replays indicated the ball which trapped Tendulkar would have sailed over the top of the stumps. But Bucknor delivered his verdict – described by the media in terms such as “a disgrace” and “an insult” – after his customary long deliberation.”I give myself enough time to think about my decision, to replay just about everything about that delivery, and by so doing I should in the end be able to make that [correct] decision,” he explained. While refusing to discuss the Tendulkar decision itself, he added, “Sometimes it doesn’t go that way … it’s not because my brain is working slowly. Once the hit is made I have a fair idea of what my decision is, it’s a matter of seeing whether something else could have happened.”Although the Tendulkar dismissal was the one which grabbed the headlines, Bucknor was also criticised for other decisions during the match. He gave Australia’s batsmen the benefit of the doubt on three well-justified appeals, and also appeared to mistakenly reprieve Akash Chopra for what looked like a good bat-pad catch shortly after Tendulkar’s wicket.

Somerset skipper Jamie Cox has had a season to remember back home in Tasmania this winter.Jamie has broken the number of appearences for the state of Tasmania, beating the previous record of 139 which was held by David Boon.He has also enjoyed considerable success with the bat to become one of the highest run scorers for a single state, and this winter he has also become the fourth-highest run scorer in Australian Domestic First Class Cricket.Off the field the highlight for Jamie and his fiance Helen has been the birth of their first baby, Lachlan who was born before Christmas.When I contacted Jamie he told me: “Lachlan is wonderful – Helen and I think that we have gotten lucky as he eats and sleeps well and only grizzles when there is obviously something wrong.”Helen was certainly born for motherhood – she has coped superbly. So far so good!”What about Somerset in 2002, I asked. “The new season is obviously full of expectation on the back of last season’s great results. Kevin Shine has told me that all are training hard and are excited about the new challenges ahead. We should be well placed to have another crack at winning trophies, but of course so much depends on the unknown variables such as injuries, English selection and weather etc,” Jamie said.Jamie and Helen get married in early April and then they return to England on April 18th with baby Lachlan, six days ahead of the Cidermen’s first County Championship match against Sussex at Hove.With less than two months to go to the start of the new season, Somerset fans will already be looking forward to welcoming back the captain who led the county to their most successful season ever in 2001. They will be hoping that they will go one stage further in 2002 and win the blue riband of cricketing trophies, the County Championship.