Cricket News

The West Indian allrounder, Dwayne Smith, has been forced to withdraw from next week's Champions Trophy, after injuring his right shoulder during the final Test against England at The Oval last month

Dwayne Smith flies home with shoulder injury

Jonty Rhodes, South Africa's former talisman, has hinted that he would like to join the Indian set-up as a fielding coach

Rhodes poised for India coaching role

The former England batsman, Aftab Habib, is facing an uncertain future, after it was announced that his county, Essex, had deferred a decision on whether to extend his contract, which expires at the end of the season

Aftab Habib's Essex future hangs in the balance

It was always going to take something spectacular to extract England's one-day team from their recent slough of despond, and so it proved at Trent Bridge, as India were overwhelmed by seven wickets in the opening match of the NatWest Challenge

England race to seven-wicket victory

01-Sep-2004•The Bulletin by Andrew Miller

'I tried to go about it my way,' says Solanki

After the match Vikram Solanki, who scored 52, talked about his successful return to the England one-day side

Graeme Swann, the Northamptonshire offspinner, has turned down the offer of a new contract, and will join Nottinghamshire next season after signing a three-year deal

Graeme Swann signs for Nottinghamshire

01-Sep-2004•Jenny Thompson

Why Indian fans treat their sporting heroes so harshly

Indian cricketers, and other Indian sportsmen, are constantly vilified and denigrated by their 'fans'

01-Sep-2004•Amit Varma

Playing Conditions confirmed for ICC Champions Trophy 2004

The ICC today confirmed details of the Playing Conditions that will apply for the ICC Champions Trophy 2004

01-Sep-2004•Mark Harrison

Dravid will continue to keep, says Ganguly

Despite the presence of Dinesh Karthik, a specialist wicketkeeper-batsman in the squad, Rahul Dravid will continue with his role behind the stumps as India take on England in the NatWest Challenge

Vikram Solanki will celebrate his recall to the England side by opening the innings in the first NatWest Challenge match against India, with Michael Vaughan dropping down to bat at three

Solanki to open on return to the side

Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has condemned Wasim Bari's statements against the umpiring in the Videocon Cup final and feels that no board official should make such public comments

'No board official should comment on umpiring'

Chris Cairns, New Zealand's star allrounder, believes his side can lift the Champions Trophy again, by building on their one-day success in England this summer

Cairns upbeat about New Zealand's chances

01-Sep-2004•Jenny Thompson

Ganguly pins hopes on Reid

Bruce Reid, the former former Australian fast bowler who had assisted the Indian team during its last tour to Australia, has rejoined them for another stint to help India's fledgling pace bowlers during the NatWest challenge against England and the

Despite a brave fighting century from Jacques Kallis (101), South Africa suffered the double humiliation of a series whitewash and a record-equalling tenth successive defeat as Sri Lanka - courtesy of some high-octane batting in the morning, fine

Sri Lanka complete the rout

31-Aug-2004•Bulletin by Charlie Austin

ICC names umpires and match referees

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named four match referees and ten umpires to officiate the group matches during the ICC Champions Trophy in England

The Pakistan Cricket Board has distanced itself from the scathing comments Wasim Bari, the chairman of selectors, made against David Shepherd

PCB distances itself from Bari's comments

Saqlain Mustaq, the Pakistani offspinner, is all set to undergo a second knee surgery, and will be out of cricket for several months as a result

Saqlain Mushtaq to undergo knee surgery

The NatWest Challenge should be a keen tussle between two teams that have forgotten how to win consistently in the limited-overs version of the game, each desperate to run into some semblance of form before the Champions Trophy

The middleweight championship

31-Aug-2004•Preview by Dileep Premachandran

Mike Hussey signs for Durham

Mike Hussey, the prolific Western Australian left-hander, is to join Durham next season