Indian news round-up

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday appointed Malcom Speed as its Chief Executive and he will succeed David Richards, who has held the position since its inception in 1993.

Announcing his appointment, Malcom Gray, President, ICC, told a press conference in Chennai that Speed has been selected after an exhaustive search in all regions of the world for a replacement for Richards, who is returning to Australia. Speed would take charge in July this year.

Gray said the Chief Executive office would remain in England and the ICC would be setting up a commercial office either in Europe or Singapore. According to him, a panel headed by himself and Peter Chingoka (Zimbabwe), Rene Van Lerwschot (Netherlands), Lord Maclaurin (England) and Ehsan Mani of Pakistan selected Speed from amongst five candidates. Gray did not give the names of four others saying "it is not fair to reveal their names."

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) on Tuesday cleared the injured Andrew Symonds for the forthcoming One day series starting on March 28 at the M Chinaswamy stadium in Bangalore. Symonds, who passed his second and final fitness test in Brisbane is to leave Australia on Wednesday for India.

The ACB in a press release said "Symonds had a final fitness test on his right shoulder today at Allan Border Field in Brisbane. He batted, bowled and fielded in front of Queensland Cricket medical officer Simon Carter and Chairman of the Australian Cricket Board's National Selection Panel, Trevor Hohns."

The release added that Symonds has recovered from yesterday's preliminary fitness session and felt the shoulder had improved overnight. Symonds suffered a severe sprain in the joint when packing his cricket gear on March 16.

Indian off spinner Harbhajan Singh, who claimed seven for 133 in the first innings of the third and final Test at Chennai against Australia said he was trying to fulfil the responsibility of being the strike bowler in the absence of the injured Anil Kumble.

Speaking to the media at the end of the second day's play at the MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chennai, Harbhajan said "the responsibility has fallen on me and I tried to do my best. I am looking forward to bowling alongside Kumble." He said that there was not much help from the pitch but there was more bounce and added that he had no specific plan as such but had bowled to a good line and length, concentrating on outside the off stump.

Speaking of the Australian skipper Steve Waugh's freak dismissal, Harbhajan said "I appealed for leg before wicket and was watching for the umpire's reaction. Only later did I realise that he had handled the ball."