Indian news round-up

Indian Test wicketkeeper Sameer Dighe is to lead a 15-member Mumbai team to Kenya for a 11-day long tour from September 14 to 25. The Mumbai side is scheduled to play a series of one day and three day matches against the hosts.

Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that the team is the same as the one that featured in the Ranji Trophy last season, excluding the retired paceman Abey Kuruvilla.

S Dighe (captain), W Jaffer, J Paranjpe, S R Tendulkar, V G Kambli, A Muzumdar (vice-capt), A Agarkar, P Mhambrey, S Saxena, R Pawar, R Powar, S Kannan, A Dani, N Kulkarni and A Pagnis.

September 14: arrival in Kenya, September 15: rest and practice, September 16: v Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) XI, September 17: v KCA XI, September 18: rest and practice, September 19-21: v KCA XI, September 23: v KCA XI, September 24: V KCA XI, September 25: Departure for Mumbai.

The Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain on Saturday ruled out chances of India playing Pakistan at present.

Speaking to United News of India in Bangalore regarding the Government's response to the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) to play a full fledged tour in Pakistan, Hussain said that there was no question of India playing cricket against Pakistan since the neighbours were `playing a different game of blood'.

Responding to the query regarding the application of the rule to other games as well, Hussain said that the two countries would not involve themselves in a direct match in any sport.

Asian Cricket Council in an official press release announced the fixtures of the forthcoming Pepsi-ACC Trophy which is scheduled to be held in United Arab Emirates from November 15 to 24, 2000.

In all, eight teams have been invited to participate in the tourney which has been divided into two groups. Group A features Malaysia, Singapore, Kuwait and Hong Kong while Group B includes United Arab Emirates, Japan, Maldives and Nepal.

The two finalists of the Tournament will participate in the Asia Cup in Pakistan in April 2001. It will be the first time that two teams from the Associate Member countries of the ICC from Asia are being given an opportunity to compete with the top teams in Asia.

November 15: Malaysia Vs Hong Kong, Singapore Vs Kuwait, United Arab Emirates Vs Nepal; November 16: Japan Vs Maldives, Malaysia Vs Kuwait, Singapore Vs Hong Kong; November 17: United Arab Emirates Vs Maldives, Japan Vs Nepal; November 18: Malaysia Vs Singapore, Kuwait Vs Hong Kong; November 19: Maldives Vs Nepal, United Arab Emirates Vs Japan; November 20: Rest day; November 21: First Semifinal A1 Vs B2; November 22: Second Semifinal A2 Vs B1; November 20: Rest day; November 24: Final;