Indian news round-up

Marsh to assist Wright prior to Australian tour: The Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) newly appointed consultant, Geoff Marsh said in Mumbai on Wednesday that he would be assisting the Indian coach John Wright prior to the forthcoming Australian tour of India in February.

Speaking to Press Trust of India (PTI), Marsh said "Right now I am gathering information about domestic cricket in India and I would be assisting John (Wright) during the conditioning camp prior to the Australian series as well. My immediate plan is to watch some more junior cricket and submit a report to the Indian Cricket Board on December 22 before I go home for Christmas."

Marsh added "I will be back here to assist the Indian coach and prepare the hosts for the big test against the formidable Aussies." Marsh had earlier resigned as the Australian team coach recently to take up the consultant's job with the BCCI.

Cricket is to be chief source of questions in the ESPN school quiz Olympiad which is to be telecast from December 26 on every Tuesday and Friday of the week. A total of 61 episodes featuring three teams per episode and 27 schools from all the four zones would be taking part in the inaugural year of the contest.

The zonal rounds which involves schools from 15 cities, will comprise of 52 episodes in all. The national champions are slated to receive Rs five lakh, while the semi-final winners will get Rs two lakh each, the zonal final winners Rs one lakh and the zonal semi-final winners Rs 50,000 each.

The registrar of Osmania University, Pannalal said in Hyderabad earlier this week that the annual South Zone Inter-Universities tournament will be played at the Osmania University ground in Hyderabad from December 22.

Speaking at a press conference, the registrar said that university would play hosts to 38 teams during the ten day long knock out tournament. He added that last year's semifinalists Madras, Osmania, Karnataka and Bharatiar have been seeded directly into the quarterfinals.

The hosts, Osmania were the runners-up in last year's competition.