Indian news round-up

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided that it would not participate in the proposed three match series in Dubai in September. A PCB spokesman said that the decision was taken in the wake of India'a decision to pull out of the tourney.

Speaking to a Pakistani daily, the spokesman said "Our main interest was matches against India. Now if they are not coming, there is no charm left in the series." But he added that if the tournament organisers insisted on Pakistan's presence in Dubai, the PCB might consider sending a second string of players.

Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary JY Lele said that the board would not be able to send a team for the tournament. Speaking to a Gulf newspaper, he had said "we have received a request from the Dubai Cricket Council (DCC) but we are not in a position to accept their offer. We have written to the DCC regarding this matter, stating our refusal."

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday extended the interim injunction passed earlier against the London based newspaper The Sunday Telegraph on further publishing any article on the International Cricket Council (ICC) president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

The case came before the court but there was none to represent the newspaper even after the court had served a notice. Justice Basudev Panigrahi extended the order after hearing the plea made by Jayanta Mitra and KN Banerjee who appeared on behalf of Dalmiya. He also directed for the exchange of affidavits within the next four weeks.

Dalmiya had filed a Rs 50 crore defamatory suit against the Sunday Telegraph on May 18 for publishing false and defamatory articles against him. He had also filed similar suits against two Indian magazines India Today and Outlook.

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly made a sedate resumption in the English county season even as Lancashire amassed 352 runs in 108 overs on the first day of their four day match against the visiting New Zealand `A' side at Aigburth in Liverpool on Tuesday.

Winning the toss, Lancashire had a good start with openers MJ Chilton (16) and JP Crawley (156 runs off 278 balls) putting on 58. Then Crawley and McKeown (33) added 68 runs for the second wicket. McKeown's fall brought in Ganguly (21 runs off 56 balls) and in the company of Crawley he added a valueble 54 runs for the third wicket before he was caught by Sulzberger off the bowling off Tuffey. But Ganguly's fall did not deter Lancashire as Crawley went on to score a well compiled century.

The other two Indians, middle order batsman Rahul Dravid and legspinner Anil Kumble would be in action from Wednesday in their county games for Kent and Leicestershire against Yorkshire and Derbyshire respectively.