Indian news round-up

Wright decides to meet media twice during a match: The Indian team coach John Wright has made himself available for the media only twice for every match while assuring that he would arrange for an interaction with the outstanding performer at the end of each tie.

Wright, in a statement made in New Delhi on Monday, said ``I will be available to answer all your questions the day before each match, immediately after practice, and at the completion of the game.'' He added ``I will also try and make available the outstanding player of the match provided the captain and BCCI have no objection.''

The only problem with this new practice is that the coach would be available to the media only before the Test match begins and then on the final day. This the leaves the press in a spot of bother since they would have to go without his comments during the Test.

Press Trust of India reported on Monday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) disciplinary committee will meet in New Delhi on November 27 to consider its Anti-corruption Commissioner K Madhavan's report on the betting and match-fixing before placing it at the special general assembly in Calcutta two days later.

BCCI vice president CK Khanna said that the Board President AC Muthiah, had decided to hold the meeting in the capital soon after Madhvan presents the report to him on November 25. He added that after discussing Madhavan's report and the disciplinary committee's recommendations, tbe Board's general assembly will decide the future course of action.

Madhavan has so far interogated five cricketers - Mohammed Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Sharma and Nayan Mongia - apart from former physiotherapist Ali Irani, Board treasurer Kishore Rungta and Delhi and District Cricket Association's (DDCA) groundsman Ram Adhar.

Andhra Pradesh Ranji Trophy skipper Amit Pathak has become the first cricketer from the state to cross the 3000 run mark. He reached the landmark during the opening encounter of this seasons' South Zone Ranji Trophy League. Pathak, who surpassed the 2947 runs scored by former state skipper KVSD Kamaraju, achieved the feat while playing his 79th innings in his 45th match in the national competition.

Pathak reached the milestone when he hit the 12th run of the 58 scored against Kerala in the first innings. In the second innings Amit scored his tenth century (101) and followed it with a career best knock of 264 against Goa.

This is the best by an Andhra player surpassing his own mark of 145 he scored againt the same opponents at Margao in 1992-93. Pathak also has a rare distinction of scoring centuries against all opponents in the South Zone.

Zakharia Zuffri has been named the captain of the Assam Ranji Trophy team while Debang Gandhi has been retained the Bengal skipper for their forthcoming East Zone tie to be played at the Guwahati from November 26 to 29.

The teams: Bengal: Devang Gandhi (Captain), Syed Saba Karim (Wicketkeeper), Aurijit Basu, Amitava Banerjee, Rohan Gavaskar, Srikant Kalyani, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Utpal Chatterjee, Shib Shankar Paul, Sujay Parui, Sourashish Lahiri, Sabir Ali and Sanjib Sanyal. Coach: Palash Nandi; Manager: Biswarup Dey.

Assam: SZ Zuffri (Captain), GD Dutta, J Zaman, MJV Ingty, S Ghosh, Sukhbinder Singh, S Subramaniam, S Ganesh Kumar, R Borah, SB Saikia, NH Bordoloi, SR Das, VR Samant (wicketkeeper) and PK Das. Coach: Kamal Das.