Jayasuriya battles tonsillitis

Sanath Jayasuriya is all set to play in Sri Lanka's crucial game against New Zealand on May 13 despite coming down with tonsillitis - again. (May 12)
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Shane Bond is a doubtful starter for the one-day international against Sri Lanka on May 13 because of a back strain. Andre Adams or Kyle Mills will repace him in the New Zealand team.(May 12)
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Rodney Marsh, considered by many to be Australia's greatest wicketkeeper, has said that he is "100% English now in terms of cricket" after being made an England selector. Marsh, speaking to the Sunday Express, said: "If I'm still a selector when England next play Australia [in 2005] then I'll be rooting for England to win." (May 11)
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Prabath Nissanka has been reprimanded and fined 20% of his match fee after showing dissent during Sri Lanka's 79-run defeat against Pakistan in the opening match of the Bank Alfalah Cup at Dambulla on Saturday. (May 11)
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Heath Streak, the Zimbabwe captain, suffered a back injury during their tour match against Worcestershire at New Road on Friday (May 9). Streak had to leave the field having bowled only two overs, and is doubtful for the first Test against England, which starts on May 22. Geoff Marsh, the coach, said: "He's done quite a bit of bowling before we came to England so he doesn't really need the practice, and we'll be monitoring him over the next few days". (May 10)

The Gauteng Cricket Board (GCB), South Africa, has announced that it has signed up Javagal Srinath to play for them next season from September. His role will include coaching young fast bowling talent. The GCB said: "Srinath is a man of stature both on and off the field and will bring a wealth of knowledge to Gauteng Cricket." (May 10)

Grant Flower has spoken out in support of his brother Andy. He has said that he contemplated joining Andy's black-armband protest during the World Cup, but refrained because he thought that it would lessen the impact. (May 8)
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South Australia have appointed Wayne Phillips as their coach for the next two years. Phillips, a former Australian wicketkeeper, has been a successful coach with Australia's Under-19 team, taking them to victories in the U19 World Cup in 2001-02 and against their England counterparts recently. (May 8)
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West Indies have announced a 15-man squad for the forthcoming ODI series against Australia. Tino Best has not been included, and the only out-and-out fast bowler is Jermaine Lawson. Chris Gayle, Devon Smith and Omari Banks are among the inclusions. (May 8)
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Jack Straw, Britain's Foreign Secretary, has rejected demands to cancel Zimbabwe's tour of England. Responding to suggestions that the tour would only help the Robert Mugabe regime, Straw said: "If we had the powers to stop Zimbabwe sportspersons from visiting England we would be punishing ordinary Zimbabweans - we would not be punishing the regime." (May 7)

Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the International Cricket Council, has expressed satisfaction with the progress that the West Indies Cricket Board has made towards hosting the 2007 World Cup. (May 7)
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Brad Williams is going to return home from Australia's tour of West Indies. He had originally joined the squad as cover for Glenn McGrath, who had to return home to be with his ill wife. With McGrath having rejoined the side, there was no point in Williams staying on. Trevor Hohns, the chairman of the Australian selectors, said: "With only one Test match remaining and limited selection opportunities, it made little sense for Brad to remain with the squad when he could return home to be with his young family." (May 6)

Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has threatened to throw out teams boycotting World Cup matches in future. (May 4)
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Jagmohan Dalmiya, the Indian board president, has said that the revival of bilateral cricket ties between India and Pakistan - including the Asia Cup - will be delayed, despite positive signals from the Indian government. (May 4)
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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the finalising of contracts for players and for Javed Miandad, the coach. Ramiz Raja, the PCB's new chief executive officer, added: "We have also finalised the charter of duties for the team management." (May 2)
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Henry Olonga has spoken up again, this time in praise of Nasser Hussain's stand before the World Cup on not playing in Zimbabwe. "Hussain is a bloody hero," Olonga said to the Daily Mail. Olonga said that he wasn't initially sure of the reasons for Hussain's reluctance to play in Zimbabwe, but he had then spoken to a few people, and "now ... I am pretty sure it was for the right reasons." However, Olonga supported Zimbabwe's current tour of England, saying that "it puts the plight of Zimbabwe back in the headlines and anything that can focus attention on the starvation of six million people and the human rights abuses affecting millions more, black and white, must be a good thing." (May 1)

Sachin Tendulkar will undergo rehabilitation for three months after successful hand surgery in the USA. Tendulkar, who had been carrying a finger injury since late 2002, was operated upon by Dror Paley and Steven Friedman, orthopaedic surgeons specialising in hand reconstruction, at the Sinai hospital in Baltimore. Tendulkar's three-month break will not impact his cricket - India's next international fixture is in October, when they take on New Zealand at home. (May 1)

Sunu Gonera, a well-known Zimbabwean film-maker and a close friend of Henry Olonga and Heath Streak, has been the victim of a racist attack in his Cape Town home. A vocal opponent of the Robert Mugabe regime, Gonera has complained to the police after rocks, and notes containing racist language and Nazi swastikas, were thrown into his flat. One said: "Stick to your own race and we'll give you two days to leave. Black and white do not mix." (Apr 30)

The British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) has named a strong squad of 16 for the first match of the Zimbabweans' tour, against British Universities at Edgbaston (May 3-6): James Adams, John Francis, Lee Goddard, Chris Nash, Rob White (Loughborough), Justin Bishop, Rob Ferley, Delroy Taylor (Durham), Ed Cowan, Huw Jones, Tom Mees (Oxford Brookes), Ismail Dawood (Leeds Metropolitan), Paul McMahon (Oxford), Tim Murtagh (St Mary's), Arul Suppiah (Exeter), James Tomlinson (Cardiff). (Apr 30)

Pakistan police have registered a case against Wasim Akram after he was accused of defaulting on the payment for a jeep he had purchased from a friend. Saadat Hayat, the friend in question, claims that Akram had taken the car on the pretext of buying it, but had not paid for it. Akram's wife, Huma, countered this allegation and said that the jeep had been a gift which the Akrams had wanted to return, but which Hayat had allegedly demanded money for. (Apr 29)

Allrounder Shane Lee, 29, a member of Australia's winning 1999 World Cup squad, has announced his retirement from cricket. He explained that a knee injury had forced his retirement. He played 45 ODIs for Australia.

Jagmohan Dalmiya has ruled out the possibility of India playing Pakistan in a bilateral series in the immediate future. "The (Indian) government allows us to play in multilateral events but we don't have permission to play in bilateral matches against Pakistan," Dalmiya said. "That position remains unchanged." (Apr 29)
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The former Pakistan Test player MEZ Ghazali died in Karachi on April 26. He was 79, and had been ill for some time. "Ebbu" Ghazali was an offspinning allrounder who played two Tests on Pakistan's first full tour of England, in 1954. He made 18 and 14 at Trent Bridge, but at Old Trafford bagged a pair inside two hours - the fastest in Test history. In all he scored 601 runs (28.61) and took 17 wickets (39.64) on that tour. He was also a member of the strong Pakistan Eaglets side which toured England the year before. His highest first-class score was 160, for Services at Karachi in 1953-54, and his best bowling (5 for 28) came the following season against Punjab at Lahore. Mohammad Ebrahim Zainuddin Ghazali was born in Gujarat, played for Maharashtra before Partition from India, and served as an administrator after his retirement. He was manager of the Pakistan tour of Australia in 1972-73, by which time he was a wing commander in the Pakistan Air Force. (Apr 28)

Sachin Tendulkar has flown to America to have his injured left-hand ring finger operated on Baltimore. He carried the injury throughout the World Cup. "I might be in the US for six weeks," he said. "I am also planning a holiday with my family after the operation." (Apr 27)

Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has warned Shoaib Akhtar that his international career could be over unless he improves his behaviour. (Apr 26)
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The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has announced a retainer fee for its players, to ensure their income during the off-season. The decision, announced after protracted negotiations between the WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), comes into effect from October. (Apr 26)

The Maharashtra government may soon legalise betting on cricket, in an effort to end the Mumbai underworld's octopus-like grip on bookmaking in the city. Betting on horses is allowed and official sources estimate that fly-by-night bookies raked in US$500million during the recent World Cup. (Apr 25)

In a move that could let Ajay Jadeja play competitive cricket again, the Delhi High Court has directed the Indian board to consider him for selection in the Ranji Trophy, India's premier domestic tournament. The BCCI had banned Jadeja for match-fixing. (Apr 24)
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In a controversial leaked report, the South African team has been accused of undisciplined preparation for the World Cup. Herschelle Gibbs (accused of "bingeing"), Allan Donald (excessive drinking) and Lance Klusener (poor fitness) were among the players mentioned. (Apr 24)
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Hashan Tillekeratne has announced his retirement from one-day cricket. "I will not be there for the 2007 World Cup, and this is the best time to groom youngsters. This will allow me to concentrate more on Test cricket," he said. (Apr 23)
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Collins Obuya, Warwickshire's new overseas signing, will take a somewhat roundabout route from Nairobi to Birmingham, after being invited to play for a University of West Indies XI against the touring Australians. (Apr 23)
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Shane Watson, who missed the World Cup with stress fractures in his back, has targetted a southern summer comeback. After spending three months wearing a back brace, Watson will work with Dennis Lillee in June, with a view to altering his action. (Apr 23)

Michael Clarke, who has risen quicky up Australian cricket's hierarchy, is among those to be rewarded with a contract for the 2003-04 season. Shane Warne, who is serving out a one-year ban, is also on the list, though his retainer will be paid on a pro-rata basis. (Apr 23)
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Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan opener and a member of their 1992 World Cup-winning team, has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Ramiz, who's now 40, played in 57 Tests and has recently been a regular TV commentator. (Apr 21)

Dav Whatmore is to coach Bangladesh from May, after his contract with Sri Lanka expires. He will be Bangladesh's seventh coach since 1990, and will take over a team that was undoubtedly the worst at the last World Cup, one that has lost 35 ODI games on the trot. (April 20)
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Sri Lanka's selectors have named separate captains for their Test and one-day teams. Hashan Tillekeratne will lead in the Tests, while Marvan Atapattu will captain the ODI side. (Apr 17)
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Graham Ford, former coach of South Africa, has refused the offer of coaching the Sri Lankan team, explaining that he did not want to spend an extended period of time away from his family. (Apr 17)

Mohammad Azharuddin has announced plans to open a cricket academy in Hyderabad, his home town. Azharuddin, who was banned for life in the wake of the match-fixing scandal, hoped the Indian board would not stand in his way. (Apr 16)

Shane Warne will have to wait a little longer to learn whether he is allowed to play in any English charity or testimonial matches this summer. The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) could not come to an agreement, and will seek a ruling from an independent arbitrator. A spokesman for the ACA said: "Our interpretation is that suspended players can play in bona-fide charity and testimonial games." An announcement is expected to be made after the Easter holiday. (Apr 16)

Australia will play their first home Tests against Zimbabwe later this year, with two Tests scheduled for Perth and Sydney in October. There then follows a month's hiatus in November, when the Australian team is expected to take part in a triangular series in India while the Rugby World Cup takes place in Australia, before India themselves begin a four-Test series in early November. Australia's season will be concluded by a triangular series between the three teams in January and February. (Apr 16)

Andre Nel has been suspended for six matches and fined 17,280 rand (US$2200) after being found guilty of drunken driving during South Africa A's tour of Australia. A disciplinary hearing of SA's board announced this sentence after Nel pleaded guilty to the charges. (Apr 16)

Fresh from a convincing win in the four-nation Sharjah Cup, Pakistan's think-tank have worked out a blueprint aimed at long-term success and stability. Rashid Latif, the captain, and Javed Miandad, the coach, revealed a three-pronged strategy, and indicated that the tendency of pandering to superstar egos will be done away with. (Apr 13)
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Phil Tufnell has announced his retirement from first-class cricket following a meeting with Middlesex officials at which the county refused to offer him any contractual guarantees after the end of the 2003 season. (Apr 10)
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Adam Dale, 34, has announced his retirement from first-class cricket after failing to recover from a shoulder injury. He played only four matches for Queensland in 2002-03. Dale played in two Tests and 30 ODIs for Australia. (Apr 7)

Kenya have been invited to take part in West Indies' first-class competition next year. (Apr 2)

As was widely expected, India's tour of Pakistan which was due to take place next month has been cancelled. The Indian government, which continues to refuse to allow sporting contacts with Pakistan, refused to sanction the trip. (Mar 30)
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Khaled Mahmud has been named as Bangladesh's new captain, following the resignation of Khaled Masud. They also named Sarwar Imran as coach to replace the sacked Mohsin Kamal. (Mar 29)

Shayne O'Connor, the 29-year-old New Zealand left-arm seam bowler, has announced his retirement saying he has "had enough" of dealing with uncertainties over his selection. (Mar 28)

Andy Caddick, 34, has announced his retirement from one-day international cricket, although he will continue to be available for Tests. (Mar 28)
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England will play their first internationals against Bangladesh later this year. There will be two Tests, at Dhaka (Oct 21-25) and Chittagong (Oct 29-Nov 2), and three one-day internationals. (Mar 26)