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England have named a 14-man squad for the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka during February and following their winless tour of Bangladesh there are several news faces in the party.Steven Mullaney, Mark Stoneman, and Graeme White are the fresh players in the squad, although Mullaney, a right-handed batsman from Lancashire, has previous experience with the Under-19 team after playing against Sri Lanka in 2005. Richard Jones, a pace bowler from Worcestershire, is also back in the squad having been forced home from the tour of Bangladesh with a back injury.The 16-team tournament runs starts on February 5 in Colombo and England are grouped with Zimbabwe, Ireland and Nepal for the first round of matches.England squad Moeen Ali (Warwickshire), Varun Chopra (Essex), Rory Hamilton-Brown (Surrey), Nicholas James (Warwickshire), Richard Jones (Worcestershire), Andrew Miller (Lancashire), Steven Mullaney (Lancashire), John Simpson (Lancashire), Mark Stoneman (Durham), Huw Waters (Glamorgan), Graeme White (Northamptonshire), Greg Wood (Yorkshire), Robert Woodman (Somerset), Ben Wright (Glamorgan)

Group B

After bowling Assam, who had been 132 for 6 overnight, for 193, Delhi‘s batsmen piled on the runs in Vadodara. Three of their top five made fifties – captain Unmukt Chand scored 55, Nitish Rana was unbeaten on 72 and Rishabh Pant, who played the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, was not out on 84 off 83 balls. Pant’s innings included seven fours and five sixes.The batsmen’s efforts made the second day’s play near perfect for Delhi. It had begun with Pradeep Sangwan ripping through the tail to finish with 3 for 47 – Assam’s Tarjinder Singh was left stranded with 61 runs to his name – and it ended with Delhi ahead by 48 runs with seven wickets remaining.A maiden first-class century from 19-year old Kaushal Singh helped Jharkhand secure an 83-run lead over Maharashtra in Delhi.Coming in at 108 for 5 in the 35th over, Kaushal batted through to stumps on the second day and helped his team overcome a top-order wobble. And it wasn’t like he was plodding along either. His 121 runs came off only 178 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes and that aggression meant the seventh and eighth-wicket partnerships with Shahbaz Nadeem and captain Varun Aaron contributed upwards of 50 runs each.Maharashtra, despite having only 210 on the board, would have felt hopeful considering Shrikant Mundhe began the day with two wickets in the space of four overs. But they couldn’t finish well.Saurashtra captain Jaydev Shah fell two runs shy of a career-best score as his team racked up a total of 430 against Rajasthan in Vizianagaram.Shah began the day on an unbeaten 120 and was the eighth wicket to fall for 193, an innings that lasted over six hours and included 36 fours. His strike-rate was an impressive 84.64. He added 110 runs with Chirag Jani for the sixth wicket which pushed the score over 300. Marshalled by Shah, the tail made some handy contributions as well to put Saurashtra in a position of strength.Rajasthan bowled them out with just enough time for them to bat again – 1.4 overs – which they got through unscathed.Half-centuries from Faiz Fazal and Ganesh Satish pushed Vidarbha into the lead against Odisha in Visakhapatnam. Fazal made an unbeaten 76. Satish was on 74 when he was caught behind with five overs left for stumps, a minor positive for Odisha, who had begun the day on 134 for 6 only to be bowled out for 150.Vidarbha were dominant from the very first ball they bowled on Friday – it bowled Odisha’s Biplab Samantaray for 53. Srikanth Wagh, who produced the wicket, finished with 3 for 13. Offspinner Akshay Wakhare then cleaned up the tail and finished with 3 for 19.Vidharba’s innings suffered a setback when opener Sanjay Ramaswamy was bowled for 13 by seamer Deepak Behera but Fazal and Satish negated Odisha’s bowling and added 158 for the second wicket. They have a 32-run lead and eight more wickets to work on building it further.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan captain, struck out at the findings of an official board report that found him to be a “dictator” and blamed him almost entirely for the World Cup debacle.Responding to claims in a PCB committee report that his attitude was “haughty and that of a dictator,” Inzamam responded by arguing that this was the way of Pakistan cricket. Speaking to the Urdu daily , Inzamam said, “I was blamed for being very lenient during my whole captaincy career and now I am turned into a dictator. That could only be accepted if players had complained that I acted like one.”This is nothing new in Pakistan cricket. When the team loses, all the blame is put on others, and I was ready for that because it happened in the past,” he said, referring to Pakistan’s equally dismal 2003 World Cup.”Inzamam defended himself from charges that he took all selection matters into his own hands, marginalising on-tour selectors and calling up his own preferred players without consultation. “If I had power as captain it was simply because I was a successful captain and whenever I wanted certain player I convinced selectors to get that player and not through dictatorship.”The committee included two paid employees of the board, Salahuddin Ahmed, chief selector and Salim Altaf, director special projects, leading Inzamam to question the neutrality of their findings.”I know it will sound bitter to them but the presence of two paid members in the probe committee raises doubts over the impartiality of the report,” Inzamam told the BBC’s Urdu service.”How can a member, who was the director of operations, say this now and didn’t realise it before the World Cup?” asked Inzamam of Altaf.Inzamam, who resigned as captain and retired from ODIs after the tournament, maintained the report would have no bearing on his future. “It will be up to the selectors to select me. I will feature in domestic cricket and have been training to play Tests. This committee cannot decide my future,” he said. Given that the current chief selector was party to the committee’s findings, it seems improbable that Inzamam will be selected again for Pakistan.

An unbeaten 78 from Yuvraj Singh helped Punjab take another step closer to the knockouts as they beat Rajasthan by six wickets to register their fourth win in five matches. Manender Singh, playing in only his second List A game, top-scored with 118 in Rajasthan’s 270 for 7, but it wasn’t enough as Punjab’s launch pad was set by Jiwanjot Singh (66) and Mandeep Singh (60). That smoothened the passage of victory as Yuvraj hit 10 fours and two sixes in his 59-ball knock and Punjab won with 32 balls to spare. Brainder Sran, the left-arm pacer, was Punjab’s best bowler of the day, finishing with figures of 4 for 60.Services were consigned to their second successive loss as Mumbai put it past them by six wickets in a Group A fixture. Nakul Verma’s half-century was the lone bright spark in a disappointing batting effort as Services were bowled out for 151 in 42.1 overs. The bulk of the damage was done by pacer Shardul Thakur who finished with 4 for 19.The in-form Akhil Herwadkar piloted Mumbai’s chase with a 48-ball 46, while Shreyas Iyer, coming in at No. 3, contributed 35. Although Mumbai lost three quick wickets with the target in sight, victory was never in doubt. They eventually crossed the line in 25.2 overs to post their third win in four matches.Assam, who came within touching distance of upsetting Punjab on Monday, suffered a batting collapse as Hyderabad beat them by 72 runs to register their first win in the tournament. Hyderabad, who were sent in to bat, were propelled to 271 for 8 courtesy Tanmay Agarwal’s 83. Hanuma Vihari, the captain who walked out to bat at No. 3, chipped in with 51 as he and Agarwal put on 107 for the third wicket to set the foundation for a big total.As many as six Assam batsmen got off to starts, with Pallavkumar Das’ 54 at the top of the order being the highest. The pace duo of Ravi Kiran and Chama Milind picked up three wickets each as Assam were bowled out for 199. With five losses in as many matches, Assam have only pride to play for in their final league fixture of the tournament on Thursday.

The 50th edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier domestic competition gets underway today, with 22 teams, comprising nine departments and 13 regions, in the fray.Eight matches will be played today, with the key clashes being the Group A match between Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and Pakistan Customs, and the Group B match between Karachi Blues and Rawalpindi.The two matches in Karachi have been postponed to tomorrow in light of the bomb blasts on Thursday (October 18) which killed approximately 140 people and injured hundreds.Two teams from the Gas departments, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL), and Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGC), will be making their debuts at the top-grade. SSGC qualified for the first-class circuit after winning the Patron’s Trophy Grade-II Championship title last season.Meanwhile, Pakistan Customs has included three overseas players in its squad- Rawait Khan, Bilal Shafayat, and Mohammad Nabi Khan, who plays for Derbyshire, has represented Customs in three consecutive seasons from 2002-03. Shayafat, an allrounder with Northamptonshire, had played for National Bank in the 2002-03 season. Nabi is a 22-year-old middle-order batsman and offspinner, who made his first-class debut for MCC against Sri Lanka A earlier this year. However, he has played in Pakistan before, representing Afghanistan in the National Inter-District Senior Championship.A total of 55 matches will be contested prior to the final, which will be played between January 1 to 5, though the venue hasn’t yet been confirmed.Group A
HBL, Pakistan Customs, Lahore Ravi, The Water and Power Development Authority , Sialkot, NBP, Faisalabad, Multan, Karachi Whites, Hyderabad and SSGC.
Group B
Khan Research Laboratories, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited, Pakistan International Airlines, SNGPL, Karachi Blues, Rawalpindi, Lahore Shalimar, Peshawar, Islamabad, Abbottabad and Quetta.

Australia’s decision to travel with a team doctor for the first time in 20 years paid off immediately as a stomach bug floored Michael Clarke in the hours leading up to his century on Saturday. Clarke reportedly woke at 1am on the morning of the match severely ill and only an intense course of medication allowed him to play.Clarke showed few signs of the illness as he compiled 130 at nearly a run a ball at Bangalore, although his good work was partly wasted as rain washed away Australia’s hopes of victory. Without help from the doctor John Orchard, the Australians believed Clarke would not only have missed the Bangalore game but potentially Tuesday’s match at Kochi as well.”I was certainly giving him [Orchard] a high five when Pup got his hundred,” Adam Gilchrist, the stand-in captain, told the . “Pup was up all night with gastro and without a medical professional there is no way he would have played.”The reported Clarke had 12 hours of intense antibiotic and rehydration treatment before his lengthy innings and had eaten just four pieces of plain toast prior to the match. He made it through with the help of constant deliveries of tablets and drinks from the dressing-room and his batting partner for much of the day, Brad Haddin, saw no indication the illness had lingered.”He was in a better state than me at the end, I don’t know what happened but he was going all right out there,” Haddin told the . “I heard he had a rough night [but] he came through well and there’s no signs of it.”

Ice delaying the start of play at Old Trafford and Derbyshire having to move their opening fixture because their ground is underwater – sure signs that the new domestic season is here. As England complete a tough winter in the 45-degree heat of Indore, county players the length and breadth of the country have been shivering their way through pre-season nets. The real action starts today as MCC take on Nottinghamshire in the traditional curtain-raiser at Lord’s.For all the hype that surrounds the never-ending cycle of international cricket there is something special about the anticipation of a new season. Everything is possible, places are up for grabs, names to be made and the thought of those long, warm summer days soaking up the action (but probably not until about August).County cricket always faces a tough fight with the summer now so packed with Tests and one-day internationals. Last year it had to battle for attention against the extraordinary Ashes and while the exploits of Andrew Flintoff and Co. will again, understandably, take centre stage for most of the summer the domestic game has much going for it. In many ways, the team fielded by England on their tour of India showed county cricket in its best light for a number of years.Shaun Udal was the most uplifting story; a player who has consistently tried his hardest for Hampshire year in, year out and suddenly he helped England pull off one of their greatest victories. Owais Shah was another who showed that county cricket can produce Test match batsmen, while if the game was as ‘soft’ as it is sometimes described then Alastair Cook and Monty Panesar would not have been as comfortable on the international stage.With Duncan Fletcher adding his voice to those fearing player burn-out the chances of England’s main players making county appearances once the internationals start is very slim – save a one-day final in the C&G Trophy or Twenty20. But that, in no way, means that there will be a shortage of talented players and exciting matches to enjoy.The main target, for those nine teams in the first Division, will be the Championship title, which currently resides with Nottinghamshire following their superb allround performances from 2005. They have a mature squad, but as the Australians have shown, if results continue to go your way age is only a number. However, they are far from sure of retaining their title and, if anything, don’t actually start the season as favourites.

Some bookmakers have Lancashire, fresh from promotion, as odds-on to claim the title that has proved elusive since 1934. But they start without any overseas players – Brad Hodge will join in early May after his wife gives birth – and are so far settling for just the one, although don’t be surprised to see Andrew Symonds arrive for a late-season stint. Expect a strong charge from Sussex, who have the services of Mushtaq Ahmed and a strong top-order with Chris Adams, Murray Goodwin, Matt Prior and Michael Yardy, while Warwickshire are stronger this season with two established overseas names in Heath Streak and Daniel Vettori.Hampshire will again rest heavily on Shane Warne, so long as his shoulder stands up to even more bowling, but he has the ability to bring the best out in younger players and keep an eye out for Chris Tremlett who will want to remind the selectors he is still around. Kent have never suffered Championship relegation and shouldn’t be pulled down in 2006, even if they struggle to bowl sides out twice, while Middlesex are also likely to be more troubled by the search for wickets than runs. Durham and Yorkshire will have to fight hard to hold onto their hard-earned top division slots with squads that are set to be pushed to the limit.In the second division, Worcestershire and Surrey are best placed to secure the two promotion slots as their squads have reasonable depth and experience. Essex have an exciting bunch of young players balanced with the experience of Andy Bichel and Darren Gough. Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire will need to battle against limited squads and Glamorgan have been dealt a tough blow with the loss of Matthew Elliott and Michael Kasprowicz. Watch out for the Aussie spin-twins, Cameron White and Dan Cullen, who could spring a surprise at Somerset, but it is hard to see beyond another season of struggle for Derbyshire and Leicestershire.As always at this time of the season there is a wealth of possibilities. All teams feel that it will be their season while players are dreaming of runs, wickets, catches and greater honours. It is sometimes hard to see through the mass of Tests and ODIs and realise what is happening at the level below, but if you have a moment take a glance at the county scorecards. There are six fascinating months of cricket ahead and you may just catch a glimpse of the next Cook, Panesar or Udal.

The anti-monopoly watchdog in India, the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC), has initiated an investigation against the Indian board over its reported threat of a life ban to players joining the Indian Cricket League (ICL).The MRTPC took suo motu cognizance of press reports and directed its investigative arm, the Director-General of Investigation and Registration (DGIR), to look into the threats, if any, made by the board to players joining the ICL. The DGIR was also asked to investigate the sacking of former cricketers holding positions with the board who had joined ICL.”Every individual has a right to choose whether he wishes to associate himself with the BCCI or any other organisation”, a statement issued by the Indian board had said on August 8. “However, if he associates himself with any other organisation, he will not derive any benefit or be connected to any of our activities in any way.””Such players should not have any expectations from us,” Rajiv Shukla, the board vice-president, had said after a meeting in New Delhi of the board’s top officials.The DGIR, it is understood, will also inquire into the board’s refusal to share infrastructure with the ICL. It has been asked to submit its preliminary investigation report within 60 days.If the investigation reveals that the board is adopting restrictive trade practices contrary to the interest of players, the MRTPC may pass a cease and desist order against it.The MRTPC’s directions come days after the Delhi high court asked public sector companies like Air India and Indian Oil Corporation to refrain from sacking its employees who join the ICL. The court had passed the interim order on August 27, after it was brought to its notice that Indian Oil Corporation and Air India had threatened employees – who are also cricketers – with immediate dismissal if they joined the ICL.This is not the first time the DGIR would be investigating the BCCI for restrictive trade practices. In 1994, it was asked by the MRTPC to look into agreements between the BCCI had entered into with the players that restrained them from writing in newspapers, magazines and journals. Players were also not entitled to take part in activity related to TV or broadcasting, and they could not publish columns after the completion of any tour. Moreover, the players were not entitled to wear the logo and any form of advertisements on clothes or equipments. They were not entitled to participate in a game other than cricket, or even to play in matches not ‘recognized’ by the board.That case saw the board being found guilty and fined.

The trial of Mark Vermeulen, who is charged with arson attacks on the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy and the Zimbabwe board’s headquarters, was postponed until December 6 after a brief hearing in Harare.Magistrate Omega Mugumbate agreed to a defence application for the adjournment in order to allow Eric Matinenga, Vermeulen’s lawyer, to free up his schedule. Matinenga is a leading advocate who also represented Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirayi, after he was accused of engaging the services of a Canadian political consultancy firm to assassinate President Robert Mugabe and topple his government in a coup.Vermeulen was released on bail but has to report to the police on a daily as well as surrender his passport. He faces two counts of arson and if found guilty he could be convicted to up to 25 years in prison with hard labour.

CloseScorecardUnlike the men on tour of the subcontinent, England’s women have only one dart at Test glory. Unfortunately they got it badly wrong on the second day of the only Test after a hostile bowling display by India and they closed on 103 for 7, still 37 short of the follow-on.Jhulan Goswami started the rot at Delhi, ripping through their top order to swing the match in India’s favour, bowling a good line and finding some bounce. She forced both Laura Newton and Charlotte Edwards to play on then found Claire Taylor’s edge, and all in a blink. At 25 for 3, England were in trouble and Rumeli Dhar soon made matters worse, trapping Jenny Gunn for 5 and bowling Lydia Greenway for 6 (49 for 5).In dire straits, England dropped anchor, but Laura Harper fell for 10 after giving Shravanthi Naidu the charge. To seal a gloomy batting display for England while applying the icing to her cake, Goswami prised out Arran Brindle for 37 just before the close. This is a key wicket for India, Brindle having shown her stickability to save the first Ashes Test with a fine hundred at Hove this summer.England’s plans had hatched perfectly in the morning, with Harper taking her first five-wicket haul to give the visitors a bright start to their day as they made good their aim to remove India for below 300 on a turning pitch. Harper bowled all morning from one end until India were shot out. India’s tail was not for the wagging, rather it was sagging, with Harper bagging four of the last five wickets which fell for 45.Then it was England’s turn to fold. But India thoroughly deserve to be in pole position following an assured display of bowling on a blameless pitch which is showing signs of turning, but which contains few demons.Richard Bates, England’s coach, pulled no punches in assessing the batting performance. “We can only point our fingers at ourselves,” he told Cricinfo at the close of play. “We had planned to get stuck in to their bowling.Tomorrow we will need to show a bit of character. If we can save the follow-on and bowl well we will have a sniff.” On today’s evidence that’s a big if.