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The uncertainty over Pakistan’s tour to India has finally lifted with the Pakistan board agreeing to play an extra one-dayer at Ahmedabad, as proposed by the Indian board. Kolkata will now host a Test while Ahmedabad, where a Test was scheduled, will get the sixth one-dayer. However, the final schedule will be announced only after the Indian board resolved the TV rights issue, a delay that the PCB were willing to accomodate.In a press release issued today, the Pakistan board said that it understood the BCCI’s position with relation to postponement of the tour. “The PCB understands that the tour may have to be delayed by a few days in order to firm up administrative and logistical details.”The board also appointed Salim Altaf, who is the director of cricket operations of the PCB, as the manager of the team for the forthcoming tour of India. Asad Mustafa, who is currently PCB’s general manager of logistics, will be the assistant manager.It wasn’t yet revealed if this meant that Pakistan had also agreed to the BCCI’s decision to choose Kolkata as an alternate venue for the Test that had originally been allotted to Ahmedabad. Pakistan’s last Test there had been marred by crowd trouble, and their original request was for Mumbai. Chennai, with its famously sporting crowds, would also have been an acceptable choice to both teams.Meanwhile, the ICC has welcomed the resolution of the Ahmedabad issue. PTI reported Ehsan Mani, ICC’s president, as saying: “Everything was decided between the two boards. As it was a bilateral issue involving the boards of two countries, ICC could only play the role of a facilitator. Given the relations between Indian and Pakistan boards, I was confident of the issue being resolved amicably.”The issues over scheduling seem to be getting resolved, but the BCCI’s worries aren’t yet over. There’s still the TV rights to sort out.Also Read:Indian View – Can India match Pakistan’s grace and hospitality?

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Surrey were teetering on the brink of relegation overnight, and the one final push that sent them tumbling was struck by Yogesh Golwolkar, when he trapped Scott Newman lbw on the second day at The Oval. Mark Ramprakash’s unbeaten 200 is impressive on the scorecard, and it was an effortless and graceful innings, but all the meaningful action in this match was done and dusted shortly after noon.As solidly as Newman and Mark Ramprakash batted during the opening session, it was only a matter of time before Middlesex claimed their third wicket – and with it, the decisive first bowling bonus point. There were no boos from the Surrey members or cries for heads to roll: that had already begun with Steve Rixon’s departure and, besides, four captains in a season doesn’t leave much room for manoeuvre. At least the manner in which Newman and Ramprakash attempted to save some face was distinctly better than the shambolic performance on the opening day.Once Middlesex’s first division safety was assured, they visibly relaxed and the game took on an end-of-season feel. Owais Shah and Ed Joyce confirmed that they should stick to batting, while Ramprakash – never one to miss the chance to fill his boots at county level – and the middle-order enjoyed the chance to boost their season’s average.Indeed, Ramprakash’s decision to move from Middlesex to Surrey to ensure himself of first division cricket – a decision which still rankles with many Middlesex members – has now backfired. Next summer he will be right back where he was trying escape from, and there is no easy path back for Surrey.As Surrey’s relegation was confirmed, the new coach Alan Butcher spoke to the media and accepted that there were plenty of changes needed, both on and off the pitch. He pinpointed the professionalism within the team as a key factor, and gave strong hints that this had suffered during the last couple of seasons.”There is a lot of talking to be done as a group,” admitted Butcher. “Over the last two years we haven’t done ourselves justice – and I think the players are holding their hands up to that. We need to get back to some of the group ethos that we had five or six years ago, basically a code that we [are] prepared to live and play by. One or two things have fallen by the wayside in recent years and we need to readdress that.”Quite how Butcher is going to go about the rebuilding process is unclear. He has been given a two-year deal but said that he hasn’t as yet had talks with the committee about their view on the situation. Also, any desire he has to rebuild the team is likely to be hampered by budget and contract constraints.Butcher highlighted Surrey’s lengthy injury list as a key factor to his side’s poor performance this season. Key players have been out of action at vital times: two Surrey stalwarts, Jimmy Ormond and Martin Bicknell are absent for this match, and Butcher said that the years of success had stalled the forward planning of the club, leaving them with an ageing team.”It is something we have been aware of for some time, but probably haven’t addressed it soon enough. Going down will make it imperative that we do something about the playing squad but we can keep some of the players we have and get them fit; with the right professionalism, I still think we can compete.”Some of Rixon’s departing comments expressed disbelief at the lack of professionalism in the county game, and Butcher said he has already talked to some of his players. “I’ve had one or two chats with a couple of the players individually, and some as a group, and I think a lot will take responsibility in that area.”Butcher, the coaching staff, committee and players now have six months to come up with their solutions. The issues off the field need to be addressed before any upturn in results can be expected. There won’t be any quick fixes.

Windward Islands 63 (Kelly 6-31) and 69 for 4 (Fedee 30*) need 132 more runs to beat Trinidad & Tobago 160 and 104 (Shillingford 4-20)
ScorecardThe match between Trinidad and Tobago and Windward Islands at Arnos Vale was intrigingly poised after the second day, with Windward needing 133 more for victory with six wickets in hand. Trinidad had been in charge after the first day, but Windward fought back well on the second. Their last two wickets added 40 more in the morning to take their first-innings total to 63. Then, their bowlers bundled out Trinidad for a paltry 104 in the second innings, with Shane Shillingford taking 4 for 20. Sergio Fedee led the Windward run-chase with an unbeaten 30, but on a pitch heavily favouring the bowlers, Trinidad would still fancy their chances of a victory. Earlier, Richard Kelly starred with both bat and ball for Trinidad – he took 6 for 31 in Windward’s first innings, and then top-scored with 26, making exactly a quarter of his team’s total.Guyana 13 for 0 trail Jamaica 410 for 6 dec (Parchment 100, Baugh 100*, Bernard 84, Lambert 61) by 397 runs
ScorecardBrenton Parchment and Carlton Baugh slammed hundreds as Jamaica piled on the runs on the second day against Guyana at the Sabina Park in Kingston. Both batsmen scored exactly 100, with Baugh remaining unbeaten when Jamaica declared on 410 for 6. It was Parchment’s maiden first-class century and ended his poor trot which had kept him out of the side so far this season. David Bernard (84) and Tamar Lambert (61) chipped in with half-centuries as well, helping Jamaica amass a huge total. Narsingh Deonarine was Guyana’s most successful bowler, taking 4 for 75. Guyana then had three over to bat late in the evening, and they negotiated that little passage safely, scoring 13 without loss.
ScorecardA superb 126-run stand between Dale Richards and Pattrick Browne bailed Barbados out on the first day of their Carib Beer Cup match against Leeward Islands at Bridgetown. After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Barbados slumped to 87 for 5 before Richards and Browne got together. Both made half-centuries – Richards made 79 and Browne got 66 – as Barbados ended the day on 286 for 9. Adam Ssanford was Leeward’s most successful bowler, taking 5 for 92.

England 300 for 6 (Butcher 61, Hussain 58, Thorpe 81*, Best 3-60) lead West Indies 208 by 92 runs
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The old’uns are always the best, as the hundreds of England fans who spent the afternoon worshipping Sir Mick Jagger would heartily agree. On an attritional and absorbing day of old-fashioned Test cricket, Nasser Hussain, Mark Butcher and Graham Thorpe each contributed an obdurate half-century as England closed on 300 for 6. Their lead is already 92, and on a mischievous surface, that might just prove decisive.It is no coincidence that those three are England’s only veterans of a previous Caribbean tour. For it took every ounce of their collective knowhow to subdue a spirited West Indian attack, which was admirably led, once again, by the irrepressible Tino Best. The day began with Hussain and Butcher clinging on for dear life (Hussain’s contribution to the first hour’s play was a mighty two runs), but by the close the boot had been emphatically transferred to the other foot, as Thorpe played on through the fading light to flog his way towards a 13th Test century, shrugging off an accidental beamer from Best, that hit him on the arm, along the way.The first two sessions were gritty, but seldom pretty, as Butcher and Hussain laid England’s foundations with a 120-run partnership that came at barely two runs per over. It was a carbon copy of their decisive stand in the Jamaica Test. Neither man could ever claim to be comfortable at the crease, and both could be seen cursing themselves for every false shot that they produced. But they batted all the way through the morning session as West Indies began to run out of ideas.Corey Collymore kept things tight with a Fraserish line and length, and Adam Sanford was much improved on his wayward efforts on the second day. Best, however, was the only reliable attacking option at Brian Lara’s disposal, and sure enough he eventually made the breakthrough – albeit in controversial circumstances – as Billy Bowden adjudged Butcher caught behind for 61. The replays, however, suggested that his bat had clipped the turf, but not the ball (128 for 3).The usually mild-mannered Butcher was not impressed, and chuntered his way back to the pavilion – and probably all the way into the match referee’s diary. But Best had earned his wicket. He had already clipped Hussain on the elbow with a brutal bouncer, and had suckered Butcher into such a rash shot by tucking him up with a tight line into the body.Thorpe’s arrival spurred on Best even further – he had beaten him for pace in Jamaica to claim a notable first Test scalp, and almost pulled off the same trick again as Thorpe skidded an attempted pull over the slips for four. But with Hussain finally beginning to connect with his regular flails through the covers, England consolidated their position as Lara turned to his spinners to hurry along the arrival of the new ball.Best’s first over with the new ball was scattergun to say the least – one delivery barely landed on the cut strip, a second skidded away for four byes and a third was swatted for four by Thorpe. But he got it just right soon enough, as Hussain’s stumps were rattled by a good-length ball that nipped back through the gate and stayed fractionally low. Hussain was gone for 58, precisely the score he had made in Jamaica, and at 186 for 4, West Indies had a timely breakthrough.

But the arrival of Andrew Flintoff signalled a change in tempo. His innings began in bizarre fashion, as Best came haring in to bowl what appeared to be the first delivery, only to reveal at the last minute that he didn’t have the ball in his hand (it was in umpire Bowden’s pocket, unlike the bails, which the umpires had forgotten to bring out to the middle at the start of play). Flintoff, unusually, was about the only person not to see the funny side, although he made his displeasure known in eloquent fashion, with a brace of cracking cover-drives to take him to 10 not out at tea.On the untrustworthy surface, 50 minutes of Flintoff could have put the game beyond West Indies’ reach. But just as he appeared to be hitting his straps, Lara called on Dwayne Smith to take the pace off the ball. As if on cue, Flintoff chipped a tame return catch off the leading edge, and trudged off with 23 from 24 balls (218 for 5).Pedro Collins had been keeping a low profile for much of the day, but he was the next to strike, producing another wonderful one-two – an outswinger followed by a sharp inducker – to trap Chris Read lbw for 3. It was an exact replica of Michael Vaughan’s dismissal on the second day, and at 230 for 6, West Indies were a couple of quick strikes from getting back into contention.But they had reckoned without the admirable batting qualities of Ashley Giles, who used his height to stretch forward to the spinners and prod away the seamers, and kept Thorpe company in his no-nonsense compact manner. They had added 70 invaluable runs for the seventh wicket, and Lara’s frustration was plain to see by the close as he sensed that the series was slipping from his grasp.Andrew Miller is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo.

Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee is making meaningful changes to the Premier domestic competition to improve quality and to make it more professional and competitive.However, the 2006-07 season which was due to start on Wednesday (November 1) was delayed because of bad weather and all matches scheduled for that day were postponed. The tournament will now begin on November 4 subject to confirmation from the tournament committee when it meets on Tuesday. “We have looked at the practical side and, based on various factors, decided to postpone the matches fixed for November 1,” said Basil Perera, the tournament committee chairman. “There is no point continuing with the matches knowing very well that the bad weather we had in the past few days has made it virtually impossible for any team to prepare itself and for the grounds to be fit for play.”Fourteen clubs will participate in the Premier limited-overs tournament and the three-day Premier league, which is scheduled to start on November 10. The league tournament this season is vital to all the clubs because the bottom four clubs face relegation to Tier B of the competition for the next season as SLC wants to cut down the number of clubs to ten in Tier A from the 2007-08 season.To ensure there won’t be any changes to the structure of the competition, as has been the practice in the past when different office-bearers take over the cricket administration, SLC are hoping to gazette the new format where Tiers A and B of the Premier tournament will feature not more than ten teams each. “We hope to get the format gazetted within the next two or three months,” said K Mathivanan, the SLC secretary, at a press briefing held at SLC headquarters.”By next season [2006-07] we are hoping to make the Premier fully professional so that there will be cricketers who will be making a livelihood out of cricket alone,” he said. Mathivanan whose company East West Marketing has nearly fifty cricketers under their employment, explained that with the unstable economy in the country’s private sector, establishments were increasingly reluctant to employ cricketers who are rarely at their workplaces.”Times have changed when private sector companies employed cricketers for their cricketing ability alone. That is why we are trying to create a path for the cricketers to sustain them throughout the year,” said Mathivanan. “The majority of them will play league cricket in England from April to September and then return to Sri Lanka for the domestic season. This way they will be playing cricket throughout the year like professionals.”A total of 105 cricketers from Sri Lanka are expected to play in the English leagues next season. Further the SLC has undertaken the task of improving the status of three campus grounds, Colombo, Kelaniya and Katubedde to enable Premier clubs without a home ground to practise and play their matches at nominal cost.Badureliya SC, Chilaw Marians CC, Ragama CC and Saracens SC are the Premier clubs without a home ground. Mathivanan stated that the Kurunegala Welagedera Stadium and Badulla esplanade were already under the auspices of SLC after they had signed a 33-year lease with the respective municipal councils. He said steps are being taken to similarly bring De Soysa Stadium in Moratuwa also under the SLC so that it could be used exclusively for cricket.The Premier limited-over tournament groups:Group A: Bloomfield, BRC, CCC, Tamil Union, Sebastianites, Panadura SC, Ragama CC.Group B: NCC, SSC, Chilaw Marians CC, Colts, Moors SC, Badureliya SC, Saracens SC.

Brett Lee may be losing his race to be fit in time for the opening Testagainst Sri Lanka, which starts on Monday. Lee, who injured his left ankleduring Australia’s practice match against a Sri Lanka Board President’s XI, satout training on Saturday and Sunday.Lee’s ankle, the same one from which bone spurs were removed last year, sufferedsoreness and swelling during the warm-up game. Hospital x-rays revealed nostructural damage, but the prospect of a heavy workload on a spinner’s pitchwould make his inclusion a gamble.”Brett is continuing to receive treatment and stayed back at the teamhotel,” Jonathan Rose, the Australian media manager, said. “A decision will be made tomorrow [Monday] on his availability.”The pitch may be loaded in favour of the spinners, but Ricky Ponting insisted that Lee could still be a huge factor. “We are hoping that he will come up fit and we will be giving him until the last minute. We just have to keep a real close eye on him and keep our fingers crossed because he could be very dangerous in these conditions.”On Saturday, John Buchanan, Australia’s coach, said that Lee was still in contention, saying that he would be given every possible chance to regain his fitnessbefore the final XI was chosen by the selectors. “There is obviously concern there, but that is the reason why he is not out here today,” said Buchanan. “In a bowling sense he does not actually need to bowl so we are trying to give him an opportunity to get right for Monday.””We will make our final decision tomorrow and that will be as much based onhim and his feelings as Alex’s [Kontouri], the physio, as well as thecaptain and selectors.”Buchanan said that Lee’s availability could influence the final decision onthe balance of the attack. He kept his cards close to his chest atthe team’s practice though, saying that there would be either three fast bowlersand one spinner or two pacemen and two spinners.”If he is deemed fit enough to play then that might swing us either way,”said Buchanan. “We need to take that it account and I think it is fair tosay that there are a few schools of thought.”Buchanan expected the ball to turn square on a dry, grassless Galle pitch:”There is no doubt that the wicket is what we expected. There is no grass onit and it will certainly turn, virtually from ball one. Given that there isno grass on it, there is a question as to how long it will actually last.”One would expect it to offer quite a lot to spin bowlers. Having said that, itcould give something to the quick bowlers as well, with reverse swing andpossibly a variation in height and pace.”

Hampshire departed the north-east heading for the south-west tonight with their tails between their legs having seen their National League Division Two championship and promotion hopes take a hammering at the hands of Durham Dynamos at the Riverside.It capped off a disasterous five days for the south coast county, having been thrashed in the Championship the day before – it was no wonder they wanted to take the long trek to Taunton tonight instead of on Bank Holiday Monday.On a wicket that gave plenty of assistance to the quicker bowlers, Hawks skipper John Crawley won the toss and chose to take first use only to see the first four wickets disappear with only 34 on the board.Eighteen-year-old Liam Plunkett dismissed James Hamblin and Simon Katich, after the Australian had hammered Neil Killeen out of the attack with four fours in his 12-ball 18. However, the introduction of England paceman Stephen Harmison further dented Hampshire as only John Francis held firm.Reduced to 93-8, Chaminda Vaas showed some resistance with the bat with an unbeaten 28 once Francis (25) and Udal (16) had fallen. Spinner Graeme Bridge wrapped up the tail with 4-20 but 131 was never likely to be enough.And so it proved despite Vaas dispatching Martin Love and Ashley Thorpe in the space of two balls as Nicky Peng and the returning Paul Collingwood clocked up 91 for the third wicket to lead the side, starting the day second bottom of the table to a rare victory.Peng finished unbeaten on 56 while Collingwood smashed 48 to lead Durham to victory with nearly 20 overs to spare.

India’s selection committee, headed by a new chairman, sprung a couple of surprises when they named a squad for the first Test against New Zealand, which starts at Ahmedabad on October 8. Akash Chopra and Sairaj Bahutule were surprising inclusions, while Sanjay Bangar and Ajit Agarkar were prominent among those that missed out.Under Syed Kirmani’s stewardship, the committee have also given opportunities to Yuvraj Singh, L Balaji and Aavishkar Salvi. Yuvraj is unlikely to play, but the five wise men appear to have decided to give him a feel of the big time before the tour of Australia later this year. Salvi and Balaji benefit from Ashish Nehra’s injury, and the unavailability of Javagal Srinath.Chopra’s selection – ahead of Sadagoppan Ramesh, Shiv Sundar Das, Wasim Jaffer, Gautam Gambhir and Deep Dasgupta – will prompt many a debate over the coming week, especially given the fluency with which Ramesh made a century at Rajkot. The man Chopra replaces, Bangar, is also entitled to a few complaints, having done little wrong in his time with the squad.Parthiv Patel has been given the chance to prove his batting mettle on the more placid tracks at home, while Agarkar must wonder just what he has to do to get a look in. No such complaints for men like Murali Kartik and Gambhir, who blew their chances with some indifferent recent performances.If India go into the game with six batsmen, a keeper and four bowlers – as they’re expected to – Yuvraj, Balaji and Bahutule are likely to be the ones relegated to drinks duties. Mind you, the selectors could spring yet another surprise, and open with Yuvraj and Virender Sehwag, just to show the New Zealanders, and Martin Crowe – who once opened the bowling with Dipak Patel – that they don’t have a patent on the bizarre.Squad Virender Sehwag, Akash Chopra, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly (capt), VVS Laxman, Parthiv Patel (wk), Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Aavishkar Salvi, L Balaji, Yuvraj Singh, Sairaj Bahutule.Wisden Comment

Just like his batting, Akash Chopra has a confidence that is not demonstrative. His batting is a mixture of careful consideration, precise and unfussy footwork, and unostentatious execution. While his more illustrious colleagues have hogged the headlines so far this series, Chopra, in only his first tour abroad, has worked tirelessly, and succeeded, in the job assigned to him. Defying the new ball, laying the bricks and paving the way. He has been India’s quiet hero of the series so far.”I have been given a job,” Chopra says, “to play off the new ball and to occupy the crease.” He has complied in outstanding manner. In no first innings so far has Rahul Dravid, who was a virtual opener on India’s last tour to Australia, been dragged out of the dressing room before the tenth over, and thrice Chopra has blunted the Australians for more than three hours. He has been the anchor to Virender Sehwag’s buccaneering strokeplay. Together, they have driven the Australians to distraction.”They complement each other very well,” concedes John Buchanan. “Chopra is somewhat limited in his strokeplay, but he has played well within himself. Sehwag is limitless in his strokeplay and presents a different kind of challenge. We know exactly how to bowl to the two of them, and we have stuck to our plans. But they have come up with some good performances in crucial times.”Though Chopra and Sehwag have been team-mates in the Delhi Ranji teams, they have rarely batted together in domestic cricket. While Chopra has forever been an opener, Sehwag has only opened for India. But they have an intrinsic understanding which is evident from the way they trust each other for singles. “Singles are a part of our strategy in the opening overs, when boundaries haven’t been easy to come,” Chopra says. “I know Veeru very well, we are very close friends, so it’s easy to strike an understanding.”Chopra missed a good part of India’s domestic season last year owing to a fractured finger, but managed to secure a place in the Indian side by performing in two trial matches against New Zealand. He prepared for the Australian tour by seeking advice from Sunil Gavaskar, Geoff Boycott and Mohinder Amarnath. “They told me to give the first hour to the bowler because the Kookaburra balls move more than the balls used in India. I have tried to do that.”If there’s one worry about Chopra’s batting, it’s been his inability to build on his start and play an innings of substance. He was out to a brute of a delivery today, but his dismissal has often been caused by a lapse of concentration. Chopra isn’t unduly worried, though. “This is a new level of cricket for me,” he says, “the standard is much higher than what I have been used to. But I have coped quite well I think. I am sure that a big innings will come anytime now.””If I can stay there for three hours, I am good enough to stay in for three more.”

In the July issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly Stephen Fay argues that the Twenty20 Cup may solve cricket’s image problem but it is a big riskIt had better work. The £250,000 the ECB is spending to promote Twenty20 cricket is a gamble based on the marketing department’s faithful response to a survey. The ECB’s annual report spells it out: "It became evident from consumer research … that there was a considerable demand for a shorter, fast variation of the game."For two weeks in high summer, starting on June 13, it will be a jacuzzi at Worcester and a pyjama party at Glamorgan. "A good night out and a few beers with your mates," say the marketing people. Atomic Kitten – our older readers might like to know that this is a fashionable pop group – have been hired to sing at the final on July 19. Westminster council found the prospect so forbidding that it refused the MCC a licence. The final will be at Trent Bridge, which has only half the capacity but neighbours who are more tolerant of amplified noise.Stuart Robertson, the ECB marketing manager, gave a succinct summary of cricket’s perceived problem at the launch of Twenty20 cricket in London on May 8. "The audience profile for cricket is disastrous: middle-aged, middle class and white. Kids think it’s for oldies and women think it’s for men. Twenty20 cricket is about addressing these structural barriers and the research says it is women and kids who want this sort of cricket." The idea is that a new audience will then transfer their attractions to the first-class game.What they will get is 20 overs a side played over three hours. The 18 first-class counties have been divided into three regional groups and will battle for £108,000 in team and individual prize money. The game is a hybrid. It is part serious with rules from one-day cricket like fielding restrictions for six overs, bowlers limited to four overs and short-pitched balls limited to one an over. These are rules to suit batsmen. And it is part frivolous: microphone links to the players and the third umpire; the Sky Sports team interviewing players "direct from the dugout"; and batsmen being timed out if they take more than 90 seconds to reach the wicket. American baseball will be gratified that cricket is copying some of its principal features. No more jeers about it being like rounders, please.Sponsors arrived late on the scene but there are three of them now: the Test sponsor npower, the Dutch electrical company Philips, whose screen will show instant replays, and Nectar, whose vouchers can be turned into bonus prizes. Now they are ready for the off, what are the prospects?The most productive comparison is with New Zealand where a longer 40-over, four-innings version called Cricket Max started in 1996-97. "The formula was devised by Martin and Jeff Crowe as an off-beat, television-geared form of the game but public interest was minimal," WCM’s New Zealand correspondent Don Cameron reports. "The offer of a NZ$1,000 prize to spectators to catch sixes failed to excite the few hundred fans. At some grounds wits reckoned it was a better idea to introduce all the spectators to all the players. The lesson seemed to be that you could put all manner of gimmicks into a package but people might not want to buy it."When costs rose too high the tournament was scaled down; last winter’s players’ strike put paid to this year’s tournament and Max is likely to languish as a too expensive event for regular competition among the six first-class teams in New Zealand. In Australia an attenuated version of Cricket Max called Super Eights – eight players on a team bowling 14 overs and a six counting eight – was used as a pre-season tournament but it lasted only two years and finished in 1997.Perhaps neither example will prove relevant to the success or failure of Twenty20. The ECB’s gamble will be difficult to judge this summer. A generous publicity budget ought to bring the crowds. It will be harder next year when the originality has worn off. The gamble is like a bet on a horse. There are no ifs and buts. You know whether you have won or lost. A win may alter the image for the good of the game. A loss will have damaged the integrity of cricket in England. That would be a disaster.Click here to subscribe to Wisden Cricket Monthly

The July 2003 edition of Wisden Cricket Monthly is on sale at all good newsagents in the UK and Ireland, priced £3.25.