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India’s national selectors have deferred the appointment of a Test captain, which was scheduled to happen during the selection committee meeting in Ahmedabad on Saturday. The focus of the meeting will now be on the squad for the first two ODIs of the series against Pakistan beginning on November 5.Bhupinder Singh, the North Zone selector, said that the selection panel wanted to observe Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy for a while longer before taking a decision on the Test captaincy.”We had originally decided to watch Dhoni for 12 games and it’s only five games now so we will have to wait,” Bhupinder told Cricinfo. He, without confirming, indicated that the announcement could happen at the next selection meeting on November 8 in Mohali, when the squad for the rest of the ODI series against Pakistan would be announced.Dhoni, who led India to the World Twenty20 title in his first assignment as captain, is one of two chief contenders for the Test captaincy along with Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar is also widely tipped for the job after two earlier stints during which he led India in 25 Tests.With India’s search for a full-time coach producing no results – and the coach selection committee only meeting on November 3 – former India and Mumbai opener Lalchand Rajput is likely to be retained as the interim cricket manager for the home series against Pakistan. The announcement is expected to be made during the selection meeting on Saturday.

Xavier Marshall, the Jamaica opener, and team-mates Leon Garrick and Damion Hardware are expected to face the St Ann Cricket Association’s disciplinary committee today after failing to turn up for a match. The trio failed to appear on the second day of their rain-hit game against Kingston & St Andrew in the Red Stripe Cricket Championship and were consequently not selected for the following match last weekend.Ivan Anderson, president of the St Ann Cricket Association, told the that their breach carried a light fine. “It [disciplinary hearing] will be done on Wednesday, but more or less what he [Marshall] did, would only warrant a one-match ban, or we might have a serious talk with him and let him know the implications,” he said. “Sometimes they don’t think before they do certain things… and don’t realise that they are role models. We have to make sure we nip the bud as soon as we see certain things happening… we have to really step at it; we can’t really try cover up on anything for them.”Anderson, the man credited for spotting Marshall’s talent at the age of 10, maintained that Marshall “should have still turned up” even though he was informed by a team-mate that it had been raining on day two of the fixture.Marshall scored a hundred to propel West Indies to the final of the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2004. He played two Test matches and ten one-day internationals for the senior side but has yet to fulfill his evident talent. In early 2005, Marshall was suspended for off-field indiscretion while on tour with the senior team. Garrick, 29, played a solitary Test for the West Indies but has also had many run-ins with cricket authorities at all levels.

Andre Nel, the South African fast bowler, has been called up to replace Loots Bosman in the squad for the ICC World Twenty20 that starts next week. Bosman was ruled out of the tournament after he was advised six weeks’ rest due to a back injury he suffered while fielding during a match against Zimbabwe last month.According to Joubert Strydom, convener of selectors, Nel’s inclusion would strengthen thebowling line-up, which was looking “a bit under-done”.”We are well stocked in the top three batting department with five players – Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, Goolam Bodi and JP Duminy – all technically equipped to deal with the new ball and having the expansive strokeplay to force the pace where necessary,” Strydom said.Denying claims that Nel’s inclusion in the squad would cause a quota-imbalance, Norman Arendse, president of Cricket South Africa, said while the board aimed at having seven players of colour in the squad, this was not a binding obligation.”Quotas are set in stone while targets are something to strive for. The selectors have convinced me that there are logical and rational cricket reasons for opting for Nel,” he said. “These included an examination of strike rates, economy rates, number of wickets taken and the like of the leading candidates.”Nel will join the South African training camp in Potchefstroom as soon as possible toenable him to participate fully in the preparation phase.

David Parsons, the acting director of the ECB’s Academy, has expressed his disappointment at Rod Marsh’s comments that England have gone backwards since winning the Ashes last year. Marsh was critical of Duncan Fletcher and said England had done themselves a huge disservice by losing their bowling coach Troy Cooley.”We’ve had two disappointing results here in Australia, but I don’t agree that our Test standards are slipping fast,” Parsons told . “When I read those comments, I thought it was a shame. Rod did a really good job when he was in charge and he got the academy up and running. It’s just sad that someone who has been so heavily involved in the programme feels that it is right to make that sort of comment.”Parsons also defended the decision to have the academy side based in Perth during the Ashes, despite the fact they have played only two one-day matches – both ending in defeat – and have one remaining game before their stay in Australia ends. He described the policy as “a risk worth taking”.”Given the injuries that England had last time, it was important to know someone was on stand-by if something was to go wrong,” Parsons said in the . “The other side of it is that you get the advantage of being out here in the sunshine on some really good pitches. Even if none of the players get the call-up they will still have benefited from being out here in the middle.”Parsons mentioned Ravi Bopara, Steven Davies, Stuart Broad, Chris Tremlett and Graham Onions as players who could help form the next generation of England cricket and who would take the most from the trip.

Prime Minister’s XI 347 for 5 (Jaques 112) beat England XI 181 (Tait 3-21) by 166 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Shaun Tait stormed into the first Test calculations with a withering fast bowling performance as England XI succumbed to a 166-run defeat in their opening Ashes tour match at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.England XI were hammered for a record 347 for 5 off 50 overs by a Prime Minister’s XI and in reply they were skittled for just 181 off 38.4 overs. It was a worrying performance with the first of the five Ashes Tests, at Brisbane, just 13 days away.Tait, little used in his two Tests in last year’s Ashes series, threw down his challenge for the third fast-bowling slot behind Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee with explosive figures of 3 for 21 from eight overs. He worked up a full head of steam with his slingy action and claimed the prized wicket of Andrew Flintoff for one.The day had began poorly for England, with opener Phil Jaques leading the charge with dashing 112 after the PM’s XI were sent into bat by Flintoff. It was the highest score by a PM’s XI team against a touring side, surpassing the 334 for 5 against India in 1999.In reply, only vice-captain Andrew Strauss looked the part with some sweetly timed shots before he went for 67. Marcus Trescothick, back from a stress-related break, faced just three balls before he edged Tait to second slip for two while Alastair Cook’s mis-timed pull off Ben Hilfenhaus landed in the hands of keeper to wicketkeeper Tim Paine for four.Paul Collingwood looked set before he found Jaques at deep mid-wicket off legspinner Cameron White for 35. Collingwood put on 58 for the third wicket with Strauss. Strauss reached his half-century off 50 balls, showing exquisite timing but was annoyed with himself when he tried to hook Tait, only to offer a simple catch to Hilfenhaus at mid-on. His runs came off as many balls and his innings included 12 fours to all parts of the ground.Kevin Pietersen perished to an ill-judged hook shot, top-edging Hilfenhaus to Paine for seven before Tait bowled Flintoff two balls later. Flintoff was beaten by Tait’s sheer pace to have his stumps spreadeagled. Very next ball Ashley Giles survived a huge shout for lbw with Tait down on his knees, beseeching the umpire. Giles was eventually run-out by White for 13. Sajid Mahmood was stumped down the leg-side off White for 22. Anderson was lbw to local player Adam Ritchard for a duck. Monty Panesar was last man out for one, with wicketkeeper Geraint Jones unbeaten on 13.Earlier, Test opener-in-waiting Phil Jaques gave Australian selectors more food for thought with an impressive century. Jaques, who has the obstacle of long-time incumbents Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden blocking his way into the Australian Test team, hit nine boundaries and two sixes in his breezy knock off 110 balls. He gave only one chance, on 21, when he was put down by Jones off Anderson, before he holed out to Cook in the deep off Collingwood in the 37th over.The runs flowed late in the innings, with 112 runs coming off the last 10 overs. Shaun Marsh hit an unbeaten 78 off 56 balls; Travis Birt smacked 40 off 45 balls; and Adam Voges chipped in with 39 off 32 balls. The PM’s XI batsmen smashed a total of eight sixes in the innings, with skipper White helping himself to three of them in an unbeaten 30 off 14 balls.England had something to smile about as Flintoff, whose ankle has been under the scanner , was the pick of their bowlers, going for just 10 runs in his first five overs, eventually ending with 1 for 55. Anderson looked ineffective, going for 65 runs off 10 overs while Sajid Mahmood had major problems with overstepping. He finished with a tally of six no balls and four wides in his sorry return of 97 runs for one wicket off nine overs. The spinners were no better and between them Giles and Panesar could manage only one wicket.

The Cricket Club of India was buzzing with activity following the announcement that a Chennai court had held up the appointment of Ranbir Singh Mahendra and SK Nair, the new president and secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Raj Singh Dungarpur, a former Board president who was actively involved in the recent elections, told Wisden Cricinfo late on Friday evening: “It is a black day for Indian cricket. That it should have come during the platinum-jubilee celebration is tragic beyond description.”Dungarpur has been a vociferous critic of Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI’s former president and new patron-in-chief, and went on: “Dalmiya and his coterie of supporters, who were tantamount to blind supporters, have left the board in a mess.”When asked why, then, Dungarpur had voted in favour of Dalmiya being appointed patron-in-chief, he explained: “I voted for him because I didn’t want to spoil the party. I felt he had worked hard enough to earn the position of patron.”But a patron is one who patronises, not one who organises,” he added. “The Maharaja of Patiala was a genuine patron. He brought Arthur Gilligan’s MCC team to India in 1926. CK Nayudu hit 11 sixes for the Hindus against them and India found a hero. Patiala brought Jack Ryder’s team to India soon after – that was the act of a patron.”The recent Board elections were fought in acrimonious circumstances, and Dungarpur has plenty to say on the subject. “Dalmiya, for the first time ever, realised he was up against it. His kingdom was rocked.” During the elections, representatives from Maharashtra and Rajasthan were barred from voting, following which Mahendra and Sharad Pawar had polled 15 votes each. Dalmiya then cast the deciding vote in Mahendra’s favour. Dungarpur claims: “Asking the representatives of Maharashtra and Rajasthan to leave the meeting was a death knell to the democracy of the board.”The way the television-rights issue was handled came in for particular criticism. “The way Dalmiya handled that was there for all to see. It is not a secret that the marketing committee voted 6-2 in favour of Zee, and that Dalmiya was one of the two who voted against. He has ignored all statutory requirements when it comes to convening meetings and has done things at the shortest notice. The BCCI traditions of 75 years have been thrown to the gates. And when it comes to the main management of cricket, pardon me for saying so, Mr Dalmiya knows very little.”And Dungarpur concluded: “When the great Sir Don Bradman was not indispensable to the Australian cricket team, why should Dalmiya be indispensable to the BCCI?”Inderjit Bindra, another former president known for his anti-Dalmiya stance, also had some strong words. “It’s a dark day, and one where those involved with running cricket in India, including me, should reflect about the manner in which we have been conducting ourselves in the recent past. No-one is bigger than the game itself.”

Division One

Third day
Like many games around the country, Hove was at the mercy of the elements and bad light as Sussex and Hampshire only managed 38 overs in the day. Sussex were dismissed for 448, with Shane Warne picking up six wickets, before Hampshire reached 70 for 1 when play was abandoned for the day.Fourth dayLancashire v Warwickshire – no play possible
Yorkshire v Middlesex – no play possible

Division Two

Second day
Only 11 overs were possible on the second day at Leicester as Somerset progressed from 90 for 3 to 113 for 5 against Leicestershire. Nick Walker made the early breakthrough, bowling Keith Parsons before play was abandoned due to bad light at 17.15BST.Fourth dayDerbyshire v Nottinghamshire – no play possibleEssex were saved by the rain on the final day against Worcestershire at New Road. Worcestershire, seeking promotion, took three Essex wickets on a stop-start day to leave them wobbling on 116 for 4 before the rains fell to frustrate the home side, the match petering into a draw.

Speculation is rife that Aziz Al Kaiser Titoo, the vice-president of Bangladesh Cricket Board, has resigned as the row over a secret deal regarding television rights grows. The rumours come in the wake of the resignation of Reazuddin Al Mamun , the board joint-secretary and media committee chairman, in protest at the deal.Speaking to the Dhaka-based daily, , Titoo denied submitting any resignation letter, but did not rule out its possibility in the near future. “Honestly speaking, I am looking forward to the next board meeting to clarify my position. I will definitely raise some burning issues like the TV and sponsorship deal and the resignation of our joint-secretary in the meeting and if there is no satisfactory outcome then I will definitely think about my resignation.”Titoo also expressed his dissatisfaction at the way Ali Asghar, the board’s president, has handled the TV deal. “There is an elected committee in the board and I think nothing should be passed or accepted bypassing the executive committee. I don’t know whether president has accepted one of our top members’ resignation or not, but I think it should be discussed in the board meeting before taking a final decision.”He also expressed his ignorance about the alleged secret deal that Asghar struck with Aston Moore Sports and Entertainment in July, and demanded an inquiry into the affair.. “I’m not aware of such deal. If such deal was struck then it is certainly a big issue. I know Aston Moore but to be honest the company is not experienced enough to handle such a big matter. We should form an inquiry committee to bring out the truth.”

At least in the eyes of Kim Hughes, former Australian captain, there is no need for debate: Andrew Flintoff is, belatedly, the new Ian Botham and could go even further. And Hughes should know; he was captain during the 1981 Ashes series that Australia lost 3-1, a series remembered as `Botham’s Ashes’.”I try not to think about ’81 because it gives me nightmares,” Hughes told the Sydney-based Sun-Herald, “but as soon as I saw Flintoff, I thought, that’s Both (Botham). It’s Both all over again. He’s a mirror image, but … he’s a bigger man physically than Ian and looks even more of an athlete.”Flintoff has had an exceptional all-round series this summer, scoring 322 at 40.25 and taking 19 wickets before the final Test at The Oval. Fourteen summers ago, Botham scored 399 runs, took 34 wickets and 12 catches (Flintoff has taken three).But more than just the figures, says Hughes. “Flintoff and Both – they thrive on pressure and a competitive situation. It’s their presence. As an opposition captain, you’re not too sure what is going to happen. You’re thinking, shit, if this bloke bats for an hour, he’s not going to be blocking them back and he’s not going to be 10 not out. He’ll have taken the game away from us.”He dismissed the notion that both players were lucky. “Botham had a tremendous belief in himself and he was jammy, flukey. Flintoff is exactly the same. It happens too often just to be luck. They create luck. When they’re batting, they get an inside edge but it doesn’t hit the stumps. When they’re bowling, someone gets an inside edge and it does hit the stumps. You think, you lucky bastard. But it keeps happening.”And Hughes, who had a wretched series in 1981 averaging only 25, suggested that Flintoff could even surpass the considerable achievements and legend of Botham. His bowling, said Hughes, is quicker than Botham’s and he has now become a genuine strike bowler. Botham, on the other hand, found swing with the new ball but became a stock bowler later in the innings.He added that Flintoff’s batting, while comparable in strength with Botham’s, possessed a sounder technique. But he said Flintoff had to keep performing at his current level for a few more years to confirm his standing as an all-time great.”Flintoff could be a once-in-a-lifetime cricketer. England has had some fine players over the years, but none of them since Both have had the magic that Ian had. Flintoff has got it. We’ve got a great in Warne and now England have a champ of their own. Flintoff could end up being a player we’re still raving about in 50 years. He’s that good.”

Jammu & Kashmir stormed into the knockout phase of the Ranji Trophywith a four wicket triumph over Himachal Pradesh in their final NorthZone league tie at the Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu. J&K finishedthird in the zonal standings with 24 points from their five games,behind Punjab (40) and Delhi (29).The win was enabled by a sporting declaration from Himachal skipperAnurag Thakur who set the hosts a fourth innings target of 251 in 77overs. An invaluable 138 from opener Ranjit Bali helped J&K across thefinishing line with more than 13 overs to spare. It was a spectacularrecovery by J&K who trailed by 140 in the first innings, narrowlyavoiding the follow-on.Resuming at 55/4, Himachal declared just over ten overs into themorning. In that period they exactly doubled their score, losing twowickets in the process. The closure was applied at the fall of onedrop Rahul Panta for a run-a-ball 66 (4 fours, 2 sixes).A 131 run third wicket stand between Bali and Ashwini Gupta (43) putJ&K firmly on the road to victory. After the latter’s departure at193, Bali carried on unperturbed until he was bowled by Nischal Gaurjust sixteen runs short of victory. His 138 arrived from 180 balls andfeatured 14 fours and 4 sixes. J&K lost two more wickets before thewinning runs came in the 64th over.