Greg Chappell returned from Zimbabwe on Sunday, and expressed the opinion that it was unfortunate that his differences with Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain, were made public. After arriving a day later than the rest of the squad due to the unavailability of tickets, Chappell told reporters: “I think the media gets excited at such happenings. Differences are a fairly normal thing happening in cricket. But you can understand I am not in a position to speak about it to you at this stage.”The coach-captain rift surfaced in Zimbabwe when Chappell asked Ganguly to consider his position as captain before the first Test because of his poor batting form. The spat snowballed into a major controversy last week when a confidential e-mail from Chappell to officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was leaked to the media by unknown sources.Chappell, a former Australian captain who took over in June, reportedly said in the e-mail that Ganguly was not “physically or mentally” fit to lead the side and even threatened to quit if the captain was not changed.”I sent a private and confidential e-mail to the president of BCCI,” said Chappell. “It did not remain confidential though I would have preferred it to have remained so. What else can I say at this stage?”Chappell and Ganguly are due to appear before a high-powered BCCI panel that includes three former captains – Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Srinivas Venkataraghvan – in Mumbai on Tuesday to discuss the crisis.

Greg Chappell’s rigorous fitness regime might be too taxing for some of the players in the Indian cricket team but it has earned praise from Yuvraj Singh, who said today his teammates were “happy” with the Australian’s coaching methods.”I don’t think that Chappell’s fitness regime is too harsh,” said Yuvraj in an interview with PTI. “All the boys are happy doing it. The fitness level of the team has improved and we are still working on it here. I share a good rapport with the coach and I am happy with him.”Yuvraj added that the row between his captain, Sourav Ganguly, and Chappell had been a distraction, but now the most important thing was for the team-mates to retain a sense of unity.”It was definitely disappointing and I would be lying if I don’t say so. But we have to forget everything and move ahead for the betterment of the game. If I was the captain, I would have talked to the team and asked the players to be together in the present situation.”But Yuvraj had some words of support for his beleaguered captain, saying he had given a chance to many youngsters, and now it was their turn to cooperate with him. “At times, a senior player deserves a chance while youngsters can sit out in view of the contribution by the senior to the team,” he said. “There is nothing to feel bad about it.”Yuvraj, who scored 120 in the last league match against Zimbabwe in the tri-series there recently, felt that overall India needed to raise their level against the big teams in one-dayers. About India’s dismal performance last year, he said: “we had many good years before that and it was only one bad year. It will pass.”On the personal front, he said having established himself in the one-day internationals, he was now concentrating on cementing his place in the Test side. “My one-day record is OK and now I am working hard for my place in the Tests,” Yuvraj said. “Now I play with more responsiblity in the middle order. I try to last till the end of the game.”

Herschelle Gibbs has been passed fit and has been included in South Africa’s one-day squad to face New Zealand.Gibbs received the all-clear on Monday after two months out due to a knee injury. He went straight into the squad for Friday’s Pro20 match at Johannesburg and the first three of five ODIs that follow.The South African selectors made only one change to the one-day squad that trounced West Indies 5-0 earlier this year, leaving out Justin Ontong. Albie Morkel, the Titans allrounder, has been drafted in for the Pro20 match but will not figure in the ODIs.South Africa squad Graeme Smith (capt), Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis (vice-capt), Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel (Pro20 only), Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince.

Tickets for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies will go on sale from May 1 2006. There will be four categories – category 1 premium seats to category 4 – and a party stand with artificially-created beaches. The first run of tickets will close on July 31, with any left-over tickets going back on sale from September 1.The West Indies will host 51 matches, played in a 47-day period, with the tournament opening with the hosts meeting Pakistan on March 13.Prices for the initial pool matches range from $14 to $100, the Super 8 stage from $24 to $100, the semi-finals from $47 to $130 and the final from $100 to $285. Organisers are targeting a minimum of 75% of seats filled.Chris Dehring, chief executive of the 2007 World Cup, told BBC Sport: “Cricket in the Caribbean is a sleeping giant, just waiting to be re-awoken.” And he added that preparations are in place to make it a memorable experience for the thousands of travelling fans expected to converge on the islands: “We are putting in place various mechanisms to make it a little easier for fans to move around the region. For instance, we’re working on a one-stop visa to allow fans to be processed once, instead of having to process every time they go through from country to country.””A tremendous amount of activity is taking place in the Caribbean. A lot of it may have been planned before but what Cricket World Cup 2007 has done is allow countries to focus on a timeline. It has been a really great catalyst for development in the region.”

ScorecardImran Farhat blasted an unbeaten hundred as Habib Bank posted a healthy total of 285 for 2 on the opening day of their four-day Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match against Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) at the UBL Sports Complex. Imran and Taufeeq Umar gave Habib Bank a great start of 144 runs. Imran was in terrific touch as he smacked boundaries in his unbeaten 142 in 347 minutes off 246 balls. Hasan Raza finished on 47 not out that included four boundaries. Imran and Raza had added 137 runs for the unbroken third wicket after Rafatullah Mohmand had gone for three. Imran looked in punishing mood as he hammered Fazl-e-Akbar, Umar Gul and Najaf Shah as well as Imran Tahir, who finished with 1 for 86 off 25 overs. Faisal Iqbal, PIA’s stand-in captain, won the toss and put Habib Bank into bat deceived by the greenish look of the pitch. Moin Khan, the usual captain, missed the match as he was recovering after bout of illness.
ScorecardKhan Research Laboratories (KRL) crawled to 200 for 7 in their first innings on the first day of their Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match against Pakistan Customs at the NBP Sports Complex. Electing to bat first, KRL, after a great start of 100 for 1, crashed to 141 for 6 with Murtaza Hussain, the offbreak bowler, grabbing 3 for 70 runs off 33 overs. Mohammad Wasim, the KRL captain, made a steady 62 off 149 balls in 205 minutes laced with eight boundaries. KRL lost five wickets for 42 runs in the post lunch session as the Customs bowlers took back the initiative. Imran Ali picked up 2 for 22 runs in a tight 22 overs to give good support to Murtaza.

Andy Moles has quit as Scotland’s coach, although a formal announcement will not be made until he has agreed severance terms with Cricket Scotland.Moles, who only took charge in March last year and who signed a two-year extension to his contract in September, appears to have been forced out by a group of senior players. He spent three months before Christmas working as head coach at the ICC’s development academy in Pretoria but it is reported that some players felt he had spent too much time abroad, even though Cricket Scotland encouraged him to take the job.The Scotsman reported that his fate was sealed last weekend when he supervised the first indoor training session of the year. “It was clear Andy had lost the confidence of a few of the guys,” a source told the newspaper. “The session was disastrous and embarrassing.”That convinced Moles that his position was untenable, and it seems he received little support from the board. Even though Moles guided Scotland to the ICC Trophy and a place in the 2007 World Cup, relations with some players had been shaky ever since he lambasted their fitness and approach at the end of the season.The main criticism aimed at him was that he undertook very little one-on-one coaching, and the fact that he had not relocated to Scotland and still had his home in South Africa also rankled.His future was discussed at a meeting of Cricket Scotland on Tuesday where it seems the executive wavered in the face of player unrest. “There was unrest over several aspects of the coaching situation,” an insider said. “It’s ironic after all the success the national side had last season but Andy seems to have lost the confidence of the players.”But the board’s climbdown was slammed by Bob Cottam, who filled the same role with Scotland last summer. “Last season we beat two sides in the National League, tied with another and won all seven of our games in the ICC Trophy. The spirit in the dressing-room was excellent, and there was no evidence of any cloak-and-dagger activity. I think that Andy has been treated abysmally.”

Ashley Giles, the England left-arm spinner, has revealed that surgeons detected early signs of arthritis while operating on his hip. Giles, who withdrew from England’s tour of Pakistan after the three Tests, underwent surgery in an attempt to stimulate the new growth of cartilage in his hip.In an interview to BBC Radio Five Live, Giles said, “We thought the problem was just a bit of a tear in the cartilage but when the surgeon went in there were early signs of arthritis. I’m still keen to get out to India. When exactly that is, none of us really know. In 10 years time I don’t want to be having a hip replacement. But it’s a serious joint and (playing again too soon) it could damage it majorly. If we just give it a bit of extra time now it could do it a lot of good.”Giles, who was replaced by Ian Blackwell, the Somerset allrounder, did not rule out the possibility of returning to the squad in the latter stages of the tour. He said, “The door is still open for me to go on the tour at some point, basically because we don’t know how it’s going to react over the next couple of weeks. I’m desperate to play cricket for England but it’s better if I’m fit.”Besides Blackwell, Shaun Udal and Monty Panesar are the other spinners.Giles believes India hold the upper hand, given that that the hosts are likely to dish out turning tracks and adviced the England spinners not to get carried away. He added, “It will be tough for them because, although the wickets turn, the Indians are exceptional players of spin bowling. With the strength in our pace attack they certainly aren’t going to prepare bouncy wickets that suit those guys. In those situations you need your spinners to either hold up an end or be your strike bowlers.”

Craig McMillan hit a run-a-ball 75 as Canterbury coasted to a five-wicket win against Auckland and secured a berth in the State Shield final. Chasing 261, McMillan strung together useful partnerships with Nathan Astle (53) and Peter Fulton (36) but three quick wickets reduced Canterbury to 184 for 5. Chris Cairns (46) and Chris Harris (24) stemmed the collapse with a 77-run stand for the 6th wicket and completed the victory with two overs to spare. Auckland, having been asked to bat, posted a competitive 260, built on Lou Vincent’s 88 and useful contributions from Richard Jones (55), Scott Styris (40) and Rob Nicol (38).Ross Taylor struck a fine 121 that led Central Districts to a thumping seven-wicket win against Wellington and set up a semi-final clash with Otago. Jamie How, the stand-in captain for the injured Jacob Oram, put Wellington in and at one stage, Stephen Fleming (57) and Michael Parlane (68) threatened to post a tall score. But Central’s bowlers did a fine job to restrict Wellington to 226 for 9. How scored 68 in Central’s chase but it was Taylor’s century that authored a convincing win.Bradley-Jon Watling’s unbeaten 116 powered Northern Districts to 315 for 5 as they crushed Otago by 128 runs at Dunedin . Watling and Vettori (76), who opened the batting after winning the toss, added 137 for the first wicket and lower-order cameos propelled the score past 300. Otago’s chase never got any momentum as wickets feel at regular intervals. Bruce Martin and Brent Arnel took two wickets each for Otago.

A skin cancer scare will force Michael Clarke to ditch his baggy green cap for a wide-brimmed hat if he regains his Test place. Clarke, who was dropped from the Test side during the West Indies series in November, was diagnosed with a low-grade spot on his nose at a screening after a New South Wales training session.”It was certainly a bit of a shock when they told me what it was,” Clarke said in the . “After I got it checked they got back to me two weeks later with the photos and sent me some information and told me to see my doctor. I saw a doctor in Perth when I was back with the one-day squad; he took a sample of it and sent that away. He said it was some form of very low-grade skin cancer and he organised me to see a dermatologist.”Clarke told the paper he now covered up more of his body when he played and he wore a long-sleeve lycra suit under his one-day outfit during the VB Series. A wide-brimmed hat will also become an essential item during extended fielding stints. “It has reminded me how dangerous the sun is, and we’re obviously out in it a lot,” he said. “I will be double-checking the suncream and zinc.”It’s a bit of a wake-up call, because I’ve got the kind of skin that is susceptible to this. I was trying to get it treated before I came here to South Africa but I ran out of time. I’m told it won’t make any difference if I get it done after I get back from Bangladesh. It should take two laser treatments to get rid of the cells.”Clarke’s first-class chances have been limited due to his ODI duties, but he has spoken to Trevor Hohns, the chairman of selectors, about whether it will upset his plans for a Test return. “He said it doesn’t matter what form of the game you play, just score runs,” Clarke said. “I’ve had a lot of support from the selectors and they’ve been very positive. They know it’s something I can’t help.”Clarke is hopeful he will win a spot in the Test squad for the South Africa series, which begins at Cape Town on March 16, as the reserve batsman. “The major goal for me is to continue scoring runs in the one-day game,” he said. “I feel like I’m batting and bowling pretty well in the one-dayers.”

Owais Shah, the England debutant included in the team after Alastair Cook’s eleventh-hour withdrawal, said the last-minute call didn’t induce any butterflies. “I never thought I would play in the series after Alastair’s century on debut,” he told a press conference. “Since he was scheduled to play over the last two or three days there was no chance of becoming nervous on the eve of the match as I was told I am playing only a few hours before the match.”On his team’s strategy, Shah said, “the basic plan was to keep them on the field as far as we can.” He said batting in the second innings would be a tough ask, although the wicket had not yet showed any signs of affording turn to the slow bowlers.”But what will happen over the next two days cannot be predicted,” he added. “It will be a tough task to bat against the two world-class spinners [Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble]. But our first task is to try and force them to follow on.”Shah said the batting lessons he received from the former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin when he came to India in 2004 had helped him launch his Test career with a flourish. Shah, who made 88 in England’s first innings score of 400, said Azharuddin’s tips were invaluable and he had stuck to them diligently. “I came down to India after hearing Azhar was opening a cricket academy,” he said. “He put me up in a hotel for ten days and gave me batting lessons and after going back to England I stuck to these. They helped me here.”He added that the example of Australia’s Mike Hussey, who made runs by the tons in domestic cricket to force his way into the national squad, was an inspiration to him. “I have seen people like Mike Hussey not getting a chance to play for Australia for years together. He scored heavily and got into the team. I knew that I would get an opportunity to play for England one day and that I should try and get as many runs as I can [in English county cricket]. The selection is not in my hands.”Shah had to retire yesterday owing to cramps in both hands and he said the experience had taught him to take more fluids today to avoid getting dehydrated. “I sweat a lot and get cramps in my hands. I learned the lessons of yesterday and made sure I was high on hydration today.”He dismissed the pleasantries exchanged with Indian pacers Munaf Patel and Sreesanth as light banter. “It was all in good spirit.”