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In an interview to ABC radio, Shane Warne has hit back at Dick Pound, World Anti-Doping Agency president. He said: “As far as I’m concerned it’s got nothing to do with these guys (WADA).””I’m an employee of the Australian Cricket Board and both the ACB (now called Cricket Australia) and us have come to a decision," said Warne. “I’ve abided by their rules and had an arbitration meeting and they said I can play in charity games, I can train with the team, I can do all those things.”Pound and David Howman, WADA chief executive, earlier criticised Cricket Australia’s (CA) decision to allow Warne to play in charity matches and train with the team, saying that it was “bizarre” and “anti-ethical” to “allow a cheater to play”.Jason Warne, Shane’s brother and manager, said today that Shane didn’t have immediate plans to play charity games anyway, putting to rest rumours that he had a game lined up for the rich Lashings club in England on August 18.”The first thing is, Shane has no charity games booked in at the moment – no, he’s not playing for Lashings, simply because he’s unavailable,” said Jason. “Right from the word go, not once has Shane been told he can’t train with the team, as long as he’s invited.”CA ruled Warne was ineligible for any form of cricket when it suspended him in February for testing positive to a diuretic.But in July an independent arbitrator gave Warne the green light to take part in charity fixtures, forcing CA to comply.Warne will finish his ban on February 10 – just before Australia leaves for a tour of Sri Lanka.In the meantime, he can be invited to train as a guest with the Australian team – another development the WADA hierarchy disapproves of.Warne, who hasn’t bowled a ball since a guest appearance at a net in June, will be commentating on Channel Nine during Australia’s home Test series against Zimbabwe in October.

Disgraced and vilified after a disastrous World Cup, South Africa have plenty to prove when they kick off their TVS Cup campaign with a match against India. Graeme Smith makes his debut as captain, and Eric Simons, the coach, said all the right things about Smith on the eve of the match.”Smith is one of those few cricketers who have the real feel for the game,” said Simons. “He is a tactical person and his leadership abilities have been tested for South Africa A and Western Province.”At 22 years and 71 days, Smith will become the second-youngest captain in one-day international history, behind Waqar Younis, who was all of 21 years and 354 days when he led Pakistan against West Indies in Sharjah in 1993-94.With the retirement of Jonty Rhodes, Allan Donald and Gary Kirsten, and the unavailability of Jacques Kallis, Smith has a largely inexperienced line-up to lead. Among the members in the current squad, only Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher and Herschelle Gibbs have played more than 70 ODIs.The South Africans got their first taste of bowling on the flat tracks of Dhaka, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Playing against an invitation side on Friday, South Africa amassed 294, but then watched their opening bowlers – Mahkaya Ntini and Charl Willoughby – hit all round the park as the home team slammed 71 from nine overs. They were eventually bowled out for 167, but Simons admitted that the South African bowlers were yet to learn the art of bowling on the batsman-friendly pitches.”In South Africa you can sometimes get away with it, but not here. If you bowl wide here you get punished. I was very pleased with the match, especially from a bowling point of view because we learned a lot. It wasn’t nice to see us struggle, but perhaps it was good in the sense that we staged such a convincing comeback.”The South Africans might have to pay a far heavier price if they continue to spray the new ball against India. Despite the absence of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, the Indian line-up of Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh is a formidable one. Simons echoed that view: “India can never be taken lightly, with or without Tendulkar.”The Indian bowling attack was incisive too, albeit against hapless Bangladeshi batsmen who were all at sea even in home conditions. Avishkar Salvi made an impressive debut, but he will be tested far more against the likes of Smith, Gibbs and Boeta Dippenaar.Sunday’s match should also – finally – result in Jacques Rudolph’s international debut. So impressive in the unofficial Test against India in 2001-02, Rudolph spent a more than year in the sidelines before finally breaking through to the national team. With so many spots in the middle order up for grabs, this is a golden opportunity for him to cement a place in the line-up.Probable teams
India 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 4 Mohammad Kaif, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 Dinesh Mongia, 7 Parthiv Patel (wk), 8 Ajit Agarkar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10, Zaheer Khan, 11 Avishkar Salvi.South Africa 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Graeme Smith (capt), 3 Boeta Dippenaar, 4 Neil McKenzie, 5 Jacques Rudolph, 6 Andrew Hall, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Shaun Pollock, 9 Robin Peterson, 10, Alan Dawson, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

Scott Styris (NZ) needs 51 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs
Mathew Sinclair (NZ) needs 194 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs
Chris Cairns (NZ) needs 204 runs to complete 4000 ODI runs
Grant Flower (ZIM) needs 53 runs to complete 6000 ODI runsNathan Astle (NZ) needs 5 wickets to join the 100 ODI-wicket club
Chris Harris (NZ) needs 6 wickets to join the 200 ODI-wicket club
Grant Flower (ZIM) needs 3 wickets to join the 100 ODI-wicket clubChris Cairns (NZ) needs 25 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Chris Harris (NZ) needs 115 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Nathan Astle (NZ) needs 199 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Grant Flower (ZIM) need 27 runs to complete 500 World Cup runsChris Cairns (NZ) needs 9 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club
Heath Streak (ZIM) needs 5 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club

Experience, rather than record, and injuries, rather than form, have regained Sherwin Campbell his place in the West Indies team he had held for 21 consecutive Tests until a year ago.The little 31-year-old Barbadian opener was chosen yesterday in the squad of 15 for the unique, rearranged series of two Tests and three One-day Internationals against Pakistan in the neutral location of the Arabian Gulf state of Sharjah, January 31 to February 17.Campbell’s selection came five days after he was hurriedly drafted into the pre-tour practice match in Port-of-Spain following the withdrawal of Ramnaresh Sarwan that further diminished the batting already without its linchpin, Brian Lara.Once the selectors had made that decision, it was clear Campbell would be on the way to Sharjah to reboot a Test career that seemed at an end after he was overlooked for the home series against South Africa last season and subsequent tours of Zimbabwe, Kenya and Sri Lanka.He played the last of his 51 Tests against Australia in Sydney in early January last year, scoring 79 and 54.Younger playersBy then, his overall average had plunged from the mid-40s at its peak to 32.82 and the selectors turned to younger alternatives, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Leon Garrick and Daren Ganga, for subsequent series.Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the left-handed Guyanese batsman with 49 Tests to his name, and Cameron Cuffy, the towering, 32-year-old Vincentian fast bowler whose spasmodic international career started seven years ago, both return as well for the short Sharjah assignment.Their absence in Sri Lanka was on medical, not selectorial, grounds, Chanderpaul with back pains, Cuffy with a stress fracture of the left foot.Like Campbell, they add experience to a team weakened not only by the crippling absence of Lara, who reclaimed the No. 1 position in the world batting ratings after a phenomenal series in Sri Lanka, and Sarwan but injured fast bowlers Reon King and Colin Stuart as well.Without Lara, Campbell and Chanderpaul will give the batting a more seasoned look.Lara had already been eliminated by the dislocated and fractured left elbow sustained December 15 in a One-Day International against Sri Lanka when Sarwan presented the doctor’s negative report to shocked selectors last week.So they sought a batsman to fill the breach who had been there, done that.The only oneShort of summoning former captain Jimmy Adams from his contract with Free State in South Africa or asking Desmond Haynes to excuse himself from Senate duties Campbell was the only one with as many Tests, or One-Day Internationals (90), on his CV.He has had six Tests against Pakistan, averaging 32, played in two One-Day International tournaments in Sharjah, and was rated highly enough as a leader to be team vice-captain.The left-handed Gayle, 22, and the right-handed Ganga, 23, the opening pair in the past five Tests, are in the 15. But, after a successful start in Zimbabwe and Kenya, both had poor series in Sri Lanka and one or the other could make way for Campbell.Garrick, the diminutive, 24-year-old Jamaican opener, has been stood down, having had hardly any opportunity on tours of Zimbabwe and Kenya (where he played three first-class matches and a One-Day International) and Sri Lanka (where he did not play before coming home with a heart problem).Hinds solidHinds was the only batsman to capably deal with the reportedly testing conditions in the two trial matches in Port-of-Spain over the weekend, scoring 76 and 62 not out, and should regain the No. 3 position he occupied when he hit 165 against the Pakistanis in the Kensington Test, his fifth, in 2000.Fast bowlers Merv Dillon,the disciplinary matter that brought his dismissal from the Sri Lankan tour now behind him, left-armer Pedro Collins and Corey Collymore are retained from the 21 that was the eventual number of the changing cast in Sri Lanka.They join Cuffy as captain Carl Hooper’s fast bowling options.All-rounders Darrell Brown (left-hand bat, right-arm medium-pace) and Ryan Hinds (left-hand bat and spinner and unrelated to Wavell) made their debuts after they were rushed to Sri Lanka as late replacements and keep their places. Their role now, as it was then, is likely to be confined to the shorter game.Leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine has seemingly recovered from the strained side muscles that prematurely ended both his tours of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka and is the only specialist spinner chosen.It is a limitation that may be regretted on pitches in Sharjah only ever prepared for One-Day Internationals.Squad: Carl Hooper (captain), Ridley Jacobs (vice-captain), Darrell Brown, Sherwin Campbell, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Cameron Cuffy, Mervyn Dillon, Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Wavel Hinds, Dinanath Ramnarine, Marlon Samuels; Ricky Skerritt (manager), Roger Harper (coach).

The West Indian juggernaut just rolled over the opposition four yearslater. For the 1979 World Cup, the Caribbeans had an even strongerteam. The batting still revolved round Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge,Vivian Richards and Alvin Kallicharran, while Desmond Haynes hadreplaced Roy Fredericks at the top of the order. But the bowling hadbecome much stronger with a string of fearsome fast bowlers in AndyRoberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Colin Croft. In addition,they had an exciting all-rounder in Collis King. With this array oftalent and experience, they proved too strong and their retention ofthe title came as no surprise at all.

There was no change in the format and as in 1975 the eight teams wereplace in two groups. Pool A featured the West Indies, New Zealand,India and Sri Lanka while pool B comprised England, Pakistan,Australia and Canada. Sri Lanka and Canada had qualified for thecompetition by finishing winners and runners-up in the newlyconstituted ICC Trophy for associate members.Not unexpectedly, West Indies topped their group with victories overIndia (by nine wickets) and New Zealand (by 32 runs). But Sri Lankabecame the first team to get points against the West Indies when theirmatch at the Oval was abandoned because of rain.Once again New Zealand beat India by eight wickets with three overs tospare to gain the second semifinalists berth from the pool. And Indiathen plumbed the depths by going down to Sri Lanka by 47 runs in theirfinal league encounter. This was a truly embarrassing defeat thataugmented the theory that India had still to come to terms with theintricacies of limited overs cricket.England and Pakistan were the favourites to qualify for the semifinalsfrom group B with Australia being weakened considerably thanks todefections to Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket. That was the way itturned out after a closely-contested game between the two that decidedthe pool placings. England after being 118 for eight scrambled to atotal of 165 for nine in 60 overs after Bob Taylor and Bob Willisadded 43 runs for the ninth wicket. A spell of four wickets for threeruns in eight balls by Mike Hendrick saw Pakistan reeling at 31 forsix. Asif Iqbal, however, counter attacked and played splendidly forhis 51.But Pakistan fell 14 runs short of the England total. Earlier, Englandhad shot out Canada for 45, still the lowest total in the World Cupand till 1992-93 the lowest in all one-day internationals.

Even if they went according to form, the semifinals were not withoutthrills. New Zealand ran England pretty close before losing by nineruns while chasing a target of 222. Pakistan in the face of animposing West Indian total of 293 for six did not throw in the toweleasily and replied boldly.Majid Khan (81) and Zaheer Abbas (93) added 166 runs for the secondwicket and at 176 for one, Pakistan seemed to be in with a chance evenif the overs were running out. But then Croft and Richards got amongthe wickets and Pakistan were bowled out for 250.The 1979 final was not as closely fought as the title clash four yearsago but it was marked by one great hundred by the peerless Richards,some big hitting by Collis King and a destructive spell by Garner. Itwas fitting that the West Indies should provide all the highlights forthey dominated the match throughout, as the final margin of 92 runswill illustrate.A sell-out crowd of 25,000 was witness to England enjoying theascendancy in the initial stages, reducing the West Indies to 99 forfour. But then Richards and King initiated a recovery process thatended in a blaze of glory. In putting together a partnership of 139runs in 21 overs, both batsmen did pretty much what they liked withthe bowling, which to be candid was pretty mediocre. With Willisinjured, England had gambled on an extra batsman and that meant theyhad only four specialist bowlers with the likes of Geoff Boycott,Wayne Larkins and Graham Gooch having to do more than their fair shareof the work.Needless to say, Richards and King were not complaining! The 12 oversshared by the three went for 86 runs. King scored 86 while Richardsremained unbeaten with a breath-taking 138, his last-ball six offHendrick being talked about even today.The final total of 286 for nine in 60 overs was imposing enough butBoycott and Mike Brearley made England’s task even tougher. True, theyraised 129 for the first wicket but they consumed 38 overs in doingso. That left the remaining batsmen with the job of getting 158 offthe final 22 overs. This was never really on particularly with `BigBird’ Joel Garner in devastating form. The 6′ 8″ Garner just rippedthrough the order with a spell of five wickets for four runs in 11balls. He finished with five for 38 as England were bowled out for 194in 51 overs and Lord’s again resembled a carnival day in Port ofSpain.

On Friday evening, at the end of the first day of this non-Test, South Africa captain Shaun Pollock described it as a "practice match". A practice match, he could well have added, played under conditions closely approximating, but not quite replicating, the real thing.With this in mind, South Africa reached the end of the second day at SuperSport Park, having outpractised India to the extent of a 29-run lead with six wickets still standing. The truth about all this is that while both sides are taking the cricket seriously, the Indians are taking it a little more seriously. As if it were, in fact, an official Test.While Pollock was adamant that this was not a Test, and should not be reclassified as such in retrospect, India have taken the view that it is an official Test, no matter what the ICC says. Perhaps the strongest evidence for this argument is that the match has followed closely the pattern set during the first two Tests of the series with South Africa helping themselves to a comfortable first innings lead.On this occasion South Africa ended day two at 261 for four in reply to India’s 232. With the pitch quickening up and flattening out on the second day, the conditions were ideal for batting with all of the South Africans, with the exception of Jacques Rudolph who managed to get himself run out, getting themselves in.Rudolph was a little unfortunate in his first innings for the senior South African team. He showed few signs of nerves, opening his account with a pair of boundaries off Harbhajan Singh and looked the part until he was slow in going for a second with Gary Kirsten and found himself well short.The real significance of his innings, though, was that he batted at three with Jacques Kallis and Neil McKenzie dropping down a place each. This may well be an indication of how South Africa intend to play it in Australia next month (Rudolph, incidentally, was picked for this match before its official Test status withdrawn).The more experienced South African batsmen all helped themselves to runs. Herschelle Gibbs played second fiddle to Gary Kirsten in a 135-run opening partnership, but still managed to make 59 before scooping Javagal Srinath down to Harbhajan Singh at long leg.Kirsten, meanwhile, had been in spanking form. He has adjusted as he has matured into the side’s senior pro and plays far straighter than during the early stages of his career and, as a consequence, is a far more effective player, perfectly capable of outscoring Gibbs when the mood takes him.He looked, in fact, all set to make his first unofficial, five-day international friendly century when he was somewhat surprisingly dismissed, edging Ashish Nehra to first slip.There was only one further successes for India on a day when their three seamers and two spinners all looked equally ineffective. Kallis (41 not out) and McKenzie (33) put on 66 for the fourth wicket before McKenzie was caught at slip off Sachin Tendulkar off the last ball of the day. By then, though, attention at Centurion was mostly focussed on the England-South Africa rugby match at Twickenham. That, at least, was an official Test match.

The beaches of the Cape Peninsula are not the only places where holiday-makers can soak up the sun, have fun, and relax this summer : Newlands Cricket Ground, with the majestic Table Mountain as the backdrop, is a must for all visitors to experience and during the current summer holidays there is plenty of cricketing action to enjoy there while sipping a cold beer on the grass banks and waiting for the braaivleis coals to glow.On Boxing Day high flying and unbeaten Nashua Western Province take on the Northern Titans in a day/night Standard Bank Cup fixture (3.45 pm start). And then a week later, on January 2nd, a fun filled day is in the offing in the Discovery Knock-Out Challenge, which sees the KZN Dolphins (Jonty Rhodes included) take on the Northern Titans at 9am, followed by W.P. against Darryl Cullinan and the Highveld Strikers at noon.The winners of these two 20-over a side encounters will play in the 25-over Final at 4.30pm, with the victors claiming the stunning prize of a 5-day Starlight Cruise among the islands of the Indian Ocean! Before the Final begins, members of the Stormers Rugby side take on the cream of the Supersport commentary team (Mike Haysman, Fanie de Villiers, Pat Symcox, Adrian Kuiper ……………. and Neil Andrews) in a 6-a-side clash.And even that isn’t all …. after the Final finishes at about 8pm, South Africa’s favourite band Mean Mr Mustard will be on hand to entertain the spectators for 90 minutes and bring the New Year festivities to a memorable close.Western Province’s pursuit of glory in the Standard Bank Cup resumes on 11 January,. when the star-studded KZN Dolphins return to Newlands (3.45pm start) and on Sunday 13 January the Stormers once again strut their cricketing skills on the turf of Newlands, this time in a 30-over a side match against the full W.P. team (starting at 12 noon).Tickets for all these events (except the Stormers match, for which entrance is free) are available at Computicket or at the gates (R30 for adults, R10 for Under14’s. with an additional R5 for a reserved seat if desired).Newlands is indeed the place to be!

Peter Towler (Romsey)Aged 50, a practising barrister. Experienced in town planning and development.A committee member since 1999. Committed to raising the stardard of Hampshire Cricket from Under 10’s and to the completion of a test match ground with first class members facilities.Peter is Chairman of Marketing and Fund raising at Hampshire. A former Trojans and village cricketer.

Secondary schoolboys’ supremacy in cricket will be decided by Tuesday next week.Kelston Boys’ High School (Auckland), St Paul’s Collegiate (Hamilton), Wellington College (Wellington) and Otago Boys’ High School (Dunedin) will play in the three days of finals for the Gillette Cup in Palmerston North.On Sunday, St Paul’s Collegiate of Hamilton will play Otago Boys’ High School and Wellington College will play Kelston Boys’ High School.On Monday, Kelston will play Otago and St Paul’s meets Wellington and on Tuesday, Otago meets Wellington with St Paul’s playing Kelston.Wellington College’s team is made up completely from sixth and seventh formers. The side is coached by former New Zealand and Wellington representative batsman Graham Newdick.Captaining the side is Simon Allen, who also captains both Wellington’s Under-17 and Under-19 sides. James Hill, Justin Lampard, Blake Horsley, Jay Newdick and Liam Chrisp are all members of the Wellington Under-17 side.The last time Wellington College played in the Cup was in 1992 when it lost all three games.St Paul’s Collegiate of Hamilton is captained by Richard Snell, a right-arm in-swing bowler who holds the St Paul’s 1st XI record of taking 114 wickets during his time in the side.Also in the St Paul’s team is Peter Carey, a member of the expanded squad to prepare for the International Cricket Council Under-19 World Cup. He also achieves another distinction. A right-hand batsman, he completes a four-year span between making his first and last appearance in the event. The only other player with a career spread over four years is Otago Boys’ High School player Grant Billcliff, who played from 1990-93.David Richardson is a member of the Northern Districts’ Under-17 team while in the three qualifying games Sam Uffindell took six wickets for 31 runs from his 21 overs bowled.Ben Hurrell has achieved the distinction of being the first boy in the school’s history to take a six-wicket bag and hit a century in the same calendar year. His brother Scott is the side’s wicket-keeper. Coach of St Paul’s is Hugh Barton.Kelston Boys’ High School captain Blayne Fraser is a member of the Auckland Under-17 team while Michael Bates is another member of the national Under-19 squad preparing for the ICC Under-19 World Cup.Dusan Hakaraia is an exciting top-order batsman in the side while slow left-arm spinner Anatoj Singh has been a successful bowler for the side. Blair Webby is coaching the Kelston Boys’ side.Alistair Collie is captaining the Otago Boys’ High School team which had an outstanding Gillette Cup record in the competition’s earlier years. However, this year’s finals are its first since 1996.Ken Rust is the OBHS coach.

Looking forward to the final two matches at The County Ground, Chief Executive Peter Anderson told me, “Whether we survive in the top division of the National League will all depend on the final match of the season against Northamptonshire Steelbacks on Sunday. The weather could well play a part in the situation. We have made representation to England Coach Duncan Fletcher to see whether or not Andy Caddick can be released to play for us, which would be a tremendous boost.”Regarding the County Championship match which starts on Wednesday he said, “We have to take 5 points from the Championship game to be certain of securing second place, which we are hopeful of doing. This would round off a pretty good season for us.”