Pakistan selectors have recalled fit again fast bowler Muhammad Zahid to replace Wasim Akram in a 15-man squad bound for Test and one-day series against West Indies in Sharjah.Once rated as one of the fastest bowlers, Zahid last played Test in 1998 against Australia in Peshawar, and his last appearance in one-day international was in 1998 at Toronto, Canada, before a series of injuries forced the speedster of first class cricket for nearly three years.The lanky paceman made his Test debut in 1997 against New Zealand and was rated by West Indian great Brian Lara as the fastest bowler during a world series tournament in Australia which was won by Pakistan.Apart from Zahid the only other change from the squad that toured Bangladesh is the return of Shahid Afridi in place of opener Shadab Kabir.Pakistan teams returns from Dhaka tomorrow (Saturday) before leaving Monday for Sharjah where it plays the first Test against West Indies starting Jan 31.Squad: Waqar Younis (Captain), Inzamamul Haq (Vice captain), Shahid Afridi, Taufiq Umar, Yousaf Youhana, Younis Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Naveed Latif, Rashid Latif, Shoaib Akhtar, Muhammad Zahid, Muhammad Sami, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria and Abdul Razzak.Itinerary:First Test: Jan 31 – Feb 4.Second Test: Feb 7-11.First One-day: Feb 13.Second One-day: Feb 15.Third One-day: Feb 17.

Steve Waugh flew into South Africa with his Australian Test team on Thursday and vowed to return for next year’s World Cup by regaining his one-day place.Waugh, unceremoniously dumped from Australia’s one-day side earlier this week, said he wanted to be back in South Africa next year for his fifth World Cup. "I haven’t given up hope of being here next year," he said. "I’m out of the side at the moment, but I plan on making the next World Cup, so I’ve got to score a lot of runs next year and force my way back into the squad."While he said that there was never a good time to be dropped, Waugh also conceded that the timing of the his axing – announced the day before Australia left for South Africa – was "not ideal"."We’ve just got to get together," he said. "They’ve hinted at more changes before the Test match series begins so we’ll try and get those out of the way and get the guys concentrating on Test match cricket.The answer to that is no, it’s not an ideal time."Australian coach John Buchanan said that Waugh’s dismissal from the one-day side had come as a shock to him. He suggested that he had not been consulted by the selectors about the decision. "In the end I’m not a selector so my opinion counts for nothing," said Buchanan."I’m just looking forward to the Test series," said Waugh. "I’m not in the one-day side any more and it’s not really for me to comment on that from here on in. I just want to make sure that we’re playing good Test match cricket. We’re the number one in the world at Test matches and if we don’t win here we go back to number two. My priority is really to focus on what we’re doing in the next week."Despite Australia resounding clean sweep of the Test series in Australia in December and January, Waugh said that Australia’s success had been hard won. "It was a tough series," he said. "We won 3-0 but we played excellent cricket, as good as we’ve ever played. South Africa didn’t play as well as they would have liked, but I know it’s going to be a little different over here. They’ve got pride in their cricket. Shaun Pollock is a good leader, they’ve got some good young players and some experienced players, so we expect the series to be very tough."He said South African crowds would provide a challenge for the Australians and felt that the wickets in South Africa would suit the home team.The Australians drove straight out to Potchefstroom, 120km west of Johannesburg, from the airport. They have one warm-up match, a three-day game against a South African A team starting on Sunday ahead of the first Test which starts at the Wanderers next Friday.

A match that began (or rather, did not begin) in uncertainty, progressed slowly and ended controversially as Central Districts beat Northern Districts by three wickets.The game was originally intended to be a day/night contest, but plans were changed at the last minute because of problems fielders had in seeing the red ball under the lights.The eight-and-a-half overs that CD needed to reach their target of 65 were spread over three periods of play and almost five-and-a-half hours.Heavy rain for an hour at lunchtime left the ground sopping, with several centimetres of water on the flat covers. Under the supervision of groundsman Doug Strachan, an impromptu workforce consisting of the CD squad and umpires Peter Wright and Mike George carried out mopping-up operations that allowed play to resume at 4.30pm after an interruption of almost four hours.Fifteen minutes was possible before rain intervened once more. In the interim, CD reached 29 for the loss of David Kelly, bowled by Graeme Aldridge. At one point all the ND outfielders were on, or near, the boundary as ND slowed things down to the point where 15 balls were bowled in the quarter of an hour session.ND were reluctant to resume again on what had become a very wet outfield. Play would have almost certainly not begun had it not been clear that only a few overs would be needed, though many would consider that the umpires were right to play if it was at all possible. As ever, opinions were determined by which camp people were in rather than objective considerations.Once the players finally emerged at 6.15pm, at the same time as the sun, a CD victory was inevitable, as ND acknowledged by giving James Marshall his first bowl in first-class cricket. He claimed the wicket of Peter Ingram, caught at first slip by Grant Bradburn.ND began the day 19 runs ahead with five wickets standing. For 40 minutes the sixth-wicket pair of Bradburn and Hamish Marshall survived some hostile bowling from Lance Hamilton and Michael Mason, both of whom swung the ball.Runs were scored at the funereal rate typical of most of the match. Eight runs came from the first six overs.The breakthrough came with the dismissal of Bradburn, who fended a short delivery from Hamilton into the hands of Ingram at short leg. Bradburn scored 17 from 61 balls. He was sixth out, with the ND total on 61.Another half-hour passed, with Marshall and Robbie Hart increasingly secure, Mason seen out of the attack and CD casting concerned looks in the direction of the bank of dark clouds approaching the ground.As so often before, a run out turned things around.Marshall clipped Andrew Schwass to fine leg. With Hamilton having to run around the ball to throw with his left hand, the batsmen went for two. Hamilton moved to the ball quicker than expected and his throw arrowed into the wicket-keeper’s gloves leaving Marshall out 31.Bruce Martin went three balls later without scoring. Schwass squared him up nicely, Campbell Furlong taking the catch at second slip.Furlong put down a similar chance offered by Hart in Hamilton’s next over.Schwass claimed the ninth wicket, bringing the ball back into Aldridge to get him lbw for three.Simon Andrews got his first runs in first-class cricket off the edge later in the same over before Schwass got him with a short one. The ball went from via the edge of the bat and the batsman’s chest into the hands of Ingram at short leg.Schwass took three for nine from three overs and two balls. He has taken 34 wickets in the State Championship this season, one behind leading wicket-taker Andrew Penn. Mason finished with a career-best five for 22.The total of 90 was ND’s lowest of the season, 10 less than their second innings score in the match between the same sides at Blenheim before Christmas. The lowest-ever ND score against CD – 86 at New Plymouth in 1955/56 – was narrowly avoided.The CD openers Kelly and Ingram knocked off seven of the 65 needed before the rain came ten minutes before lunch.The win leaves CD three points behind Auckland and Wellington in the State Championship table.These teams take on the leaders next week. CD host Auckland in Palmerston North, while ND travel to the Basin Reserve, Wellington.

MELBOURNE, Jan 10 AAP – Shane Warne’s immediate destiny should rest in his hands rather than his much-discussed shoulder after an encouraging cricket comeback here today.Warne showed no discomfort from bowling eight overs and landing heavily on his right arm at the MCG, just 26 days after dislocating his right bowling shoulder in a fielding accident at the same ground.Provided Warne does not pull up too sore tomorrow, his performance today takes the heat out of his return to the national team ahead of next month’s World Cup.But West Australian captain Justin Langer and his teammates took the gloss off Warne’s day, beating Victoria by 24 runs in their day-nighter.National chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns visited Warne in the Victorian dressing rooms at the innings interval.Warne was expensive at 1-53, with his second over costing 26 thanks to three sixes and a four from Test teammate Langer, but that did not bother Hohns.”He’s come up as good as gold … he’s come through bowling fine, he doesn’t feel anything,” Hohns said.”Tomorrow might be another day, but right now he’s fine.”Warne will meet with Hohns and other Australian team officials in the next couple of days to work out where the comeback goes from here.Hohns is in no hurry for Warne for return for Wednesday’s international one-dayer against Sri Lanka in Brisbane.”That might be a little bit too soon – there’s no need to rush back, the main thing is that he’s fit and bowling well for the World Cup,” he said.”Now he’s fit and can bowl, it’s probably more a confidence thing and getting back into the routine of bowling.”Langer top-scored with 105 in WA’s 8-261 and the Warriors held off a late challenge from the home side, bowling it out for 237 in 46.3 overs.Warne was run out for a duck.Brad Hodge top-scored with 43, while Cameron White made 42 after injuring his knee at the start of the WA innings.Callum Thorp took 3-42 and Jo Angel broke up a threatening sixth-wicket stand between Hodge and Jon Moss (23) on the way to 3-39.A crowd of about 5,000 caught MCG officials off-guard after Warne announced yesterday he would make a surprise comeback in this match.That led to the rare sight of fans queuing to enter a domestic one-dayer.Warne initially seemed to struggle with the strong wind that blew through the gap in the stands left by the ground redevelopment, but settled into his rhythm after bringing himself on in the 20th over.He also tested the shoulder in the second over of the match when he took a diving catch to dismiss opener Ryan Campbell and landed heavily on his right arm.Murray Goodwin made 52 in WA’s innings.Warne said he was “rapt” with how his shoulder felt after the match.”The shoulder has pulled up fine – I wasn’t expected to dive as far as I was going to at first slip (to catch Campbell), that wasn’t part of the plan.”It just shows my shoulder is pretty good.”From a personal point of view, I’m rapt basically to get through my overs and get through my first game, get over the nerves.”Warne admitted those nerves were a problem in his first two overs, but they went once he became angry with his poor start.”Obviously, the first couple of overs I was a bit nervous, I knew they were going to go after me to start with,” he said.”After the first couple of overs, I think I had 35 (runs) off two, I thought ‘what am I going to do now?'”I just had to dig deep and come back – my last six overs, I think I got 1-18.”So it was pretty good, the last six, once I got a bit grumpy and got the ‘S’ word.”Once I got that and got a bit fired up I was alright.”

Australian captain Ricky Ponting was shocked and saddened by Shane Warne’s 12-month suspension but predicted it would not be the the end of the great leg spinner’s career.Ponting and the rest of Australia’s World Cup squad learned of Warne’s punishment for a positive drugs test when they woke this morning in the sleepy town of Potchefstroom, many of them finding notes slipped under their hotel doors by team management.Asked about the mood among the players, many of whom looked gobsmacked at breakfast, Ponting replied: “Pretty much the same as mine – just a bit shocked and a bit disappointed.”Everyone kind of expected something like this to happen but when it actually does come out and you find that one of your mates and team-mates and one of the greatest players the game has seen has been suspended, it’s very disappointing for everybody.”Everyone feels very sorry for Warney, it’s obviously been a very tough time for him the last week and a half.”We’ve always had this sort of belief that he might be here with us some time during the World Cup. Most of the guys will speak to him at some stage today … either via text message or over the phone and we’ll wish him all the best.”Ponting said he believed Warne’s ban, rubbing him out of all levels of cricket – including club matches, coaching, his lucrative deal with English county side Hampshire, even jeopardising his Australian Cricket Board contract – would not finish him off as a player.”Let’s hope not – I wouldn’t have thought so,” said Ponting.”I think there are still a lot of things and a lot of goals that Shane wants to achieve in the future. Let’s just hope he can get over this like he’s gotten over the very bad injuries he’s had over the last few years as well.”Everyone wants him to keep playing.”We were certainly looking forward to playing with Shane right through this World Cup as it was going to be his last set of one-day matches. We’re looking forward to playing some more Test cricket with him in the future.”A distraught Warne told his team-mates about his failed drugs test the night before he flew back to Australia to face the anti-drugs tribunal.”He’d definitely be shattered now – just seeing his reaction when he first addressed the team over here, he was shattered knowing that he was going to miss the World Cup, which was going to be his last World Cup,” said Ponting.”He was very upset by it so there’s no doubt he’d be even worse today knowing he’s got a 12-month ban hanging over his head.”Ponting said the ACB’s verdict was a warning to all players.”It’s hard to comment not knowing exactly what’s taken place back in Australia and without knowing any of the evidence, but the one thing we did know was that the minimum was a two-year ban,” said Ponting.”He’s got 12 months, he’s going to appeal it and hopefully that can be lessened as well.”He’s obviously been very naive with it all. I think it’s a big wake-up call for not only cricketers but sportsmen around the world, that you just have to be very, very careful with the things you put in your mouth.”Shane’s obviously learned a very hard lesson from it.”Ponting praised the way his players had coped with Warne’s absence, both on and off the field.”The way we played straight after this issue came up was fantastic in our first game against Pakistan,” he said.”The guys really rallied together and put on a good show. We’re a little way into the World Cup and I couldn’t be happier with the way the team is progressing.”Australia plays Zimbabwe at Bulawayo on Monday.

KIMBERLEY – After a drubbing at the Aussies hands, Pakistan flew into this small laidback diamond-mining town on Eid day to prepare for their match againt Namibia on Sunday.The weather forecast for the match is rather grim as rain is forecast. On Friday morning threatening clouds hung about and after a stormy night the wind was still strong as the Pakistan team went through a solid work out at the De Beers Diamond Oval, something they have been doing throughout, without relaxing even for a day.The match against Namibia is expected to be more or less a kind of walkover, but Pakistan would still want to get the maximum four points, instead of sharing the tally with the minnows.But for all practical purposes, the fixture is a work out for the tougher one coming up against England next Saturday, and then after another easy game, sandwiched in between against Holland, the big one, the real needle match against India come March 1.This placid mining town, famous for its diamonds on which De Beers has a monopoly, is home to 300 Pakistani expatriates, and a whole lot more Indians, all rooting for them instead of the other side. So far they all remain quite disappointed with Pakistan’s performance. But not unlike skipper Waqar Younis, most of them do feel that Pakistan was too good a side to not to bounce back.While talking to this scribe during nets, Waqar was pretty confident that Pakistan would from now on make steady progress. “The defeat was bad; every defeat is bad. We haven’t lost any heart. Our morale is not low. We know we can play better [than we did against Australia]. But then we are not the only side to have suffered in this World Cup. There have been many other big upsets”, said Younis.He attributed the setback to Andrew Symonds’ remarkable innings. We had things pretty much under control at 146 for five. Then there was this extraordinary innings. That was something you could’ve expected off Ricky Ponting, but not from Symonds. Still a sizable knock or two, and we could have made a fist of it. But you have no worries. We have too much talent and experience to not to have a say on this World Cup”, said Younis.Saeed Anwar was still not hundred per cent. He has a problem with throwing, but otherwise he was shaping well at the nets, said Younis, reflecting his frame of mind that the bearded opener had a vital role in the team, and none of his understudies were able to fulfil it.The opening pair, however, is not the only problem for the Pakistanis. The right team combination and appropriate strategy both continue to elude them, something that has continued to bug them since the three-nation Tangiers way back in August, 2002.In the Aussie fixture, it was quite apparent that apart from a sensational Symonds, Pakistan was undone because they lacked six quality bowlers, and once a couple of the regulars were carted around the park, Waqar had no fallback other than Younis Khan, which was no fallback either. Saqlain Mushtaq, a quality off-spinner (a type of bowling against which the Aussies are generally not comfortable) with nearly 300 wickets under his belt, may have made a difference. But he was not there. Waqar hinted that he may from now on be a regular selection.What the Pakistan think-tank needs to look at is also Abdul Razzaq’s form. It has been rather uninspiring for some time, and injuries and lay-offs haven’t helped. Though Azhar Mahmood too has been through similar predicaments, yet he is bowling and batting well enough in the nets to merit a case for inclusion.What Pakistan requires – not against Namibia, but tougher oppositions – is application, right combinations, mental toughness etc. And it also needs to recall Imran Khan’s pep talk on the eve of their departure for South Africa, the crux of which was that ‘no match is over until it’s over’.Had Waqar Younis remembered that he would have acted less churlishly in the face of Symonds’ onslaught, and maybe his maintaining his cool would have resulted in a better chase and a less embarrassing outcome.

The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) unveiled plans for the Lawrence Maxwell benefit year yesterday.Jeff Broomes, chairman of the BCA’s Benefit Year Committee, told a Press conference, held at its Kensington Oval headquarters, that the association had organised a mix of activities culminating with a night cricket match in November to raise funds for the Lawrence Maxwell benefit.Broomes said Maxwell was chosen this year because of the contribution the former Police player had made to the development of cricket inBarbados.He noted that Maxwell had represented Barbados with distinction, not only as a player, but "as a captain and manager as well".Broomes added that even when Maxwell had retired from the game as a player, he still continued to serve Barbados’ cricket in other capacities.The chairman disagreed with those who might have been suggesting the BCA should honour more than one player per year."I do not support the idea, being mooted in some quarters, that we should honour more than one cricketer per year. I think this would tend to water down the effort," Broomes said.He disclosed the BCA had established a particular set of criteria to be used when selecting the cricketer to be honoured in a particular year.He said board members were required to submit the names of people who, in their opinion, should be honoured in a particular year, after which discussions were held on thesubmitted names and a candidate selected.The chairman noted Maxwell would be the third player to have a benefit year since it was inaugurated by the BCA three years ago.Winston Reid was the first in 2001 and he received just over $35 000, while George Linton benefited to the tune of over$70 000 last year.Broomes pointed out that Reid’s benefit did not "run for an entire year".Hartley Reid, president of the Barbados Police Association, said the Police Force in general and the Police Association in particular were extremely pleased by the BCA’sdecision to honour Maxwell this year.He said his association was proud to be associated with the honour and it would do everything "inits power to make itsuccessful".He urged all concerned to give 100 per cent to the effort to ensure its success.Maxwell, who admitted being surprised to be chosen for this year’s benefit, said: "I am deeply honoured but humbled at being selected."He encouraged his fans and supporters to come out and support the benefit year.

After two days the match between Manicaland and Matabeleland at MutareSports Club is beautifully balanced, with Matabeleland eight runs ahead withnine second-innings wickets in hand.Manicaland took a lead of 149 on first innings, but this was almost entirelydue to the fine batting of Guy Croxford and Tino Mawoyo. Both deserved andwere unfortunate to miss their maiden first-class centuries, while the otherbatsmen for the most part played one-day cricket and gave their wickets awayto soft dismissals. Apart from the persevering Mluleki Nkala, theMatabeleland bowlers did not trouble the batsmen.Their sixth-wicket partnership of 144, begun the previous evening, lastedalmost until the lunch interval. Croxford put aside his usual aggressivegame and batted with great patience, recording his seventh and highest fiftyin 12 first-class innings this season. Mawoyo, an Academy student thisyear, was more aggressive and it was a major disappointment when he fell tworuns short of his century. Croxford was let down by the lower order, withthree wickets falling with the total on 301, and was finally left strandedon 96.In the second innings Matabeleland had finally come to grips with the factthat this was after all a good batting pitch and scored virtually at will,helped by some poor fielding. Charles Coventry batted well, despiteoccasional rash strokes, and was the only wicket to fall that evening. MarkVermeulen batted with great responsibility and saw Matabeleland into thelead and through to the close, in partnership with Gavin Rennie.

Sri Lanka’s cricket officials have confirmed that Arjuna Ranatunga willcontest for the post of board president against Thilanga Sumathipala, alocal businessman. The elections will be held on June 6. The Sri Lankanboard (BCCSL) has been governed by interim committees since March 2001.Ranatunga entered politics after retiring from cricket in 1999 and iscurrently a member of parliament. One of Ranatunga’s long-standingsupporters on the cricket field, however, will be in the rival camp. Aravindade Silva is part of Sumathipala’s group and will contest for the post ofvice-president.

Malcolm Gray, the outgoing president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has accused the British government of refusing to be drawn into the boycott of England’s World Cup match against Zimbabwe.According to the , Gray said it should have been up to the government – and not the cricket authorities – to decide whether England should travel to Zimbabwe for their World Cup match. He also suggested that it was unfair of the government to put moral pressure on the England team, while other businesses, such as British Airways, continued to operate in Zimbabwe.”For every time in any sport when politics are involved, not politics of the sport but national politics, it’s up to the governments to be decisive about it,” said Gray. “I then believe that sporting bodies would then fall in line with government. But politicians are clever and hide behind the sports administrators and that’s what the British government did.”