Bangladesh improving, says Whatmore
Test cricket minnows Bangladesh are improving and heading in the right direction, coach Dav Whatmore said on Sunday, less than a fortnight before their first Test with Australia at Darwin.
The Bangladeshis flew into Darwin on Sunday, buoyed by their two-wicket tour victory of the Australian Cricket Academy in Brisbane on Sunday, but realistic about their chances against the top-ranked Australians.
Whatmore said his team was focusing on improving performance, rather than being concerned by wins or losses.
"We, as a team, have agreed that we are not going to judge the success or otherwise by wins or losses on this tour," Whatmore said.
"It's individual improvement in areas that players need to improve on. That will be done very carefully.
Streak frustrated as Zimbabwe exit triangular series
Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak was unhappy with the Nevil Road pitch after his side suffered a six wicket triangular series one-day international defeat against England at Bristol on Sunday.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for 92 - their lowest one-day international total against England - and even though fast bowler Streak's four-wicket burst reduced the hosts to 25 for four they still got home with more than 32 overs to spare thanks to Andrew Flintoff's unbeaten 47.
"It was not a good one-day wicket," said Streak after a defeat which meant his side had no chance of making it through to Saturday's final at Lord's, now between England and South Africa.
"There was too much emphasis on the toss," added Streak whose team were sent into bat by England skipper Michael Vaughan. "There was a lot of moisture out there and early movement.
"It was tough even for their players who are used to swing and seam bowling. We don't have a lot of experience to call on."
ACC to oversee development in Afghanistan
The Asian Cricket Council said on Sunday it would send an official to oversee cricket development in war ravaged Afghanistan next month with hopes that the country will establish a strong team at non-Test level.
"ACC has planned to send its development officer Iqbal Sikander of Pakistan to Afghanistan in mid-August," ACC development manager Zakir Hussain Syed said from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
"Sikander will oversee areas to develop and on his report the ACC will arrange a support programme for Afghanistan."
ACC development officers met in Kuala Lumpur on July 3 and 4 to discuss the ginger resumption of ties between Pakistan and India, steps to win one-day status for United Arab Emirates and Nepal and development areas for four new members including Afghanistan.
"Since all the Afghan players have played their initial cricket in Pakistan, the ACC hopes they will form an established team at non-Test level in the next few years," Syed said.
Sikander, part of Pakistan's 1992 World Cup winning team, will also visit new ACC affiliate members Saudi Arab, Bahrain and Iran.
The return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has slowly boosted cricket over football to become the most popular sport in Afghanistan.
More than 100 clubs play cricket on a regular basis and Afghanistan has fielded a team for the domestic Pakistani season for the past two years.
"Besides Afghanistan, countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore have tremendous prospects for development of cricket," Syed said.
Australian Cricket Board officials Ross Turner and Peter Hanlon also attended the meeting and briefed the ACC development committee on what it would take to establish an academy in the war-ravaged central Asian nation.
"ACB officials will develop three courses for us and now all these courses will be ACC accredited and help us in further development of players, coaches and umpires," Syed said.
JKCA in major crisis
The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association finds itself in a major crisis with the opponents of president Farooq Abdullah accusing him of functioning in a dictatorial style and challenging in court his recent re-election to the office.
"Abdullah made it a prestige issue to retain the presidentship of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association and resorted to unfair means to achieve his goal," former captain of state Ranji team Abdul Rouf said.
Alleging that the former chief minister had manipulated the list of members of the association to ensure his re-election for the second term, Rouf said he had filed a petition in a court on Friday seeking nullification of the election of Abdullah.
Rouf, a general secretary in Abdullah's outgoing dispensation, said Abdullah had by-passed the association's constitution several times in the past and would function in a dictatorial manner.
Abdullah has denied the allegations.
