His dislike for travelling tucked away and an emotional Ashes series behind him, Steve Harmison is ready, once again, to take on the Australians, this time in the six-day Super Test due to begin in Sydney from Friday.Harmison was quoted by www.supercricket.co.za insisting he was looking forward, if picked, to the challenge. “The Ashes was a good series but it’s gone now and this is a new challenge. The lads got beaten three-nil in the one-dayers and, although I don’t think anyone in a World XI needs to prove themselves, I do think there’ll be a bit more pride and professionalism and I do think we’ll see a different World XI.”Australia have been a fantastic team for a long time, and they still are. Some of the criticism we’ve been reading about them has been unjust – most of it has been, actually. England won a test series two-one and we won the matches by three wickets and three runs. It was a very, very close series and it could have gone either way.”The only match that was a one-sided game was the first one which Australia won. I’m here to take them on again and, hopefully, win the game like we did in England.”Harmison added that, despite being away from his wife and young family – the source of much of his dislike for travelling – he never had any doubts about participating in the Super Series.”There was no doubt in my mind once I was picked to play with these guys. I don’t like travelling full stop – that’s just me and I’ll never change, but I haven’t had a problem going on tour and I’ve performed well on most tours I’ve been on. There’s never been a problem and I’ve come here to perform with, arguably, the eleven best players in the world. So once I got that invitation I was never going to turn it down.”The problem of being 12,000 kilometres and ten hours time difference away from home, Harmison said, had to be managed. “It’s the job I’ve got and there’s nothing I can do about it. But having said that, I’m enjoying being with these guys and I’m really looking forward to Friday and, hopefully, a winning game.”I’m playing with eleven blokes who want to beat Australia. I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t going to be serious or was a joke game. I would have stayed in England. I’ve come here to play and play in a serious game. Hopefully I’ll prove that on Friday.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said it will do all it can to ensure that Shabbir Ahmed, the lanky fast bowler, has his bowling action cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC).Billy Bowden and Simon Taufel, the two umpires who officiated in the first Test between England and Pakistan at Multan, cited problems with Shabbir’s action in a detailed report submitted to the match referee after the match. It was the second time this year, and fourth overall, that Shabbir has been called for a suspect action.Abbas Zaidi, the PCB director, maintained that Shabbir had the full support of the Pakistan board. “There is no question that because his action has been reported again he will be left to fend for himself,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters. “We are considering several proposals to help him out. One of them is sending him to Australia to work with experts to remove any defects in his action on a permanent basis.”After already being reported in the West Indies in May of 2005, Shabbir was sent to England and then to Australia to work with biomechanics experts to have his action cleared by the ICC. Though permitted to resume bowling last month, Shabbir’s latest controversy may prove detrimental to the PCB. “He is an asset for the Pakistan team and we are keen to resolve this problem with his action once for all,” Zaidi commented. He added that a decision would be taken in the next few days on when and where to send Shabbir for tests and rehabilitation.Shabbir, who has played just 10 Tests and 32 one-day internationals since 1999, was dropped for the ongoing second Test against England at Faisalabad. The PCB stated that it did not wish to take any more risks with Shabbir’s career by putting him under further scrutiny by the umpires.

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he yo-yo effect at the top of the Standard Bank table continued as the Eagles soared back into the lead after a four-wicket win over the Dolphins at Durban.Having won the toss and batted first the Dolphins made heavy weather ofa difficult pitch, getting only 182 in their allotted 45 overs. At 88 for 5 in the 26th over things did notlook too bright for them but Ahmed Amla, scoring 71 not out, andDuncan Brown, scoring an unbeaten 41, put together a 94-run unbroken sixth-wicket partnership, of which 40 runs came off the final five overs, allowing the Dolphins to reach a reasonable score. As it turned out, it proved to be 15 to 20 runs short in the end.The Eagles also struggled at the top of their innings, losing fivewickets in the first 20 overs with only 62 on the board. Ryan McLarenand Ryan Bailey, both scoring 40, then put on 86 runs for the sixthwicket as the Eagles clawed their way back into the match, allowingJohan van der Wath the freedom to hit 23 runs off 24 balls to take theEagles to victory with five balls to spare.The Dolphins gave away 27 extras, 14 of which were no-ballsand wides, and will have to bowl with far more discipline if they are to be a contender for the trophy.

ScorecardA masterful innings from Phil Jaques provided the platform for New South Wales’ comprehensive victory against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval.Batting first, the Blues’ run-rate was kept in check for much of their innings, thanks to tight bowling from the Redbacks. Jason Gillespie and Paul Rofe were controlled and limited the run-scoring opportunities under overcast skies until Mark Cleary’s introduction brought more adventurous strokeplay.Corey Richards paid the price for a second, overly ambitious attempt at driving Cleary but Jaques found good support in Dominic Thornely (76). The pair put on an unbroken stand of 171 for the fifth wicket, including 114 in the last ten overs. Jaques crashed 11 fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 158 – his second knock exceeding 150 in the competition this season – as New South Wales reached a competitive 4 for 282 from their 50 overs.South Australia were rocked by the early dismissal of Shane Deitz in the first over of their reply, followed by Graham Manou in the third, both falling to Stuart Clark. Stumbling at 4 for 52, Darren Lehmann (43) joined Mark Cosgrove (76) to put on 108 for the fifth wicket, but they represented the Redbacks’ final chance of reaching the Blues’ total. Wickets continued to tumble, with Michael Clarke (3-27) snaffling three cheap ones to take the Blues home by 73 runs.

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Pura Cup points tableTorrential rain washed out the final day of the high-scoring match between New South Wales and Victoria at Lismore. The umpires made an early decision to abandon the game that was almost certainly heading towards a draw when Victoria finished with a lead of 92 at the end of the third day.Jason Arnberger was named Man of the Match for his unbeaten 239, which pushed the Bushrangers to 5 for 519, and Cameron White’s four lower-order wickets guided them to first-innings points despite Matthew Phelps’ 133 in the town of his birth. Victoria currently sit on 18 points with Queensland and are two behind New South Wales.Victoria, who finished on 0 for 10 in their second innings, will face the Blues again on Saturday in the final of the domestic Twenty20 tournament at North Sydney Oval.

India captain Rahul Dravid and Pakistan’s stand-in captain Younis Khan were summoned by Ranjan Madugalle, the match referee, over the verbal volleys exchanged by the players on the third day of the second Test at Faisalabad.A highly charged atmosphere at the Iqbal Stadium saw Pakistani bowlers – in particular Shoaib Akhtar – and fielders indulge in constant chatting with the Indian batsmen in the last session of play. Shahid Afridi was also warned verbally by the on field umpires on a few occasions.Pathan was singled out and was often at the receiving end of what appeared to be taunting remarks made by the Pakistanis, frustrated at their inability to separate the Indian sixth wicket pair.The captains were relieved of a fine, but were warned to maintain the spirit of the game.

Ajit Wadekar, the former India captain, said it was time for Sourav Ganguly to step down. Kiran More, the selection committee chairman, had on Saturday refused to confirm whether Ganguly would be considered for the first Test against England starting in Nagpur on March 1. The squad for that match will be announced in Baroda on February 23.”There is no harm in Ganguly being included in the side but I suppose the time has come [for him to end his career]. The Aussies told Steve Waugh when it was time for him to step down,” Wadekar told PTI.Wadekar, also a former coach and chief selector, said even if Ganguly was picked for the Test series against England, it would only be a stop-gap arrangement. “Let us be frank. Let us face the fact. The team is winning without Sourav, the youngsters are doing well and it is time to tell Sourav ‘thank you very much. This is your last year’, it should be like that,” he said.Wadekar, who was chairman of selectors when both Ganguly and Rahul Dravid made their Test debut in England in 1996, claimed that the team management was “forced” to include Ganguly in the team for the Test series against Pakistan. He also criticised the move to open the batting with Dravid to enable Ganguly to be in the final XI. “I think that was wrong,” Wadekar said. “We had three specialist openers, and they were thinking of Sourav also as a opener, just to accommodate him. Wasim Jaffer could have gone to see Pakistan any time. I mean, you have three specialist openers, and you cannot make them passengers. The ideal number for Rahul is three in the batting and he should stick to that.”He was, however, all praise for Dravid. “He is a guy who leads from the front. Look at the difference between him and Inzamam,” he said. “He decided to open the batting himself, even against [Greg] Chappell’s wishes, because he wanted to shield Sourav, whereas Inzamam tried to shield himself by coming in at number six (in the one-dayers). Dravid is a thinker and a cool guy.”On the forthcoming series, Wadekar felt that England sides toured the subcontinent with the wrong attitude. “They come with a suspicious mind – ‘the wicket is going to be bad, climate is going to go against them’, as if it is in our hands,” he said. “They want all the facilities in the world, which we don’t get when we go there. We have a lot to talk about them but we don’t grumble, we just focus on our cricket. So by the time they get out of that mindset, the tour is over.”England have visited India 11 times in more than 70 years of Test rivalry between the two teams and they have won only four series in India. In 46 Tests on Indian soil, the hosts have a 12-10 head-to-head record.

Having earlier questioned Bangladesh’s Test status, Ricky Ponting went into damage control mode on Thursday, saying that Bangladesh is “improving gradually and they deserve their Test status.”Looking back, I think I was wrong with what I said,” Ponting said, addressing a press conference at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on the eve of the first of the two Tests against Bangladesh. “I think I was speaking from an ideal world point of view, and not putting much [emphasis] into the growth of the game in world cricket, that is where I made the mistake. Maybe Bangladesh having Test status will take the game forward because that’s what it is all about.”We just like to think that Bangladesh will keep improving, that their cricket will keep improving and the infrastructure and facilities here in this country will keep improving and that will give them the best chance of being a good international team in the future.”These latest comments are an abrupt about-turn from what he said in February. Back then he told London’s ,”What I would not have is the minnow nations in the World Cup and the Champions Trophy, and I would not have Bangladesh and Zimbabwe playing Tests at present.” As a result of these words, Cricket Australia had to issue a statement in support of Bangladesh playing Test cricket.Asked about the ODI defeat against Bangladesh last year, Ponting said: “There is a little bit of luck involved in the one-day game. But, I don’t envisage a repeat performance.”Dav Whatmore, Bangladesh’s coach, said his side had the potential to become the top team on the subcontinent. “Sri Lanka is a small island, the population about the same as Australia, and they became the leaders of cricket in the subcontinent. In Bangladesh, there’s so much potential. All the ingredients are there.”He expressed happiness over Australia’s selection of a full-strength team, saying it was a sign of respect for his young side. “I would like Australia to treat us seriously. If the little guys are starting to show a little bit, they’ll flex their muscles a little bit, which is what we expect. I am very, very pleased that the full squad was selected. That’s a bit of respect, I think.”

Trevor Hohns, Australia’s selection chairman through the team’s most successful period, has resigned to pursue increasing business interests. Hohns was appointed to the panel of Lawrie Sawle in 1993 and three years later was promoted to its leader as the Test and one-day teams embarked on a trip to No. 1 in the world.The retirement of Hohns’s business partner sparked the move and he said he could not combine the job with the almost-full-time selection duties. “Despite its obvious challenges, I have certainly enjoyed the role and can only hope that my contribution has in some small way assisted Australian cricket,” Hohns said. “I have been fortunate to play a part in the panel for so long and am very grateful for the opportunity.”A former legspinner who appeared in seven Tests in the late 1980s, Hohns was prepared to make – and carry out – the tough decisions and was often a target from dumped players and disappointed supporters. Responsible for ending the careers of Ian Healy and Mark Waugh before the long-term representatives felt they were ready, Hohns also delivered Steve Waugh the news his one-day captaincy was over in 2001-02. Waugh beat the selectors by setting his own Test retirement date, but most of his team-mates suffered either in consultation with Hohns or by his axe.Criticisms of Queensland bias in the selection panel, which until last year also included Allan Border, were also regular and Mark Waugh called for Hohns to walk out after the current squad to South Africa was selected. Hohns was in charge when Australia won 16 Tests in a row from 1999 to 2001 and picked the outfits that won the 1999 and 2003 World Cups. During his time on the panel Australia’s record was 35 series wins, six losses and five draws.Andrew Hilditch, David Boon and Merv Hughes are the other members on the selection panel and a Cricket Australia spokesman said a replacement was expected to be named “shortly”. Creagh O’Connor, the Cricket Australia chairman, said Hohns fulfilled one of Australian cricket’s most important roles.”The chairman draws a lot of public and media scrutiny and seldom receives the recognition it deserves,” he said. “In Trevor’s case, he has made an outstanding contribution to the role and has played a pivotal part in helping Australia remain the No. 1 Test and one-day international team in world cricket over a sustained period.”

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How they were out

A magnificent double hundred from Stephen Fleming has put New Zealand in total command of the second Test at Newlands against South Africa. Fleming’s 262, his second-highest in Tests and arguably his finest innings to date, powered his side to an imposing 535 for 9 against a bowling attack which lacked spice and venom.As beautifully as Fleming played, his effort would not have been possible were it not for an equally excellent contribution from James Franklin – New Zealand’s No. 9. Franklin, with a technique not dissimilar to his captain, showed remarkable composure and batted with great maturity and no less class. Their eighth-wicket partnership of 256 took the game away from South Africa, while also smashing the record for any Kiwi stand against South Africa. Supreme though the batsmen were, the South Africans let themselves down – not for the first time this season – with a limp bowling performance, questionable tactics and several missed chances in the field.The pair came together in the third over of the day when Daniel Vettori mistimed a pull off Dale Steyn. With New Zealand on 279 for 7, their first aim was to reach 300 and possibly 350. However, after negotiating the early overcast conditions, batting became simpler; the bowlers grew weary, and records tumblaed as the pitch flattened out sufficiently to allow Fleming and Franklin to flourish.Fleming batted with the same elegance and ease of stroke that first brought him international recognition in the 1990s, caressing boundaries rather than clobbering them. He hit prime form in the afternoon session with a selection of glorious drives and cheeky upper cuts. Franklin, despite languishing at No. 9, oozed natural ability, not to mention flair and determination. A left-hander, he had little trouble leaving balls outside his off-stump – throughout the day, South Africa bowled far too wide – and was only ever in difficulty when Makhaya Ntini bounced him. Indeed, one vicious delivery cannoned into his head. Far from unsettling him, the blow he received spurred him on.With Franklin looking increasingly settled and confident, Fleming opened his shoulders after lunch and brought up his 150 with a clever uppercut down to third-man off Steyn. Not only did this indicate a flattening pitch, and that Fleming was hitting prime form, but also Graeme Smith’s inexplicable refusal to post a man down there. Countless times, edges flew wide of third slip, past gully or even over the slips down to the vacant region. Alarmingly, this isn’t a new occurrence: commentators have been scratching and shaking their heads all season. Indeed, not even Andre Nel could attract Smith’s attention, and he’s not short of a word.

Aside from the third-man mishap, South Africa’s fielders again let their bowlers down. Steyn, who looks an entirely different bowler on flat pitches than those that offer assistance, angled one across the batsman which found Fleming’s outside edge straight after lunch only for Boeta Dippenaar to spill a regulation chance. It was his third dropped catch in the slips this season, and his most costly. To compound South Africa’s misery, Franklin grew in confidence as the day wore on, batting with conviction and class. A stylish, unhurried pull off Ntini – bisecting the two fielders on deep square leg boundary – was perhaps the shot of the day, until he bettered it after tea with a remarkably controlled pull in front of square. Not for the first time this season, South Africa were clueless as to their next move.As the bowlers tired and the pitch became a dream to bat on, Fleming brought up his double hundred – his third in Tests – receiving applause from each of his opponents and a delighted dressing room. And though he fell to Ashwell Prince, marking the end of the day’s play, his innings and partnership with Franklin won’t be forgotten in a hurry. With Franklin just seven runs away from his first Test century, but just Jeetan Patel and Chris Martin for company in the morning, Fleming might yet make an overnight declaration. Regardless, his captain’s innings has put New Zealand totally in command of this second Test.

How they were outDaniel Vettori c Nel b Ntini 11 (279 for 7)
Stephen Fleming b Prince 262 (535 for 8)