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Pakistan allrounder Abdul Razzaq has joined Worcestershire for the remainder of the 2007 season as a replacement for Phil Jaques and Doug Bollinger who have returned to Australia for the A-team tour of Pakistan.Razzaq had announced his retirement from international cricket as a protest against his omission from Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Championship squad. He arrived in Worcester on Sunday and would join the squad for training before travelling to Canterbury for the Championship match against Kent starting on Tuesday.”It has been very difficult to find quality replacement overseas players because of the forthcoming Twenty20 World Championships and Abdul’s availability has come at just the right time,” Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton said. “He has scored over 6500 runs and taken nearly 350 wickets at international level and will certainly give us the quality and experience we need during the last few weeks of the season, particularly in the Natwest Pro40 competition. We have received clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board but still need to complete the registration procedures with the ECB.”

Shoaib Akhtar once again attracted controversy when he was fined by the organisers of the Twenty20 Cup for refusing to wear a sponsors’ logo during the event.A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said on Tuesday that Shoaib was fined Rs10,000 after he flatly refused to wear the logo of Mobilink, which sponsored all the participating teams of the Twenty20 Cup held in Karachi from December 21 to 26.Shoaib, still in danger of being banned for doping, was told by match referee Anwar Khan to wear the cellular company’s logo when he featured in the Twenty20 Cup for the Rawalpindi Rams. He was told that all players have to wear the logo since the PCB has an agreement with the company. However, Shoaib refused, saying that he had no contract with the PCB and was not being paid by the board or the sponsors to do it.Shoaib hid the logo on his T-shirt with a sticker and played two matches for the Rams who were bundled out of the competition at the first hurdle.The PCB official said that after giving Shoaib repeated warnings, the event’s officials decided to fine him.Shoaib was not present to hear about the fine as was among 25 players invited by the PCB for a conditioning camp that got underway at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday in preparation for next month’s tour of South Africa.

West Indies have made two changes for the final two one-day internationals against India in Trinidad. Wavell Hinds replaces the injuried Shivnarine Chanderpaul while Sewnarine Chattergoon, a left-hand opener, comes in for Runako Morton.Scans after the third ODI at Warner Park in St Kitts revealed that Chanderpaul suffered a small hamstring tear to his left leg while batting. Though not available for the ODIs, Chanderpaul will remain with the squad to receive treatment from Stephen Partridge, the team physiotherapist.Chattergoon made his debut in the recent series against Zimbabwe and replaces Morton who has struggled to cement a spot at the top of the order despite a string of chances. Hinds, meanwhile, has not played for West Indies since the tour of New Zealand in March.Squad Brian Lara (capt), Chris Gayle, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Smith, Dwayne Bravo, Carlton Baugh (wk), Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor, Ian Bradshaw, Dave Mohammed.

Chris Tremlett has said New Zealand should be prepared for a short-pitched attack during the first Test after England Lions gave the batting line-up a working over on the second day at The Rose Bowl. There was one major exception for New Zealand as Aaron Redmond compiled a career-best 139, but Tremlett wasn’t overly convinced.Redmond took a blow from Graham Onions and also a couple of bruising hits on the body from Tremlett. “At times it didn’t look as though he fancied it too much so we got stuck into him but he’s got the bulk of their runs and has played well at the end of the day,” Tremlett said.”On a couple of occasions, the way he reacted to it, he didn’t look too comfortable against the short ball and I think that’s quite obvious from our point of view so we tested him. I’m sure those messages will go across to the boys for the first Test.”During the series in New Zealand the short ball was a tactic England tried with mixed results. Stuart Broad used it well in Napier, but sometimes it was overdone to players like Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum who weren’t afraid to attack.Redmond, who is now in line for a Test debut at Lord’s, said the short stuff is nothing less than he expected. “It’s all part and parcel of being an opener. If I was a fast bowler I would run in and bowl short to any batsman, it’s just the way they are. It’s also good practice for the future games.”Tremlett has been accused of not always bending his back but he was the pick of the bowlers on the second day. Onions produced some nippy away swing, but it was the bounce from Tremlett that caught the attention, and not only of New Zealand’s batsmen. “I’m certainly happy with my first couple of spells from the Pavilion End, I lacked a bit of rhythm from the other end but it was generally a pretty good day,” he said. “It’s probably not the best I’ve bowled all season but it’s good to put my name in the hat.”He doesn’t believe, though, there is much of chance forcing his way into the Test line-up with James Anderson, Matthew Hoggard – who didn’t impress here despite three late wickets – and Andrew Flintoff vying for a place.”There’s lots of competition. Anderson got some wickets today so he’s obviously bowling well and in contention for the first Test. [Stuart] Broad and [Ryan] Sidebottom bowled well in New Zealand so their places probably aren’t up for grabs so it’s just about being consistent and knocking on the door. Realistically I probably don’t think I’ve got a chance of playing in the first Test and the other thing is that Freddie might be back as well.”However, last year a strong performance for the Lions against India earned him a call-up to the squad and he played all three Tests of that series, impressing at stages against the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. A difficult winter followed where he wasn’t selected for the Sri Lanka tour and then got injured after being a late replacement for the Test party in New Zealand when places became available.”I’d only really been bowling in the nets and hadn’t a chance to play any games. Then unfortunately I got injured. It was disappointing that I had to go home, but if my body had held up there would been a good opportunity but hopefully I’ll get a game this summer.”Last year it [the Lions game] got me in the frame against India and then I got called up and played in the first Test. These matches are important and you try to do as well as you can. Hopefully it shows the selectors what you capable of and that you are on form.”

James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, is concerened about the increasing number of reports on Australian players for bad on-field behaviour over the last year. He has told Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, that expectations of how they handle themselves on the field had risen.The most recent offender was Ponting himself when he protested against umpire Asad Rauf’s decision to call a wide during the DLF Cup in Kuala Lumpur. He has been found guilty of dissent twice by the ICC. Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath have also had to appear before the match referee for bad conduct in the recent past.”I know it’s something the players have talked about in recent times, even at the camp to address areas of concern, areas of susceptibility,” Sutherland told the . “I am sure they are making conscious efforts to keep the slate clean and play the game in the right spirit.””If you have a look at a case-by-case scenario, I think they have been relatively minor” added Sutherland. “I am not in any way condoning that behaviour, but they are level one. My strong feeling is that the bar has actually been raised a little bit by the ICC over the last 12 months, 18 months. Mentally we need to continue to keep up with that.”

A civil court in Chennai has passed an interim order restraining the BCCI, till October 11, from confirming Jagmohan Dalmiya as patron-in-chief. Dalmiya was appointed patron-in-chief of the BCCI on September 12, after a unanimous decision had been taken at the special general body meeting of the board in Chennai. Bharati Cricket Club, a local club in Chennai, had challenged the appointment.United News of India reported that the petitioner contended that the sole purpose of nominating Dalmiya as patron-in-chief was to control the moves of the new president even after his term had ended. He also said that though the BCCI constitution stated that the board could invite, using its discretion, a distinguished person to be the patron-in-chief, it did not delineate his powers and term of office.However, Kamal Morarka, the senior vice-president of the board, had said that the powers of the president would not be undermined by Dalmiya’s nomination as patron-in-chief. He had also added that Dalmiya would hold the position for three years.

Mickey Arthur, the South African coach, admitted that the tour of Sri Lanka was a disappointing one for the team, having lost the opportunity to square the two-Test series and missing out on valuable match practice in the shorter version of the game.Arthur said that the players were disappointed not to complete the tour, as the tri-series would have been an ideal warm-up for the Champions Trophy in India in October. “We could see the security situation was not great, but we were really looking forward to playing,” he said on Saturday after the team arrived home, having pulled out of the three-nation Unitech Cup which also included India. “The guys were really ‘amped’ up for the series. It was a great opportunity for some of the younger players to stake a claim for a place in the squad for the Champions Trophy and the World Cup.”From a cricketing point of view, pulling out of the tour is a disaster. We need match practice. We will have to ask Cricket South Africa to see if they can schedule some matches for us.”South Africa pulled out of the one-day tri-series that was to follow the Test series citing security concerns after a bomb blast near the team hotel in the morning of their opening match against Sri Lanka. While Sri Lanka Cricket promised extra security for the teams, the South Africans decided to withdraw after a report from an independent security consultant to Cricket South Africa found the current risk to the team to be at an “unacceptable level”.”Missed opportunities cost us the second Test,” Arthur said, reflecting on the Test series. South Africa lost the first Test by an innings but fought back in the second, losing narrowly by one wicket. “We should have wrapped it up, and we didn’t,” he said.Despite the defeat, Arthur stated that there were a few positives gained from the series, given that the team was without senior players like Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis. “Our guys played (Muttiah) Muralitharan very well,” he said. “Sure, he took 22 wickets, but he bowled more than half the overs. He told us that we had played him better than any other international side in Sri Lanka. He said that he normally took 30 overs to take five wickets, but with us, he needed 55. We were without some of our key players, but everybody in the team put their hand up and took responsibility.”South Africa have agreed to host Zimbabwe for two one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match in mid-September.

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Four quick wickets from Andy Bichel saw Queensland fight their way into the match after being bowled out for just 169 by Victoria on the opening day of the Pura Cup match at Brisbane. Bichel (4 for 31), began the rot by forcing Michael Klinger to edge behind in the fifth over, and followed that up by claiming the key scalps of Nick Jewell, David Hussey, and Cameron White as Victoria failed to capitalise on its fine work in the morning session.Earlier, White, the Victoria captain, got it right when he inserted Queensland on a greenish wicket and saw Michael Lewis (4 for 35) and Gerard Denton (4 for 58) rip through the opposition. Together, both fast bowlers delivered Victoria a strong start, Denton trapping Jimmy Maher, the Queensland captain, leg before for just 1 in the fourth over. Lewis was more lethal, dismissing Martin Love, Clinton Perren, and Craig Philipson in a fiery burst of 3 for 9 off eight overs.Queensland had done well to recover from 6 for 69 thanks to a 46-run partnership between Bichel and Christ Hartley, the wicketkeeper, before Lewis returned to trap Hartley in front of the wicket for 24. Bichel continued the repair work in a 42-run eighth wicket stand with Chris Simpson (32), taking Queensland beyond the 150 mark before Denton and Allan Wise (2 for 37) returned to wipe up the tail.Jon Moss and Adam Crosthwaite will have a tough task ahead of them on the second day as Victoria try and build a lead over Queensland.

Nathan Lyon suffered a right hamstring injury on the final day of the Adelaide Test and is in serious doubt for the remainder of the series.Lyon, 38, dived to save a ball at fine leg but got up gingerly and immediately signaled to the dressing room after grabbing his right hamstring. He stepped off the field of play at fine leg and hobbled to the changing rooms after exchanging a brief word with Marnus Labuschagne, who patted him on the back.He left Adelaide Oval on crutches before lunch to have a scan but had returned in time to join Australia’s celebrations after they wrapped up the Ashes 3-0.Related

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He had taken five key wickets in the match, including three in the second innings to swing the game Australia’s way and captain Pat Cummins said he would be hard to replace if he is ruled out for Melbourne.”It doesn’t look great,” captain Cummins said. “I don’t know yet, but seeing someone on crutches doesn’t really bode well for a Test match a week away. Gaz is pretty close to irreplaceable. The ability to take breakthroughs, but also control an innings is really important, so it’s going to be hard to replace.”Lyon suffered a series-ending right calf injury in the 2023 Ashes while running for a ball in the field at Lord’s in the second Test.If Lyon is unable to play in the fourth Test in Melbourne, it will create an interesting selection debate about who would play as Australia’s specialist spinner.”We’ve got some guys who have already had a taste of international cricket around the traps,” Cummins said. “Other guys have done really well in domestic cricket. I think it’s been one of the benefits, actually, of the Sri Lankan tour, even West Indies and a couple of these tours where we take a couple of spinners, there’s guys that can step in and you feel like it’s not going to be too overwhelming for them.”Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann is on Australia’s contract list as Australia’s No. 2 Test spinner and toured West Indies with the team. But he has that role as a complementary second spinner to Lyon in spin-friendly conditions overseas having played all of his five Tests in India and Sri Lanka in 2023 and 2025.Left-arm orthodox has not been as successful as offspin in Australian conditions in recent years. Kuhnemann has only played two Sheffield Shield matches this summer due to Australia white-ball duty and injury, taking four wickets at 36.Victorian offspinner Todd Murphy, who has played seven Tests including two in the 2023 Ashes as Lyon’s replacement, has bowled well in Sheffield Shield cricket this summer and was Australia A’s specialist spinner in the recent game against England Lions in Brisbane, taking three wickets.Todd Murphy played two Tests in the 2023 Ashes when Lyon was injured•Tanuj Pandey/UPCA

Murphy also has an excellent record at the MCG. He has 10 Shield wickets at 23.70, striking at 55.80, but has not bowled a lot due to the dominance of Victoria’s seamers.Western Australian offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli has been the leading spinner in Shield cricket in recent years with his extra height and bounce proving a handful for Shield batters on his home ground at the WACA. He has 20 wickets at 28.20, striking at 53.30 after taking 38 at 27.71 last season. Murphy and Rocchiccioli were also spin partners on Australia A’s recent tour of India but Kuhnemann was absent because he was touring with Australia’s T20I team.Australia played an all-seam attack in the second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane but would be unlikely to do so in Melbourne.

England allrounder Luke Wright has joined the ranks of players who have turned down offers from IPL franchises.Earlier this week Ravi Bopara and Sajid Mahmood revealed that they had also been approached to join IPL, but both opted to put their England ambitions ahead of short-term financial gain.”At the moment my main focus and priority is playing for my country,” Wright said. “Obviously I was very pleased to be considered for the IPL. If the timings were different and it wasn’t going to affect my chances of playing for England then it would be something I would seriously have to consider.”Wright is not centrally contracted to the ECB and so would only have required permission from Sussex to play in the IPL.