Rahul Dravid, the Indian Test batsman, has been approached by Scotland to play for them as they prepare to embark on their first season in the National League.Dravid has been earmarked by Scotland to bolster their resources in the one-day competition, as well as playing in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy when they entertain Somerset in the third round on May 7th.Dravid, who appeared for Kent in the 2000 county championship campaign, is thought to have met with Scotland’s representatives in South Africa yesterday.Gwynne Jones, Scottish Cricket chief executive, told The Times: "He wants to get married after the World Cup and has no interest in playing county cricket again because it is too demanding. But he said he is very keen to play for us, provided we can come closer tothe payment he wants."The financial question could prove to be the stumbling block. Scotland have yet to secure sponsorship for the season and have to rely on the £104,000 grant they receive from the ECB.

Chairman of Selectors, Sir Vivian Richards has confirmed that former West Indies Captain, Carl Hooper told him today that he had reconsidered his decision to be available to play in the First Cable and Wireless Test against Australia and would therefore not play when the match bowls off on Thursday.Sir Vivian said that he had previously delayed announcement of the final squad for the First Cable and Wireless Test while he awaited a response from Hooper about his willingness to continue playing for West Indies and his availability. Hooper had responded that he would be willing to play in the team and would be available for the First Test. He was therefore named as a member of the squad.Sir Vivian said: "Even though I am surprised by Carl’s change of heart, I want to wish him well in whatever he decides to do from here on. While he has not indicated that he has retired I still want to thank him for his service to the team and West Indies cricket."

LAHORE, March 20: Pakistan captain Rashid Latif vowed on Thursday he would play cricket for one more year. Rashid said that he accepted the offer of captaincy as a challenge while talking to reporters at Gaddafi Stadium.”Yes, the rebuilding of the Pakistan team is a challenge for me. And the task is possible and not impossible,” he said.The 34-year-old wicket-keeper/batsman admitted that though the axing of seniors players was a hard decision yet it was taken in the best interest of Pakistan cricket.”The senior players are talented and they had done good work for Pakistan team. But now it is time to test fresh blood,” he said.Rashid emphasised his prime mission was only to serve the nation and during his captaincy he would try to prepare a strong team and a wicket-keeper which could be either Kamran Akmal or any one else.He said he had opted for retirement after the World Cup but the new responsibility given to him forced him to change his decision.Rashid was all praise for Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan, whome he termed as a good all-rounder and who deserved a place in the team much earlier.He called Taufiq Umar the best find of the year and added left-hander opener should have played in all matches of the World Cup.To a question, Rashid said that Razzaq was included as there was no substitute of him at the No 6 spot when the playing eleven was discussed with the selection committee.

At the start of their Ashes-winning series against Australia in 1986-87, the England side were famously mocked by one local journalists under the headline “Can’t bat, can’t bowl”. Following their crushing defeat in the first Test at Lord’s, Zimbabwe have attracted similar criticism from the English media, but unlike Mike Gatting’s side, it is hard to see that there is any way back for Zimbabwe.They have only one match ahead of the second Test which starts in nine days time – a four-dayer against Middlesex at Shenley – but so outclassed were they at Lord’s that their main objective would appear to be trying to avoid another humiliation at Chester-le-Street.”It will be difficult to come back from this but we have got to pick ourselves up, there is a lot of work between now and then,” Heath Streak, Zimbabwe’s captain, admitted. “We have a young side but they have to learn quickly and show a bit of character. We don’t have the time not to learn from these experiences.”Streak was also aware that Zimbabwe’s poor bowling performance was simply not good enough at Test level. “Our guys just haven’t adapted to conditions here,” Streak said. “We had problems against the Duke ball as it swings consistently throughout the innings and we did not seem to know where our off stump was.The long and short of it is that we didn’t get enough in the right zone and create enough pressure. We gave too many four balls which released any pressure we built and allowed them to keep ticking over”The batting was equally disappointing, with inadequate technique to blame for two collapses – something that cannot be remedied in nine days. “We showed that on wickets that swing and seam you cannot play with hard hands and I think that this was the big difference between the sides at Lord’s,” Streak continued. “There were a lot of soft dismissals throughout for us and we have to learn from that. A lot of guys were sparring at balls they needn’t have played at, well outside off stump, and they will have to learn to leave better and play straighter.”

England newest bowling hero Richard Johnson was back at the County Ground in Taunton this morning, after playing a major part in defeating Zimbabwe inside three days and winning the Man of the Match Award.Twenty eight year old Johnson who moved from Middlesex to join the Cidermen for the 2001 season with the express aim of rekindling his international career has achieved that aim and in some style.In his first over he removed two batsmen with successive balls and was on a hat trick, and ended the Zimbabwe innings with the astounding figures of 6 for 33 on his England debut, figures that have assured him of a place in the record books.When I asked him about his Test match debut and his time with the England team `Johnno’ told me: "It was a great experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Meeting up with the players three days before the game felt good because having been around the scene for a while I knew most of the guys and have grown up with them, so I felt very much at home in their company.""The practice days went well for me, but I didn’t know whether I was going to be in the final line up till the morning of the match. I had an idea that I would be playing, but after so many disappointments I don’t take anything for granted," he said."It’s always nice to bat first and chill into the game, rather than bowling right at the start, and it’s always good to get runs. I just went out there and played my normal game, I didn’t feel nervous about the situation I just looked to play the way that I do for Somerset."When did he know that he was going to open the bowling. "I only found out just before the start of their innings, although I had a feeling that it I might open the attack because they have been using Steve Harmison as a first change bowler," he said."I couldn’t have asked for a better start. The ball didn’t swing away it just angled in so I used the conditions. The captain (Nasser Hussain) set a split field for me and said to go for bowled and LBW decisions and I got two in my first over which was a great start."What about the second innings. " I did the same job in the second innings, and with a split field went for bowled and LBW’s. I had two good shouts turned down and didn’t go for many runs so even though I didn’t get any wickets I was quite pleased and did what was asked of me," he said.After such an impressive debut what lies ahead I asked. "Now we have the One Dayer’s, with a friendly against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, and then Pakistan at Old Trafford on Tuesday which is a day nighter. I’m looking forward to that because it’s a different game and there will be a great atmosphere up there."Looking further ahead he said: "I hope that I get my chance in the Test series against South Africa, but some of the senior guys like Darren Gough will be back so there will be a lot of competition for places, but after my experience against Zimbabwe of course I want to hold onto my England place."

Zimbabwe seamer Gary Brent will be eager to get in some long awaited bowling pratice when he makes his anticipated Southern Electric Premier League, Division 2 return for Burridge at Lymington tomorrow.Brent 27, bowled only one over in two appearances for Zimbabwe in the current triangular series against England and South Africa, and is itching to get his hands on the ball again.Left out of yesterday’s THURS match against South Africa at the Rose Bowl, Brent has played four Test matches and 41 One Day Internationals since his last appearance for Burridge in 1999.But he won’t be playing against his old Harare adversary Danny Peacock, who has also played for Zimbabwe in the past.Peacock, who now captains Lymington, has been told by his doctor not to play cricket again until his broken finger mends properly."I copped quite an earful from the doc when I went to see him this week and he’s told me in no uncertain terms not to play until I’m fit again," Peacock admitted.Leaders St Cross Symondians have established a healthy 18-point lead at the top following unexpected defeats for Old Tauntonians & Romsey and Easton & Martyr Worthy last weekend.St Cross will be up against Nick Wolstenholme, their former top order batsman, when they visit near neighbours Sparsholt, who continue to be without top run scorer Tim Richings for the Norman.Edwards ground derby.Easton, draw away to Findon (West Siussex) in the National Village Championship last 16, face a vital home game with OT’s at Cockets Mead.Hursley Park receive winless Purbrook, while Gosport Borough’s prospects of staying in Premier 2 will weaken if they lose – and suffer the double – to United Services at Privett Park.

Steve Waugh admitted that he had his sights set on Sunil Gavaskar’s Test record tally of 34 centuries but said that even if he did wrest the top position for himself, it would be for a short time only.”There’s always a chance (of making 35 hundreds). It doesn’t really matter what I set, Sachin Tendulkar (with 31) is going to waltz past that one anyway,” Waugh told the media after going past Tendulkar’s tally with an unbeaten 156 in the second Test against Bangladesh.”I know once I got a hundred today I was pretty focused on getting 150. I knew I wouldn’t get another chance. I’m pleased with that. It’s nice to have that record,” said Waugh of his added distinction of having made a score of 150 or more against every Test-playing nation.Waugh is also drawing ever closer to Allan Border’s record for most Test runs, but this had hardly seemed possible late last year when a run-drought fuelled controversy over his retention in the Test team.”If I was going to finish up last year, I wanted to go out on my terms and that was playing some shots,” Waugh said. “Perhaps that may have released some pressure and I’ve gone out there and just tried to play the ball on its merits. Really, I just wanted to be positive. I knew I was good enough to play for Australia still and I wanted to prove that to myself and I wanted to come back and show people.”

Bangladesh put up a magnificent account of themselves in the Test series, but are likely tofind the going tougher in the one-day series. Much of their resistance in the Tests wasattritional: batsmen seeing off sessions, bowlers – especially Mohammad Rafique – stickingto their task with discipline. Their stern defence was at the heart of their struggle there,but what they will need now is aggression and the instinct to attack. That could be aproblem.Javed Omar and Rajin Saleh would, thus, both be much less effective in the one-dayers,and Habibul Bashar’s importance will be amplified. Mohammad Ashraful is a combativehustler, but he can sometimes go overboard. Bangladesh failed abjectly in the 2003 WorldCup because they all tried to attack from the start of their innings and they threw it away.Their aggression must not be wanton if they are to stretch Pakistan in this series.Dav Whatmore has done an outstanding job of motivating his team, and if they continue toplay with the same intensity, they could yet be a handful. Pakistan, meanwhile, is notquite full-strength. They have been a transitional team for a long time – most spectacularlyshowed up in their `home’ series against Australia last year – and young blood can workboth ways. The youngsters in the team could be hungry to prove themselves; or they couldbe impetuous and impatient. Bangladesh’s victory will depend as much on Pakistan as onthemselves.Abdul Razzaq is back for Pakistan, as is Yousuf Youhana, but Younis Khan has, oddly, beenrelegated to the reserves. Kamran Akmal replaces the banned Rashid Latif, while theyoungsters who impressed in the Test series – Yasir Hamid, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Guland Shabbir Ahmed – have all been included. One curious inclusion, though, is Junaid Zia, afast bowler who was once accused of chucking and underwent corrective action. He is alsothe son of Taufeeq Zia, the PCB chief, and his selection – especially as it is against arelatively weak opponent – has raised a few eyebrows in Pakistan.Bangladesh’s bowlers, meanwhile, will feel less inadequate in the one-day series. Theyhave rarely looked like picking up 20 wickets in a Test match, but restrictive bowling in aone-day match is within the bounds of possibility. Khaled Mahmud, whose Test career -barring the last couple of games – has been indistinguished, is actually a decent one-dayplayer. He was Man of the Match in Bangladesh’s famous victory over Pakistan in the 1999World Cup, and he will have more than that to inspire him in the coming games.Bangladesh are fighting for respectability – the hunger is palpable – and their time mustsurely come.Probable teams
Pakistan 1 Imran Nazir, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Yasir Hameed, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq(capt), 5 Yousuf Youhana, 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Shoaib Malik, 8 Kamran Akmal (wk), 9 ShabbirAhmed, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Junaid Zia.Bangladesh 1 Hannan Sarkar, 2 Javed Omar, 3 Habibul Bashar, 4 MohammadAshraful, 5 Rajin Saleh, 6 Alok Kapali, 7 Khaled Mashud (wk), 8 Khaled Mahmud (capt), 9Mohammad Rafique, 10 Mashrafe Mortaza, 11 Tapash Baisya.

The Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) has been stung by accusations that its selection of only one black player in the 14-man U19 squad for the World Cup qualifying tournament is racist.As soon as the squad was named the protests started with critics arguing that the selection did not mirror Kenya’s multiracial society. Timothy Muange, a wicketkeeper-batsman who played for the title-wining Swamibapa side, is the only indigenous Kenyan in the side.The objections have been given more force by the inclusion of three Kenyan-based Indian citizens. Jimmy Rayani, chairman of the KCA, defended the decision by withdrawing behind the ICC’s player eligibility rules under which the three qualify to represent Kenya. "We do not want to be disadvantaged against other teams at international level," he explained, "and that is why it is our desire that we send our strongest team possible for the tournament."But that hasn’t mollified the protestors. "The message we are sending to other cricket-playing nations is that we don’t have enough players to make up a truly Kenyan team," one said. "What is the use of having foreigners in the team when we are trying to get Test status? Who knows where they will be tomorrow?"The reality is that cricket in Kenya continues to be far more popular among the Asian community, and despite the best efforts of the ICC and KCA the indigenous population remain largely indifferent to the game.

CloseZimbabwe 173 for 3 (Vermeulen 60*, Wishart 86*) trail WestIndies 481 (Lara 191, Price 5-199) by 308 runs
Scorecard

In another enthralling day at Bulawayo, Brian Lara dominated the earlyexchanges with a brilliant 191 and passed Sir Vivian Richards as theleading West Indian Test runscorer along the way. But Zimbabwe, led byCraig Wishart, fought back impressively from 31 for 3 to reach 173 for theloss of no more wickets at the close, by which time they were 308 behindWest Indies’ imposing total of 481.Lara dominated the day right from the start, as he raced to a breathtakinghundred. He and Ramnaresh Sarwan began with ease, picking up the singleseasily, until Lara decided enough was enough as he sped through thenineties. Blessing Mahwire pinned him down briefly on 98, beating himoutside off stump and forcing a few hurried strokes. But it only delayedthe inevitable, and Lara soon notched his 22nd Test century off 124 balls.He made it a deliberate policy to score his runs straighter than usual. Heproduced a number of superb drives between mid-on and mid-off, includingone remarkable six off Raymond Price when he made a last-second adjustmentand removed his bottom hand from the bat. Every now and then Lara showedhe was human, his closest escape coming at 136 when he edged a ball lowbetween first and second slip. The records came as well. A majestic drivethrough extra cover off Price took him past the 107 he needed to overtakeRichards as the top West Indian runscorer in Tests.His partners proved more fallible, though. Sarwan scored 65 before abat-pad resulted in a close catch to Mark Vermeulen at silly point offPrice (351 for 4). Shivnarine Chanderpaul was unlucky when Wishart took abrilliant diving catch at slip, and he was given out by umpire RudiKoertzen even though the TV replay showed that the ball only hit the pad(389 for 5).After Ridley Jacobs and Omari Banks fell cheaply, Lara was left with thetail, and he decided to step up the assault. He hit Price for twomagnificent sixes off successive balls, one of them a superb stroke overextra cover, but he was eventually out not long after lunch. Wishart hadbeen placed as a solitary second slip to block Lara’s glide to third man,which he tried again off Andy Blignaut only to edge a low catch (449 for8).The big wicket of Lara caused Zimbabwe to relax a little too much, as theyallowed the last two wickets to add a merry 32 before West Indies were allout for 481. Price finished with 5 for 199, and might have earned a placein the book of obscure records if his last over hadn’t produced his onlymaiden – how many bowlers in Test history have bowled 43 overs without asingle maiden? He bowled well with bounce and lift on a pitch starting tocrumble, and despite the obvious aim of the batsmen to hit him out of theattack.

Zimbabwe’s openers again made a poor start. First Vusi Sibanda tried toturn a straight one from Edwards to the leg side, and got a leading edgeto provide a simple return catch (5 for 1). Edwards then produced anaccidental beamer which hit Trevor Gripper on the hand as he defended histhroat. He took about five minutes to compose himself afterwards, and thatis the only excuse that can be offered for the awful stroke he played inthe next over. He tried to pull a ball from Merv Dillon that was not shortenough, and dragged it onto his stumps from outside off (10 for 2).To bad cricket, add the bad luck that has also dogged Zimbabwe. StuartCarlisle was comfortable at the crease before he played back to Edwards.The ball came off the inside edge, hit Carlisle’s thigh-pad, dropped tothe ground and then freakishly bounced back onto the stumps (31 for 3).Zimbabwe were in deep trouble, but Wishart and Vermeulen clawed them backon track and batted throughout the evening session. Vermeulen was forcedto use a runner after edging a ball from Dillon painfully into his thigh,a blow which restricted his strokeplay. It was determined batting againstaccurate rather than threatening bowling, with Dillon the most economicalperformer. Banks, in contrast, was rather rusty – but he was bowling forthe first time on the tour. He wasn’t helped by Lara’s numerous bowlingchanges, which prevented the attack from settling down.Wishart grew in stature and confidence, passing his usual danger area whenapproaching his half-century, and he even speeded up towards the close ashe neared three figures. It was quality batting, mentally as well astechnically, and Wishart, on 86 not out, will contemplate overnight thepossibility of his first Test century against a senior team tomorrow,having already scored one against Bangladesh.