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Kapil Dev called recent remarks made by Sharad Pawar, the Indian board president, about the Indian Cricket League (ICL), “shameful”.”If the board thinks that only the national XI can attract crowds, then it should stop conducting any domestic tournament,” Kapil, who is the chairman of the ICL’s executive board, told .When asked to comment on the unofficial ICL, which is being bankrolled by Zee Telefilms, India’s largest listed media company, and carrying a prize of US$1 million, Pawar said that the competition would mainly feature players coming out of retirement. “Everyone wants to see official cricket, not the oldies. I see no reason for young players going there. Only those who play official cricket can represent India.” Pawar also warned that promising young players would be ineligible for the Indian team if they played in the tournament.Kapil said the BCCI should not be threatening players because they cannot perform on the field under fear. “The board is scared of the ICL. That is the only reason it is not willing to talk to us,” Kapil said.The BCCI will meet on August 21 to decide, among other matters, whether Kapil should continue as chairman of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), now that he has joined hands with the ICL. Kapil, who had earlier been sent a letter by the BCCI on the matter, remains defiant. “BCCI is like a king and I am its subject. If it wants to sack me from the NCA then I cannot stop it.”The ICL will feature six teams playing Twenty20 matches. Each team will comprise four international players, two Indian players, and eight upcoming players. Brian Lara is the only confirmed player on the ICL list. Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath have denied Kapil’s claims that the two have been signed for the league. Among other big names Inzamam-ul Haq, Stephen Fleming, and Chris Cairns are reported to be negotiating deals with the ICL.

An allround performance by Bradley Scott helped Otago beat Wellington by 18 runs at Invercargill. The win has secured them hosting rights for the State Shield final on February 10. Set a target of 231, the Wellington top order wobbled and a 107-run stand between Stu Mills (60) and Luke Woodcock (47) for the seventh wicket wasn’t enough to secure a victory. Otago seamers Scott and Mathew Harvie took three wickets each and seized the initiative as Wellington were struggling at 100 for 6, before Mills and Woodcock tried the resurrect the chase.The Otago innings too had followed a similar script after they were struggling at 103 for 6. Gareth Hopkins top-scored with 47 off 48 balls while Nathan McCullum chipped in with 31. Scott’s late cameo of 35, scored off 26 balls with three sixes lifted his side to 230, a knock which made a difference to the final result of the match.

Greg Chappell, the coach of the Indian team, has sought to deflect criticism of the team’s disappointing performance in the first match of their South African tour, saying the players had been pitted against quality opposition without adequate time to adjust to the local conditions.”It can happen, stepping out of the airplane and playing in two days’ time against genuine quality bowling. But that’s the only way you are going to learn,” Chappell said in a stout defence of his players after the 37-run loss to Rest of South Africa in a warm-up game on Thursday. Chasing a target of 256, the Indians were blown away by the express speed of Dale Steyn, who finished with five for 22 from ten hostile overs.”I don’t know too many players who are well equipped to handle real fast bowling when they first walk on to the international stage. Most of them have to get used to it by experience,” Chappell said.Not only did the batsmen find the going tough, even the bowling came apart in the final overs, with Munaf Patel and Sreesanth both going for more than 60 runs. “We gave a couple of guys an opportunity of bowling in the death overs which they haven’t done before. If you want to get better you have got to have those opportunities,” Chappell said. “Sometimes it is a painful initiation you have to go through. But then you learn the lesson.”Chappell also felt Mahendra Singh Dhoni has now been part of international cricket long enough to take on more responsibility. “He is going to get better if he takes risk and bears responsibility. I think MS is ready for that role. He has played a reasonable amount of international cricket now.”The one Indian batsman who played a long innings was Rahul Dravid, who made 79, and Chappell felt there was a lot that the younger members of the team could learn from him. “Rahul goes through difficult periods. He did what he has to go to get through those periods. You sometimes don’t look very good and you could rather appear uncomfortable. And yet if you go through you gain confidence. It could make it easy next time. It’s not something you can teach somebody. It’s something you learn by experience. Rahul has learnt it as well as anyone has ever learnt it.”Chappell also found words of praise for Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan, the two bowlers returning to India’s fold. “Zaheer brought his experience to good use and Kumble is the consummate professional. He does everything that needs to be done. He plays with youthful enthusiasm which belies the number of years he has played international cricket.”

Michael Clarke could miss the first Test against West Indies in Jamaica next week following the death of his fiancée Lara Bingle’s father. The rest of Australia’s squad departed for the Caribbean on the weekend but Clarke stayed at home having been given compassionate leave.Graham Bingle, who had been fighting cancer, died in Sydney on Saturday and with the funeral likely to be held later this week it is still unclear how long Clarke will remain in Australia. “My priority is Lara and her family,” Clarke told the . “That’s all that matters at the moment.”If Clarke was to fly out on the weekend he could arrive in Jamaica with as little as two days before the first Test, which begins on Thursday May 22. But a lack of practice – his team-mates will have had a warm-up match by then – means he would be no certainty to play, according to the coach Tim Nielsen.”If he gets over for the first Test, he will need some preparation,” Nielsen said. “But as the Test gets closer, we’ll make some decisions and work out where he is at.”A Cricket Australia spokesman confirmed Clarke’s departure date was still up in the air. “Our thoughts are with Michael and Lara and the family at this difficult time,” the spokesman told . “Michael’s providing support to his fiancée’s family ahead of the funeral and I’m sure that in due course, and when the time is right for both of them, he’ll be liaising with Cricket Australia about his future availability.”Brad Hodge, who was playing in the Indian Premier League, has been enlisted as a shadow player while Clarke is unavailable. However, the original squad featured Simon Katich as the backup batsman and he is more likely to play the Kingston Test than Hodge.

Kennedy Otieno, Kenya’s first choice wicketkeeper-batsman at the moment, has secured a contract to play in Australia ahead of the World Cup.Otieno, who fell out of favour earlier in the year but battled his way back into the side, will play for Caboolture in Queensland. It will be his second spell playing club cricket in Australia.”I am looking forward for the challenge of the Australian cricket,” Otieno said. “I hope my playing there will improve my cricket.”It is expected he will return home if picked for the World Cup, although his absence might cause the national selectors a few problems. Of late, they have tended to favour domestic-based players, and while a few, such as Steve Tikolo, do play a good standard of cricket overseas, Otieno’s club is not in the same class.

Karachi – and not Lahore – was originally scheduled to host the first Test against India, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board. The first Test at Gaddafi Stadium has been blighted by poor weather conditions, with bad light curtailing play to only 15 overs on the third day and disrupting two hours of the fourth day as well. Additionally, poor weather in the run-up has, according to the PCB’s head curator, contributed to the pitch’s blandness.In light of the weather here, Karachi – where conditions are generally clearer and warmer – would have been a better option for the series opener. This, said Saleem Altaf, Director PCB to Cricinfo, was the original intention. “The itinerary was finalised so late. India first wanted to come to Karachi and the first Test was scheduled there in the original itinerary. Then they had a change of heart and said we want a practice game and we will come to Lahore first. Between the practice game and the first Test we didn’t have time to get them to Karachi. So we thought if the practice match is in Lahore then the first Test should also be in Lahore. A logistical problem in Karachi meant the practice game couldn’t be held there.”The second Test is scheduled for Faisalabad where similar weather is expected to hamper the game. Players including Inzamam-ul-Haq, the captain, and Younis Khan, had raised concerns before the series about hosting Tests in the Punjab in January.The board, said Altaf, will raise this issue at the ICC meeting in February. “The Chairman has already spoken to Malcolm Speed on the subject of six-day tests. We can argue at the meeting that it is a situation peculiar to Pakistan at this time of the year. Somehow three days have to be added to all three-Test series and the FTP [Future Tours Programme] is so cramped that it may not be that easy.”Test matches in Pakistan have been played in all months apart from June and July and the case against playing in the period from late December to February is strong. But although the PCB has admitted it will rethink seriously about scheduling matches during this time, the FTP poses a problem. “Pakistan is tied to the FTP and it is very cramped – you extend it by a year to be six years and it is still cramped. After this India series the next at home is against the West Indies in November-December 2006. If you don’t play them at that time you don’t play them at all. Immediately after that series you go to South Africa then come back and then play the World Cup. The schedule is so tight that whatever window of opportunity there is you have to take it.”Pakistan also suffers from a lack of grounds in other parts of the country. Although Hyderabad’s Niaz Stadium has hosted Test matches and there is a first-class ground in Quetta as well, problems with accommodation for the touring team precludes their consideration. “We will have to look into this and learn something from this experience with regards to our scheduling for future series. The accommodation just isn’t adequate enough in these places,” says Altaf.

Essex have confirmed the signing of the South African fast bowler Andre Nel, as their temporary overseas player, subject to gaining a work permit. Nel replaces the New Zealand all-rounder Andre Adams, who is due to play for his country on their proposed tour of Zimbabwe.

Nel, who turns 28 on Friday, will be available for Essex’s Championship match against Derbyshire on August 16, until the match against Australia on September 3-4.The Essex chief executive, David East, is delighted to have secured the services of a bowler of international class. Speaking to Essexcricket.org.uk, he said: “Andre will offer us an extra injection of pace into our attack at what will be a crucial stage in our season.”Nel represented Northamptonshire in 2003. His attacking style of bowling will be welcomed by Essex who, a few weeks ago, lost Alex Tudor for the rest of the season due to injury. Nel has taken 62 wickets for South Africa, and was instrumental in their Test series victory against the West Indies, taking 17 wickets at 17.29 apiece.

On his innings
I’m happy with my performance. I played well, so did the team. We mustuse this opportunity to put up a big total on the board. A score of500-plus will be a good target.This was one of my best innings because of the circumstances. This isa crucial Test, and I walked out to bat when the score was 7 for 2.The team needed me to stay at the crease, and see out the new ball.329 [his highest score] is far away, but I will try to add more runstomorrow.On the pitch
It’s a good pitch for batting. The bowlers will have to work very hardto take wickets. It was a good toss to win, because the pitch mighthelp the spinners on the fourth and fifth days.On the conditions
It was very hot. I was cramping after tea, but the physio gave me somemedicines and I recovered. It was very important to concentrate onevery ball, because for a batsman, one ball is enough to get you out.On Younis Khan’s innings
Younis played a better innings than me. This was his second century intwo Tests, and the team needs this kind of consistency andresponsibility.On the altercation between Younis and Harbhajan Singh
They were chatting.On the second day
We won’t make the same mistake as we did in Kolkata. [Younis andYousuf Youhana had made unbeaten centuries on the second day, butPakistan had collapsed on the third.] We will carry on from here andput up a big score.

Peter Siddle has admitted he feared his Test career was over after he was ignored for Edgbaston and Trent Bridge, but now hopes a roaring return to his familiar role in the Australia XI will cause the selectors to reconsider their opinion of him.There was considerable dismay at Siddle’s omission from Trent Bridge in particular, and he spoke frankly of all the factors that he felt should have forced his inclusion in the team for Nottingham. “You always think that a little bit,” he said of never playing again. “A couple of wickets that we’d played on where I thought I might’ve got my opportunity and had missed out. You just never know.”Trent Bridge, I’ve had good success there, played county cricket there as well, so I know the ground. It was disappointing, but kept doing everything I can and make sure that if my opportunity came that I had to be ready to go. I felt pretty good coming into this game. It was just nice to get a few wickets, to get the team on a good roll and get us into this position. It’s nice. The boys have played well.”The selectors Rod Marsh and Darren Lehmann had spoken often with Siddle about the numerous and varying reasons why he had been ignored for the Tests thus far. It was mainly to do with their conviction that the attack of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood was superior in all conditions. Events at The Oval have begged to differ, as Siddle has played a pivotal role in keeping runs down while adding vital wickets.”I think it’s just the boys that had been playing had performed well,” Siddle said. “The lads finished off the summer well, went to the West Indies and performed well and they got their opportunity. That’s how it works I guess. I just had to make sure I was ready when my opportunity came. I was disappointed it did take so long, but I was ready at any stage. It’s no different now. There’s never any Test match that you never want to have a crack in.”To get back together with the bowling line-up we had – it was pretty similar, a few different faces -and have those five key bowlers and be able to work in tandem. My role is to try and be patient, build pressure and restrict the runs. I enjoy doing that. I enjoy playing for the country. It’s just lovely to be back out on the field and playing, and the team doing well.”A looming tour of Bangladesh would appear not to be as ideally suited to Siddle’s skills, but later assignments against New Zealand at home and away may be more amenable. Siddle is certainly more hopeful of an opportunity now than he had been two weeks ago.”It’s obviously tough being on the sidelines and carrying drinks . . . especially at my age. It’s only 30 but you still want to be out there,” he said. “It has been tough, but to get this opportunity and come out here and bowl well … I’ve felt comfortable, the team has performed well. Blokes batted well and the bowling group has been outstanding. It’s just great to be in this position.”

Charl Langeveldt has signed for Somerset, as a replacement for Sanath Jayasuriya who has return to Sri Lanka in preparation for their series against West Indies.Langeveldt, 30, has played four Tests and 16 ODIs, making an early mark on Test cricket by taking a five-wicket haul on his Test debut against England at Cape Town. During South Africa’s tour of West Indies he took a hat-trick in the third ODI at Barbados to clinch a one-run win and with it the series.He will arrive at Somerset once he has received clearance from the South Africa Cricket Board and joins Graeme Smith, his national captain, at Taunton. Langeveldt’s sharp outswing will add an additional cutting edge to Somerset’s attack, which has recently lost Nixon McLean.