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Trinidad and Tobago are looking to maintain their reputation as the leading team in the West Indies when they travel to Grenada for this weekend’s Grenada Cricket Festival.The Trinidad and Tobago squad have a lot to live up to as they contest the triangular Twenty20 tournament featuring Grenada and Antigua, but Omar Khan, the team manager, is confident, even though they will be without Dwayne Bravo and Ravi Rampaul.While this was not high on the priority list for the national team, as they prepare for the KFC Cup regional limited overs competition in Guyana later this month, Khan was adamant they will give a good account of themselves, saying: “We are going there to win and I believe that we have enough talent in the squad to come out on top.”It is a full-strength squad and it will be an opportunity for the guys that are going to continue their preparation for the KFC Cup, which is our top priority,” Khan said.Trinidad and Tobago, the defending KFC Cup champions, had reached the final of the Stanford Twenty20 Tournament last year but stumbled against Guyana. They will be using the Grenada Cricket Festival as a starting point for building their line-up for the 2008 Stanford Tournament, scheduled for January.”The KFC Cup squad still has to be cut down to 14 so these guys will have a further opportunity to impress the selectors,” Khan said. “The coach and training staff will also get a chance to do some extra work with the team in Grenada because it is all about performing in a different environment and conditions and the extra work there will pay off in the KFC Cup.”The squad leave today and play their first game tomorrow against Grenada at the National Stadium and take on Antigua at the same venue on Monday.Trinidad and Tobago Twenty20 squad:
Daren Ganga (capt), Denesh Ramdin (wk), Rayad Emrit, Richard Kelly, Amit Jaggernauth, Nicholas Ramjass, William Perkins, Mario Belcon, Keiron Pollard, Lendl Simmons, Sherwin Ganga, Andre Browne
Coach: David Williams
Manager: Omar Khan
Physical Trainer: Gerald Garcia

The cream of the country’s talent will take part in the Pentangular Cup, due to begin in cities around Pakistan, from February 10. For the first time in its 34-year-old history, only provincial teams will be competing for the prize, which includes Pakistan’s four provinces as well as a team representing the Federal Areas.Unusually for a domestic competition, the country’s top players are taking part, a result of the board’s policy to make it a tournament of the top 75 performers from the Quaid-e-Azam trophy. Additionally, 25 of the most promising young players from around the country have been called up to the squads.Shoaib Malik, Pakistan’s captain, will lead Punjab, Shahid Afridi is Sindh’s captain, while Younis Khan leads the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). Shoaib Akhtar, who is playing in a bid to prove his fitness before Australia tour Pakistan, will lead the Federal Areas, which includes players from Islamabad and surrounding regions. Balochistan, historically Pakistan’s weakest cricket province, will include guest players from around the country in a bid to strengthen the side and will be led by Naseem Khan.The tournament has undergone a number of format changes, often including departments and not always restricted to – as the name suggests – five teams. This year’s tournament, however, is a return to how the tournament was originally intended and is among the most financially rewarding: not only do the winners claim a Rs 1 million prize (approx US$16,000), each member of the playing XI will be paid Rs 25,000 (approx US$400) per match. Non-playing members of the squad will get Rs 10,000 (approx US$160). The tournament will also be televised on a local sports channel.There will be a short break after the first round of matches as general elections will be held in the country on February 18, but the four-day matches resume from February 22. The tournament, which kicks off with Sindh taking on NWFP in Karachi and Punjab playing the Federal Areas in Lahore, will be played on a single-league basis.Squads
Punjab: Shoaib Malik (capt), Mohammad Yousuf, Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq (vice-capt), Kamran Akmal (wk), Naved Latif, Adnan Raza, Ammar Mahmood, Junaid Zia, Wahab Riaz, Waqas Ahmad, Mansoor Amjad, Mohammad Khalil, Abdul Rehman, Mohammad Salman (wk), Aizaz Cheema, Kashif Raza, Nasir Jamshed, Azhar Ali, Mohammad Asif (will be included in the team after a fitness test).Sindh: Khalid Latif, Khurram Manzoor, Shadab Kabir, Shahid Afridi (capt), Naumanullah, Hasan Raza, Faisal Iqbal (vice-capt), Asim Kamal, Fawad Alam, Rizwan Ahmad, Sohail Khan, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Sami, Faisal Athar, Danish Kaneria, Sarfraz Ahmad (wk), Hanif Malik (wk), Tahir Khan, Uzair-ul-Haq, Asif Zakir.Federal Areas: Shoaib Akhtar (capt), Rao Iftikhar (vice-capt), Yasir Arafat, Sohail Tanvir, Rauf Akbar, Naeem Anjum (wk), Afaq Raheem, Raheel Majeed, Naveed Qureshi, Usman Saeed, Bazid Khan, Shahzad Azam Rana, Omair Khan, Atif Maqbool, Fayyaz Ahmad, Bilal Asad, Asher Zaidi, Babar Naeem, Yasir Ali, Asadullah Sumeri.Balochistan: Usman Tariq, Imran Nazir, Saeed Anwar jnr, Shoaib Khan, Naseem Khan (capt), Sohaib Maqsood, Rameez Alam, Bilal Khiljee, Saeed Bin Nasir, Jalat Khan, Abdur Rauf (vice-capt), Kamran Hussain, Azharullah, Tanvir Ahmad, Mohammad Irshad, Imranullah Aslam, Gulraiz Sadaf (wk), Nazar Hussain, Faisal Irfan, Yasir Arafat (jnr).NWFP: Younis Khan (capt), Yasir Hameed (vice-capt), Riffatullah Mohmmand, Wajid Ali, Aftab Ahmad Khan, Wajahatullah Wasti, Riaz Kail, Asad Shafiq, Zulfiqar Jan (wk), Aslam Qureshi, Yasir Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Shakeel-ur-Rehman, Nauman Habib, Fazl-e-Akbar, Adnan Raees, Waqar Ahmad, Fawad Khan (wk), Junaid Khan, Samiullah Khan, Umar Gul (will be included after a fitness test).

Kandurata, led by Sri Lanka’s vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara, qualified for a place in Sunday’s final when they recorded their third straight win in the competition, defeating Hirdaramani Ruhuna by 43 runs under the Duckworth- Lewis method in a night match played at the R Premadasa Stadium.Winning the toss and choosing to bat, Kandurata made their third total in excess of 250 through half-centuries from Thilan Samaraweera (71 off 96 balls) and Chamara Kapugedera (63 off 65 balls). The innings was given a late boost by Thilan Thushara who slammed a breezy 47 off 27 balls with four sixes and a four.Ruhuna could not sustain an adjusted target of 282 from 47 overs despite fifties from Upul Tharanga and Indika de Saram and were dismissed for 238 in the 44th over, with Thushara once again being the stumbling block taking 3 for 29.Basnahira South, captained by Tillakaratne Dilshan, registered their first win by beating Basnahira North by six wickets, again under the Duckworth-Lewis method, at the SSC grounds. Put into bat, Basnahira North could manage only 207 for 9 in 50 overs, their batsmen being restricted by young left-arm spinner Milinda Siriwardene who took 6 for 40 off 10 overs.Basnahira South’s run chase was curtailed by rain and their revised target saw them set 175 for victory off 36 overs. Ian Daniel with 74 off 75 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes) led the way to victory which was achieved with eight overs to spare.

Stuart Clark was surprisingly under-used by RickyPonting after he had England limping in the firstsession with two early blows. Having taken sevenwickets in the first Test, Clark followed up withanother strong performance that began with himremoving the openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook.While Brett Lee struggled for penetration and GlennMcGrath battled with his left-heel injury, Clarkprovided some zip on a slow Adelaide pitch and wasrewarded during an opening spell of 2 for 15 off eightovers. Clark forced Strauss to pop to Damien Martyn,who took a sharp catch at mid-on, and then capturedCook’s edge as he tried a push to cover.Despite Clark’s early dominance, he was sent to theoutfield for much of the rest of the day as ShaneWarne was heavily relied on and Lee and McGrath werepreferred. Clark came back for a 12-ball spell tofinish the day and ended with 2 for 25 from 15.”You’re very disappointed when you’re not bowling,” hesaid. “You can’t bowl them out when you’re standing atfine leg and it does get a bit boring down there attimes. Ricky went down a different path and he had afew ideas in mind and I’m sure I’ll get anotherchance.”McGrath passed a fitness test this morning and trottedout one of his favourite lines to Clark. “He said hewas 100% and never felt better, so you can only takehis word and go for it,” he said. After watching histeam-mate return 0 for 51, Clark said McGrath’s footwas fine and his fitness was not an issue.Australia eased off after lunch as Ian Bell, KevinPietersen and Paul Collingwood added half-centuriesthat squeezed England to 3 for 266. “If they got 350we would have had a bad day,” Clark said. “We kept itnice and tight but they probably got away from us abit in the last session. If you stick two wicketsearly on that score and bowl them out for 250 or 270we’re right back in the game and almost on top.”Collingwood can expect some extra attention when heresumes on 98. Clark said the batsman would”definitely” be targeted, especially after his nearmiss at the Gabba. “Batters get tense around thatfigure,” he said. “He got a bit tense in Brisbane.Hopefully we’ll go there in the morning and keep himout there for a couple of overs and get him out.”

Mark Ramprakash continued to distance himself from a disappointing experiment as a Test opener by becoming the first English player to reach 1,000 first-class runs this summer.The Middlesex batsman scored his fourth century in nine innings, for a total of 700 runs, since he reverted to No 4 in the county team after losing his England place.Ramprakash made a polished 120 not out in four hours at Edgbaston to give skipper Justin Langer an opportunity to apply pressure on Warwickshire with a lunchtime declaration at 380 for eight.With nearly nine hours lost in the first three days, Middlesex scented an outside chance of exploiting uncertainty in Warwickshire’s batting after five Championship games without a win.Though Mark Wagh and Dominic Ostler made some headway, they wobbled at 125 for four until David Hemp instigated a strong recovery with an unbeaten 78.The former Glamorgan left hander found his touch in only his fourth Championship half-century of the season and went on to hit 15 fours. Dougie Brown provided the necessary support in an unbroken stand of 86 as Warwickshire closed at 211 for four.Warwickshire’s progress to the NatWest Trophy final has masked a poor run in other competitions and now they have injury problems before the Lord’s meeting with holders Gloucestershire next Saturday.Opener Nick Knight may need surgery on a damaged knee and, along with fast bowler Allan Donald, he will not play in next week’s Championship match against Worcestershire at New Road.

Two Sri Lankan club cricketers were nabbed at London’s Heathrow airport by officers of the anti-terrorist branch when they were about to board a Sri Lankan Airlines flight to Colombo.The incident which took place on Wednesday saw one of the cricketers, Manoj Hettiarachchi, being remanded and the other, Bathisha de Silva, escaping any punishment. They were playing league cricket for Sudbury CC in Harrow.According to sources, the officers of the anti-terrorist branch had acted on a tip-off. They had been on the trail of some Sri Lankans in the UK and one of them was Batisha de Silva, whom they suspected of being involved in terrorist activities.When the cricketers were nabbed at the airport and searched by Special Branch officers, they found 22 cloned credit cards and four cheques to the tune of £20,000 on Hettiarachchi.Both men were interviewed last Thursday by Detective Sgt Fahey at Heathrow Police station. During the interview, Hettiarachchi had said that De Silva had handed the credit cards to him before arriving at the airport, saying that his wallet was full.Hettiarachchi had then asked De Silva whether it was alright to carry so many cards, and the reply he got was that he too had similar cards in his pocket and that he was scared because a few days earlier he had been assaulted by some criminals whom he had been associated with. Hettiarachchi had also told the Heathrow detectives that he was carrying the three signed cheques drawn from three separate English banks, for a friend in Sri Lanka. De Silva when questioned had denied any knowledge about the cards which he had handed over to Hettiarachchi.According to sources, Hettiarachchi was under obligation to carry the cards and cheques because it was De Silva who had secured a position for him at the club, and also found him accommodation in the UK.At the end of the interview, De Silva was released because no evidence could be found on him, but Hettiarachchi was charged with the offence of handling stolen property and intention of supplying the same. He was produced at Uxbridge Magistrate Court on Friday and remanded for trial, which is expected to take at least another two months.However, though the Special Branch Officers could not pin anything on De Silva, they believe that he is behind the fraud, and suspect him to be involved in terrorist activities – the cards they say are used for funds.Alan Wahab, Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) UK committee representative, who is also an employee of Scotland Yard, assisted the Heathrow police at the interview.De Silva (27) plays for Tamil Union in the Premier division I competition. A right-hand batsman and an off-break bowler, he has been playing first-class cricket since 1995-96 and has previously played for Bloomfield, BRC and Antonian SC. He was also a Sri Lanka `A’ cricketer.Hettiarachchi (25) plays for BRC in the Premier division I tournament. A right-hand bat and wicket-keeper, he made his first-class debut for BRC in 1998-99.

Darren Berry, the Rajasthan Royals team manager, says there is a “real option” three of the team’s highest profile players will not return to Jaipur following a series of bombs that killed about 80 people in the city on Tuesday. Berry is having a four-day break in Goa with Shane Warne, Shane Watson and Graeme Smith and said the group had considered “getting on the plane and getting out of here”.”We are not comfortable at all,” Berry told the Sydney Morning Herald from Goa. “This is an extremely uncomfortable situation. Cricket has been good to me, but I have a wife and three kids back in Melbourne and they are less than impressed with the part of the world I am in.”Berry said there had been discussions with Warne over the seriousness of the situation. “I was talking to Warney this morning and asked: ‘If this blast had occurred a day before we were due to fly over here, would we still have come?’ He said there was no way we would have come.”It is terrifying. To think I was standing in the exact location the bombs went off only two days ago … it was a couple of kilometres from the team hotel. The whole country has gone into lockdown.”The IPL has refused to move Saturday’s match against Bangalore from Jaipur, but there will be an increased security prescence. “That is the part that scares me,” Berry said. “These games are getting big crowds.”People over here tell me this has nothing to do with cricket, it is political … but if some people are prepared to cause this type of damage, detonating bombs in peak hour to harm the most number of people possible … 50,000 people come to the stadium to watch the games.”

Australia have played 61 Tests at Adelaide, and have won 30, lost 15, and drawn 16. After six consecutive draws from 1985-86 to 1990-91, the last 12 years have shown a changing trend – nine victories, two losses, and a solitary draw (against South Africa in 1997-98). Among those two defeats was a one-run loss against West Indies, when a bouncer by Courtney Walsh brushed Craig McDermott’s glove to end a 40-run last-wicket partnership. Curtly Ambrose picked up ten wickets in the game.

On winning the toss, captains are inclined to bat first, and the figures reveal why. Since 1995-96, wickets on the first day are worth 51.7 runs each, in stark contrast to 30.51 on the third day, and 19.46 on the fifth. And it’s no surprise that the fewest number of wickets fall on the first day. In fact, Australia have a poor fourth-innings average of 171, 11 fewer than their opponents’ average when batting last.

In seven Tests between Australia and India (India have lost five and drawn two), 21 centuries have been scored, the highest being Kim Hughes’s 213 in 1980-81. Sandeep Patel made the highest individual score by an Indian, 174 off 240 balls, in the same game, to help India escape with a draw.

The Adelaide pitch has provided equal assistance to all types of bowlers. An average of 32.3 is complemented by a strike rate of 66.2 for the seamers, while the corresponding figures for spinners are 32.7 and 68.4. Of the ten five-wicket hauls in seven matches between Australia and India, five are by each side, with Kapil Dev’s 8 for 106 in 1985-86, the best bowling figures. His record at the ground is impressive: 19 wickets in three Tests at 23.1.

The closest India have come to a victory at the Adelaide Oval was in 1991-92, when Mohammad Azharuddin scored a fourth-innings century to take them to 333 – but India still fell 38 runs short of the target.

India scored their highest total of 520 in 1985-86, when Sunil Gavaskar carried his bat for 166. At the other end of the scale is the 110 India managed in 1999-2000, when VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly scored a paltry 246 runs between them in eight innings, while Anil Kumble’s figures were 3 for 174. Ajit Agarkar impressed with the ball, taking 5 for 129. He also managed to score 19 in the first innings, before starting his famous sequence of ducks. In the same game, Tendulkar was dismissed in bizarre fashion when he ducked into a short ball from Glenn McGrath, was struck on the shoulder, and was given out lbw.

John Buchanan, more motivator and team psychologist than traditional coach, once perceptively suggested that to be at his best, Steve Waugh needed a siege. If it wasn’t there, he would create it. It would be outrageous to suggest that he plotted the mix-up which led to Damien Martyn’s run-out and a national debate on the propriety of it, but, India beware, it has invested Waugh’s farewell series with even greater purpose. He has been stung by what he considers an attack on his integrity by the media, and he is determined to reply in the only way he knows: by scoring runs.He came out to speak to the media at the Adelaide Oval today, even though he wasn’t scheduled to. Here’s an excerpt from the press conference:There was a feeling that your bowlers didn’t bounce Sourav Ganguly at the Gabba as much as expected – there weren’t enough balls aimed at his body …
We never said it was part of our strategy. On that particular day, we didn’t feel that was the right way to bowl. Your strategy revolves around the bowlers you’ve got. We had no Brett Lee, no Brad Williams – the bowlers who could generate a bit of pace. We had swing bowlers, the bowlers who bowl good line and length, bowl in the corridor, and the conditions were good for swing bowling. Another day, in other conditions, we might see us bowling differently.So did you miss Brad Williams’s aggression?
It’s a possibility. It’s hard to say, really. We picked the right bowlers for the conditions at Brisbane. But it will be a different pitch here, and different conditions. So that’s something for the selectors to consider. I will have my input, of course.Were you surprised by the way the Indians adapted to the conditions?
No. I have always said that India are a very good side. They have got world-class batsmen, as good as any batting side in the world. And they have got three bowlers who can swing the ball, and they have got two quality spinners. We expected them to do well. But we had the toughest conditions in the first couple of days. When India batted, the conditions had settled down.Are you surprised to be under so much scrutiny in this series?
The scrutiny was always going to be there. I knew from the beginning that it was my last series. I knew I had made the right decision. I am going to be positive about the rest of the series. This series is about Australia and India, it’s not about me.But are you feeling more pressure than usual?
I’d say preparations for the Brisbane game weren’t ideal. Not only for me, but for the whole team. There were too many commitments in the last couple of days before that match – that always happens before the first Test of a series, but maybe it was a bit more this time. I didn’t really get time to settle down and think about the match.There have been suggestions that it might not have been such a good idea to announce your retirement at the beginning of a long series …
I think it was the right thing to do. The situation is pretty clear now. We know where we are going. Even if I hadn’t announced it, it would have been quite clear that it was going to be my last series in Australia. I am 100% happy and confident that I made the right decision for the right reasons, so I am going to be positive and enjoy every match. There was always going to be some conjecture, not that I had to agree with it. I am convinced the decision was made at the right time. There has been a lot of conjecture about when I was going to retire, whether my form was good enough. From that point of view it was right that I made the decision and announced it.Will your preparation for the next Test be any different?
I will be a bit more relaxed. I am focussed and I am going to go out and do what I always do. There were a couple of times when we lost our intensity at Brisbane. From the team point of view, that’s important. We’ve got to pick ourselves up and do better.When you are batting now, is there any awareness that this is your last Test match at this ground?
In the first innings things were obviously a bit tense. But the hardest part is actually waiting and then walking out to bat. Once you take strike, it’s the same. It’s another Test innings and every Test innings is tough. I like to be aggressive and positive, and that’s how I will play in the rest of the series. I know I have three matches to go and I am going to enjoy the experience. It’s always hard when you fail in the first innings. The pressure then builds up. I got some runs in the second innings, and that makes you feel good. I could have been out when I was on 8, and that would have built up the pressure. That’s Test-match cricket. I am sure Sachin Tendulkar will feel the pressure in the second Test, as will Adam Gilchrist. No matter how many matches you have played, no matter who you are or how good you are, you always feel the pressure if you haven’t made runs in your last Test.Now that there will be no cricket for you, how will you channel your competitiveness?
I have three kids at home. They are a lot of challenges out there. After the series is over, I will just sit back for a couple of weeks and relax. And then I might get bored and look for something to do. I enjoy writing, so I will do a bit of that. Commentating is an option. Coaching, I don’t know. I would like to stay in touch with cricket. There are teams like Kenya, who need help … who knows?A few months ago you said that you would like one last shot at winning a series in India. Was that a consideration while making up your mind?
I didn’t actually say that. I had said that winning a series in India remains a challenge. And the team going out there in September has a good chance of achieving a victory, and possibly I would be part of that team. But it didn’t work out that way. It was a good time for me to go now. I have always thought that it’s great to play your first Test abroad and the last at home. I will be going out at my home ground. It couldn’t have been better.

Michael Vaughan was content – but far from satisfied – as he reflected onEngland’s seven-wicket victory at Port Elizabeth in the opening Test oftheir South African tour. A hard taskmaster at the best of times, Vaughanwarned that his side’s performance had been “shoddy” in places, but sethis sights on taking a 2-0 lead in the series by the time the Durban Testis over and done with next week.”We’re an honest team,” Vaughan told reporters after the match, “and weaccept that we didn’t play to our potential in this match. South Africashould have been there for the taking after Day Two, but we didn’t nail them aswe should have. We’ve been unbeaten all year, so it would be nice to go toDurban and perform to the standard that we’ve set throughout the year.”Vaughan continued: “It’s been a common theme with England teams for years,that when we get on top in a match – and at 20 runs ahead with fourwickets down, we were definitely in command – we’ve often allowed theopposition back into the game. In the end, an 88-run lead was pretty good,thanks to the tail, but we should have been looking at 150 to 200 runsahead. Then it would have been game, set and match.”But it isn’t just hair shirts that hang in Vaughan’s wardrobe, and he wasquick to single out the performances of Andrew Strauss and Simon Jones forspecial praise. “Strauss is a level-headed kind of guy and his attitude isspot on,” said Vaughan of England’s Man of the Match, who sealed therun-chase with an unbeaten 94 this morning. “He never gets too high abouthis successes, nor too low about his failures. Technically he’s prettygood, but more importantly, the mental side of his game is excellent. He’sgoing to be a good player for us for many years if he keeps working as heis.”For the first three days of the match England were in front, but far fromdominant, and it took an inspirational catch by Jones at fine leg toremove South Africa’s captain, Graeme Smith, and spur the side to greaterdeeds. “All credit to Simon for his catch and his spell of bowling,” saidVaughan. “When Smith and [Jacques] Kallis got in there was a period whenSouth Africa might have got on top, but his outstanding efforts changedthe game.”Simon’s a huge threat with old ball,” he explained. “He getsreverse-swing into the right-handers, and the ball that dismissed Kalliswas a beauty. He’s shown an outstanding attitude since arriving inZimbabwe, where he worked with Troy Cooley [the bowling coach], and hefully deserved his rewards yesterday.”In the end, there was not a huge amount to choose between the team’sperformances, but the key difference was England’s additional experience.Vaughan was especially satisfied by the manner in which his bowlers hadexploited the frailties of South Africa’s middle order. “Even on the firstday when [Jacques] Rudolph and [Boeta] Dippenaar got in, we never allowedthem to get away. Ashley Giles bowled a crucial spell while our seamersrotated from the top end, and then in the second innings, once Smith had gone,we opened the door to attack their inexperience.”Leading into the game, we were under a lot of pressure,” admittedVaughan, after England’s record of seven straight wins had been punctuatedby the defeat against South Africa A at Potchefstroom. “For us, the firstday was crucial, especially after losing the toss. All we wanted was agood performance to put South Africa on the back foot, and at 270 for 7 wegot that, despite a gusty wind that made bowling very hard.”Ultimately Vaughan could have few complaints about his team’s performance,but he urged his players to push their expectations to the limit. “On anindividual basis, we need to set targets for big, big scores. Even Straussin the first innings, if he’s honest, he’d have wanted a score of 180 to200, and likewise [Mark] Butcher should have been aiming at 150, ratherthan 79. You can’t take the mick in this game, as it has a knack of comingback and giving you some funny answers.”The best thing is that we haven’t played to the standards we’ve setourselves, but we’re still 1-0 up,” concluded Vaughan. “In fact, forperiods here we were quite shoddy. South Africa are a good side and theyare sure to come back strongly, but we’re up for the challenge. They’llwant to hit us hard at Durban, but we’ll keep ourselves honest, and keepup the pressure.”