Sport - Cricket

Sharjah tourney from today

Sharjah April 2. A n ew-look Pakistan leads a bunch of World Cup losers attempting to get back on track during the $150,000 Sharjah Cup which opens on Thursday.

Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Kenya are the other teams in the fray over the next eight days in the first international cricket event since the World Cup ended in South Africa on March 23.

Sri Lanka and Kenya were unconvincing semifinalists at cricket's four-yearly showpiece; Zimbabwe fared poorly in the Super Sixes while Pakistan was knocked out in the preliminary round.

Pakistan, finalist four years ago, responded to the embarrassing exit by sacking eight senior players, including the legendary Wasim Akram and captain Waqar Younis, and handing the reins to seasoned wicket-keeper Rashid Latif.

It also brought back former captain Javed Miandad as coach after South Africa-based Englishman Richard Pybus quit in disgust, saying he was frustrated at the inability of unnamed senior players to adjust.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, persuaded a reluctant Sanath Jayasuriya to continue as captain, but lost the services of batting great Aravinda De Silva, who retired after the World Cup to become a national selector.

Mahela Jayawardena, who averaged a meagre three runs in the World Cup, and fellow middle-order specialist Russel Arnold, were omitted for the Sharjah event, but both are expected to play in the two-Test home series against New Zealand later this month.

Zimbabwe, led once again by Heath Streak, has been hit by the retirement of four stalwarts, Andy Flower, Henry Olonga, Guy Whittall and Alistair Campbell.

Flower and Olonga opted to leave Zimbabwe after winning acclaim for their protests against the Robert Mugabe government during the World Cup, Whittall said he had played long enough while Campbell quit after being ignored for Sharjah.

Kenya, the first non-Test playing nation to make the World Cup semifinals, retained its ageing squad, but is still looking for a coach after Sandeep Patil opted to seek new pastures in his native India.

Sympathetic Sharjah host persuaded another former Indian Test star Abid Ali, who coaches the United Arab Emirates cricket team, to take charge of Kenya for the tournament.

Most attention, however, will be focussed on Pakistan's new management duo of Latif and Miandad, who have been given the task of grooming the young squad.

"I was planning to retire after the World Cup but I've decided to put it on hold to help my country in the re-building process," said the 34-year-old Latif.

"It may not be easy to establish ourselves as a top team quickly. They need time to get the feel of international cricket. The more matches they play the better they will become."

In the opener, Pakistan takes on Zimbabwe, which like Kenya was brought in at the last minute after South Africa backed out due to the war in Iraq.

Each team plays the other once with the top two advancing to the final on April 10.

New penalties for

slow over rate

Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will be introducing new penalties for slow rates in the four-nation limited overs tournament.

According to an ICC release on Wednesday, Thursday's opening match will be the first to be played under the new rules by the ICC.

Each member of the bowling team would be fined five per cent of his match fee per lost over. However, under the amended playing conditions, penalties would be doubled for the captain of the bowling side.

If the shortfall in a match were more than two overs, the captain would also be charged with a Level Two breach of the ICC Code of Conduct for deliberate time wasting.

"This will result in a disciplinary hearing with possible penalties of a fine ranging between 50 per cent and 100 per cent of his match fee and/or a two match ban".

The release said the penalty of reducing the overs for a team batting second that failed to complete its overs in the allotted time has been removed.

The principles of the new approach will also apply in Test Match cricket with the increased penalties coming into effect after five rather than two overs.

It said the amendment reflects a decision taken at the ICC Cricket Committee--Management (CC-M) meeting during the World Cup at Cape Town on February seven and eight last.

The CC-M meeting also approved the introduction of a process for a match referee to suspend play due to safety and security concerns and this too will come into effect from the opening match of the Sharjah tournament.

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