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Nottinghamshire have moved quickly to recruit Matthew Wood from Somerset as a replacement opener for Jason Gallian. Wood, 26, has joined on a three-year deal following Gallian’s departure to Essex.Wood is hoping for more regular first-team cricket than he found this year at Somerset – he played just two first-class matches before losing his place to Marcus Trescothick.”It’s been quite frustrating for me as there have been limited opportunities to play,” Wood admitted, “and I can’t wait for the challenge of moving to Trent Bridge. I’m signing for a club on the up, who are in Division One in both competitions and play at a Test venue.”Wood has scored 4375 first-class runs from 76 matches at an average of 34.72 with nine hundreds. His career-best of 297 came in a marathon nine-hour innings against Yorkshire at Taunton and helped him to 1000 runs in 2005.Mick Newell, Notts’ director of cricket, said: “Matthew is a quality player who has been unable to get into a very strong batting line-up. He’s a nice lad, an intelligent cricketer and at the right kind of age to be able to play in all competitions for us.”

Jarret Park might have been packed for the Indians’ warm-up game against a Jamaica XI but it’s pretty obvious that cricket’s popularity has taken quite a battering in these parts. The declining standards of the West Indian side appear to have triggered a sense of disillusionment, and it’s not too uncommon to find young boys veering towards other sports. One man, though, can change all that and, on the eve of the first game, he faced the press with an air of assurance.Brian Lara made it clear that the 5-0 verdict against Zimbabwe could hardly be used as an index to measure West Indies’ competitiveness. The real battle was just about to begin. “We’ve definitely improved over the last two or three weeks – ever since I took over as captain – but we can’t use Zimbabwe as an indicator. I’m 90% happy with our current form but we need to work on a few areas. Our allrounders did well with the ball and on the field, but they need to do more with the bat.”The mere fact that they won, though, and that too comprehensively, could be a vital factor. “Winning can be contagious,” he continued, “and it’s important to keep our momentum going.” Also, a number of new players capitalised on the rotation policy and grabbed their chances. “All good teams around the world have been resting players and we rotated some during the last series. Players like Carlton Baugh, who was picked for the last two games, took his chance and ended up replacing the earlier keeper [Ramdin].”But would he experiment against India? “You wouldn’t want to experiment too much while playing against a tough team. We have a pretty settled batting line-up and also have the option to change batting positions around.”Rahul Dravid pretty much made it clear that India would continue to be flexible. “It’s benefited us in the past, helped us to not rely on particular individuals.”Both captains agreed that India’s new crop of fast bowlers could make the difference. “We haven’t seen too much of them but are using videos of the England and Pakistan series to analyse their performance,” said Lara. “They appear to have a varied attack.” Dravid proffered another angle: “Most of them haven’t come to West Indies earlier and it’s good in a way because they won’t be carrying the scars of defeat. The history of experiencing toughtours won’t haunt them.”

After risking their careers by joining the Indian Cricket League, a few Hyderabad cricketers defended their decision – citing selection flaws and the increased opportunities – to turn their backs on their home state. Hyderabad had a mass exodus of players including Ambati Rayudu, Alfred Absolem, Inder Shekar Reddy, Ibrahim Khaleel, Shashank Nag, D Vinay Kumar, Kaushik Reddy and Anirudh Singh.”I’m a professional cricketer and it doesn’t really matter where I play, but with ICL now my standard will only improve,” Absolem told reporters in Hyderabad. A right-arm seamer, he has played just one full season for Hyderabad and made an instant impact, picking up 30 wickets from six matches at under 20.Seamer Kaushik Reddy said that they had no choice but to take such a drastic step, citing anomalies in team selection where deserving players weren’t allowed to progress. “There are many private grounds and we need not depend on Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) facilities to train and practice,”said Reddy. “We have not lost hope but we had no choice.”Perhaps the biggest loss for the side was Ambati Rayudu, the promising top-order batsman who has been on the fringes of national selection since his days as a junior cricketer. He said it was a “reality check” and, when asked about his future, said that his employers had assured him of help.The BCCI has taken a firm stance by banning all players from associating themselves with the ICL, denying them use of its facilities and privileges. The HCA said none of the players had consulted them before joining and new talent would be recruited, hinting that all the ICL players were not eligible for selection.

Japanese wicketkeeper-batsman Tatsuro Chino may be small in stature but he is making a big splash in East Asia Pacific cricket circles.The talented Chino has been selected in the EAP squad for the 2007 Australian Country Cricket Championships, and through the support of Cricket Victoria’s partnership with the Japan Cricket Association, is spending an Australian summer playing with Balwyn CC in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.In addition to his playing activities Chino also stepped out on Tuesday 28 November to help Cricket Australia launch a new school resource titled ‘CricKids Playing in Harmony’.Tackling social and community issues such as bullying, racism, prejudice, leadership and fair play, as well as curriculum subjects such as English, Art and Information Technology using cricket as a basis, the resource aims to reach 70,000 students and teachers over the next 12 months.The resource launch, held at Melbourne’s Federation Square, saw hundreds of students take part in cricket activities with Chino providing encouragement and advice throughout the day.Chino is also spending time coaching junior players at Balwyn CC while in Melbourne, and is scheduled to travel to Fiji in late January to assist the Japan team in the EAP Under 15 Cricket 8s. A conversation with Chino will leave you in no doubt about as to where this impressive young man is heading … as far and wide as his cricket journey will take him!

Ata-ur-Rehman, the banned Pakistan fast bowler, has been reinstated on the official players’ list and can play from May 2007. Rehman, 30, was one of those implicated in Pakistan’s controversial match-fixing inquiry five years ago – he admitted to lying under oath after initial statements – and was serving a life ban from the game handed him by the ICC in 2000.”From May 2007, Ata will be free to play cricket as he wishes,” Malcolm Speed, the Chief Executive Officer of the ICC, clarified, “in England – league cricket, county cricket – or wherever he may be selected.”We’ve received no further application from any other player,” he said when asked about Mohammad Azharuddin. “the provision is been in place since 2003 to enable an application to be placed. If and when an application is made from any other player, we will deal with it in the same way.”

Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, feels his wicket of Mahendra Singh Dhoni shortly before stumps on day two was a turning point for Pakistan in the Feroz Shah Kotla Test. Kaneria said that moment allowed Pakistan the chance to come back in the game, and given the aim was to set India at least a 300-run target, he could have a winning role in the series opener.”Sachin Tendulkar’s run out and disturbing the Dhoni-[VVS] Laxman partnership were important” said Kaneria after an absorbing day’s play. “Dhoni’s wicket was a good breakthrough, especially when they have a long tail. Dhoni is in good form and is an aggressive player who keeps the scoreboard ticking. So claiming his wicket has helped the team a lot.”India were in serious trouble at 93 for 5 but a115-run sixth-wicket stand between Laxman and Dhoni took them extremely close to Pakistan’s total of 231. Kaneria still felt the match was could swing either team’s way.”This is a five-day match and every day is different with one team up one day and another the next day. Today it is balanced,” he said. “We have come back in the match after the breakthrough. Tomorrow morning we will do well.”Batting on day four, said Kaneria, would not be easy. “We did not have the first innings advantage but we’ll give them a target as the fourth day will be difficult to bat with the wicket deteriorating and becoming very slow and low. If we give them a target of 300 we can win the match.”There has not been much sunlight on these two days so wicket has not broken yet. It could be difficult to play spin tomorrow. We will like to come and bowl them out in the morning tomorrow. I can have a vital role in winning the match for Pakistan.”Meanwhile, injured fast bowler Umar Gul, ruled out of this Test with a back sprain, remains in doubt for the second Test. According to Salahuddin Ahmed, chief selector, Pakistan may call up Rao Iftikhar Anjum as his replacement. “I don’t think Gul will be fit for the second Test. We may bring Iftikhar Anjum back to India,” Salahuddin told PTI. “Iftikhar did very well in the ODIs against South Africa.”An unnamed source in the Pakistan team disclosed that a decision on Gul would be taken in the next few days. “We have sent the [MRI] reports to Pakistan and after consulting with the orthopedics and other medical experts a decision will be taken on whether to retain him or send him back,” the source said.

Imad Wasim’s brave effort on the final day went in vain as India Under-19s achieved a massive 271-run win against the Pakistan juniors in the first four-day match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.Pakistan were down and out when play started on the final morning, but a determined fightback led by Imad almost gave them an outside chance of saving the match. India, however, managed to bowl out Pakistan for 174 in the second innings an hour before the scheduled close to earn victory.Imad stood like a rock in an attempt to save the day for Pakistan and in the process played 249 balls and stayed at the wicket for almost 300 minutes for his 35 runs. India were almost certain to wrap up the match by lunch, but Pakistan had other ideas. The overnight not-out batsmen Imad and Behram Khan (18) stood at the crease till 15 minutes before lunch. It was only through a dubious decision that India finally succeeded in taking their first wicket of the day.Behram was given out caught at silly point by Tanmay Srivastava off Ravi Jadeja, but it seemed the ball had touched the ground before the catch was taken. Instead of giving the benefit of the doubt to the batsman, umpire Shakeel Khan gave the decision in favour of the bowler.This was the second time in two successive days that the umpire had gone wrong. On Saturday, captain Mohammad Ibrahim (5) was given out when the ball deflected off the helmet before being plucked by wicketkeeper Omkar Gaurav.Despite the loss of Behram, Imad stayed cool and with the help of wicketkeeper Abdul Rauf (36) continued his efforts to deny India victory. Rauf, who was the next man out, struck five fours and put on 69 runs for the seventh wicket, but it was the time and overs they consumed that mattered the most.After fighting bravely for almost a day, Imad was the last man to get out. He struck three fours in his epic innings and impressed the sizeable crowd with the spirit and dedication he showed to stay at the crease.Piyush Chawala, the Indian captain, broke the defenses of a couple of Pakistanis with well disguised googlies and finished with 4 for 50. However, the most impressive Indian bowler was Vijakumar Yomahesh who took 4 for 44.Both teams will now leave for Peshawar on Monday to play the second four-day match, starting on September 13. The four limited-overs matches will be played from September 19.

Sourav Ganguly has received a letter from Niranjan Shah, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, seeking an explanation for his absence from a crucial Ranji Trophy match involving Bengal and Gujarat at Surat.Only a day after Kiran More, the national selection committee chairman, showed his disapproval at Ganguly missing the match, sources from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) have stated that a “two-line letter” addressed to Ganguly was received by the player himself.The reports that the letter was not addressed to Jagmohan Dalmiya, the CAB president, or Saradindu Pal, its joint secretary. Pal remained non-committal on the matter, stating that he had spoken to Ganguly. “I spoke to Sourav last Friday, the day before the Indian team for Pakistan was selected,” he said. “He told me he’d missed Bengal’s Delhi match, and would also not play the Gujarat match because of unavoidable personal reasons.”Pal also stated that he had been trying to contact Ganguly since December 24 – the day the Indian squad was selected – but had no luck in doing so. Dalmiya, having earlier stated that Ganguly had missed the match against Gujarat for “logistical, and not personal” reasons, refused to comment on the matter today.Ganguly’s absence from the match seems to have agitated the BCCI, given that More emphasized that it was important to members of the Indian team to “engage in domestic matches as much as possible” prior to their departure to Pakistan on January 5. Speculation remains as to whether the message was passed on to Ganguly.Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan and VVS Laxman turned out for their respective state sides in the ongoing fifth round of the Ranji Trophy.

Amitabh Choudhury, the manager of the Indian side on their recent tour to Zimbabwe, has said he was “astonished” with Sourav Ganguly’s revelations to the media about goings on in the dressing-room and felt that he had “gone back on a deal”.”We all agreed that this was a matter that should stay between us and should not, under any circumstances, be discussed with the media,” Choudhury told . He said he asked Ganguly why he’d gone public, to which the captain replied that he’d responded to a journalist’s question.Tracing the origin of the whole crisis, Choudhury added that Chappell’s suggestion that Ganguly step down as captain was a “very remarkable thing to happen”. “Sourav then said that the coach had told him the reasons why he should step down as captain. First, his current form did not warrant his being in the team as captain. And second, that in the Mutare match he had left the field because the new ball had been taken by the Zimbabwe team.”In my opinion, the coach’s was an extraordinary decision. It should not have been taken during the tour. And it should be left for the national selection committee to look into it. I told Sourav that you have done the right thing by speaking your heart … I told him that he must keep cool. I will try to resolve the problem. I went to Rahul and told him the facts. Rahul agreed with me that any decision on matters related with the coach’s decision must not be taken on a tour. Then both Rahul and I went to Chappell and explained to him what effect his decision, if honoured, would have on the team. He did consider that he had made some suggestion to the captain.”Then all three of us went to Sourav and talked to him for 30 to 40 minutes. All four of us agreed on two things. One, the status quo being maintained with Sourav remaining captain. Two, all four of us keep the entire affair a closely guarded secret.”Choudhury didn’t want to comment on Chappell’s observation that Ganguly was mentally and physically not fit to be captain, but, added that his `tantrums and `uppishness’ might have irritated Chappell.

The International Cricket Council has stated that India could host the Champions Trophy next year only if the tax-exemption issue was sorted out soon. Ehsan Mani, the ICC president, told Press Trust of India that despite discussing the issue with Indian officials last month, the ICC has failed to receive any response from the government or the BCCI on the matter.”The important point that we are going to discuss here is the Champions Trophy to be held in India, but India needs to clarify the tax position,” said Mani, who is in India for the ICC executive board meeting. “I met union finance minister P Chidambaram and sports minister Sunil Dutt – they were kind enough with their patient hearing but we are still waiting for their answers in the next couple of days.”Last year, the ICC had warned the Indian board that India’s chances of hosting a major tournament might be in jeopardy due to the high tax rates. “India is seeking to hold high-profile events including the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games besides the ICC events. India need to address this issue immediately. They must have absolute clarity on the issue.” He also added that the ICC was still facing tax-related matters from the 1996 World Cup which was held in the subcontinent.