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The Indian board (BCCI) has promised to arrange special flights to shuttle players around if the schedule is tight during the visit by Pakistan later this year, but maintained the venues of the matches would be decided by its own rotation system.”We have played in small centres in Pakistan without hesitation. If necessary we will arrange for special flights but we will go by our rotation system in deciding the venues for the matches,” said BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah in reaction to reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expected its players to play a majority of the matches at big venues.The tour is slated from early November but sources in Pakistan said the PCB had already requested the BCCI not to schedule matches at venues that require a lot of travelling as was the case during the 2005 tour. The Pakistan players and officials had complained of fatigue due to extensive travelling on their last tour which the BCCI defended as a necessary evil as it had to rotate international matches among its affiliated units.A PCB official said more deliberations on the itinerary would likely be held on the sidelines of the joint 2011 World Cup committee meeting next month in the summer resort of Bhurban. “When the Indians are here obviously we will have discussions with them on the proposed venues and dates for the tour and perhaps even on the number of one-dayers to be included in the memorandum of understanding for the tour.”

Matthew Horne calls it a day after a 14-year first-class career © Getty Images

Matt Horne, the former New Zealand opening batsman, announced his retirement from first-class cricket yesterday.Horne, 35, who last played a Test in 2003 against Sri Lanka at Kandy, felt that the time was right to make a break from competitive cricket. He is currently playing in Scotland during the New Zealand winter.”I’ve been incredibly lucky with injuries over the years, which has allowed me to play as long as I have, and I certainly couldn’t have done it without a lot of help”, Horne told NZPA. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have had an impact on my career, especially the support from my family, Garth Gallaway, John Graham, Brittain Wynyard and the Grafton United Cricket Club.”Horne played 35 Tests and 50 ODIs for New Zealand since making his international debut in 1997. An attacking batsman with a characteristic high backlift, he scored 1788 runs in Tests at an average of 28.38 with four centuries and five half-centuries. He was less successful in the one-dayers, making 980 runs at an average of 20.41 with five half-centuries. His last ODI was against Pakistan at Lahore in 2002.He began his career at Auckland in 1992-93, and his breakthrough innings was the190 off 192 balls which helped his side defeat Wellington in the 1995-96 domestic championship final. He moved to Otago shortly after and enjoyed a profitable season, amassing 843 runs, which ultimately led to a call up to the Test side against England. He scored 42 on debut at Christchurch and his first Test century came against Australia at Hobart later in the year.Horne enjoyed a good tour of England in 1999 and it was his 100 at Lord’s which was instrumental in New Zealand’s win. However, he suffered a loss of form and was in and out of the Test side, with the New Zealand selectors constantly experimenting with different openers. His ODI career was disappointing, failing to score a century, despite his attacking style of play. His highest score was 74, against India at Nottingham in the 1999 World Cup.

Adam Gilchrist made sure his team did not repeat the mistakes of Australia’s last tour of India© Getty Images

Carrying a dossier that has gained weight regularly since the disastrous end to the 2001 series, the Australians were rewarded by playing to their plan. From a more patient batting approach, to sweeping discerningly, and abandoning the follow-on. From picking one spinner, to adjusting the line to the stumps instead of outside off, and employing Shane Warne’s huge hands to knead the ball to enhance reverse-swing. All were successful, and so was the opportunistic entrance of Michael Clarke.But wait, this has happened before. India were thumped in the first Test of 2001 as Australia clinched the final win of their 16-match streak. The memory of losing the epic tussle in the next two matches will nag at Steve Waugh longer than the current drought between series successes in India (currently 34 years, 299 days and counting). The surviving team-mates need no reminding of the dangers of relaxing, but the stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist did it anyway. With only three days before the second Test at Chennai there is little time to lose momentum.Taking away the Bangalore crowd noise and watching the team’s body language, it was the Australians who looked to be playing at home. They picked their traditional three-pacemen-and-Warne attack on a crack-riddled pitch, and Glenn McGrath controlled the output and early breakthroughs as he has, barring a season out with an ankle injury, since the West Indies series of 1995. While Warne eyed the world’s most-wickets mark, McGrath became the greatest dismisser of batsmen for ducks. Aakash Chopra was his 80th, two more were added to the list by the close, and he is now four wickets from 450.Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz also ran their fingers down the seam, finding severe cut, steady reverse-swing and wickets of significance. Warne was probing, as VVS Laxman was twice reminded, but missing the devastation of opponents Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. With the pacemen firing he didn’t need to be. But the sooner he claims the two victims to pass Muttiah Muralitharan the better, so he can ditch the red-striped shoes that clash with the tuft of ginger on his chin.

Michael Clarke’s dream debut certainly helped Australia steal the initiative © Getty Images

Another player in a hurry was Clarke. Brash and spontaneous, his arrival – and partnership with Adam Gilchrist who, don’t forget, made 104 off 109 balls – was stunning, and as Man of the Match he rode off with a motorbike. Picked to replace his boyhood idol Ricky Ponting, Clarke created a batch of his own admirers with an innings of 151 that began with Australia in trouble. More runs in the second Test will mean a tough selection meeting if Ponting’s return from a thumb injury keeps to schedule. Not everything Clarke touched turned green and gold, and on the final day he experienced his first Test disappointment, dropping a sharp catch at second slip. Gilchrist quickly encouraged his debutant, as he did when Clarke struggled through the nineties on the second day, and gave him a bowl as well.Despite the convincing victory margin Australia can apparently still improve. The top order was the main complaint, and the match was not finished before the coach John Buchanan greedily asked for more. A way to dispose of Kumble and Harbhajan without popping off catches to close-in fielders is also recommended. But it might be wise to leave some things to instinct. After 2001 Australia know all about the best-laid plans.

Simon Jones: ready for his comeback © Getty Images

Simon Jones takes the final step towards his Test return on Friday, 16 months after his horrific injury on the opening day of the last Ashes series, as England begin their final warm-up match against a Vice-Chancellor’s XI at the Frank Worrell ground in Kingston.It has been a long painful road to recovery for Jones, who ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament while attempting a sliding stop on the sandy surface of Gabba at Brisbane in November 2002. It took a month for the swelling to go down sufficiently for surgeons to operate, and then he had to endure a further six weeks in which he was unable to move his leg.”When I first got injured I did think about whether I would play again,” Jones admitted to journalists on the eve of his comeback. “I had a horrible couple of months wondering what was going to happen, and after the operation I couldn’t even pedal a bike for six weeks so that was disturbing. There was nothing to do but sit around at home watching television all day and watching the boys out in Australia, which was very hard for me.”Jones made his comeback for Glamorgan 2nd XI towards the end of last summer, before proving his fitness for the Caribbean on the England A trip to India. “It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “I’ve worked hard at the Academy with Rod Marsh and I’ve worked hard in India. I even hit 100% pace a couple of times out there and didn’t feel any ill-effects from the knee, apart from being stiff the next day.”Jones’s rehabilitation programme has resulted in a remodelled action, and an arrow-straight approach to the stumps off an 18-yard run-up. The knee may be holding up fine, but the mental scars have not entirely dissipated, and it will be a while yet before he’ll be sliding in the outfield. “In time I will probably slide again, but the pitches out here are pretty sandy as well so it’s not worth it,” he said. “You’ll probably see me just running after the ball here, but everyone is saying don’t do anything stupid.”England are likely to field another 12-man line-up for Friday’s game, after Jeff Dujon, the former West Indian wicketkeeper and coach of the Vice-Chancellor’s XI indicated he’d like to give Jermaine Lawson another opportunity to push for a Test place. Lawson has been out of cricket since last May, after being reported for a suspect bowling action. He will be joined in the Vice-Chancellor’s XI by Steve Tikolo and Kennedy Otieno, who helped Kenya to the semi-finals of the 2003 World Cup, and have since been playing in the Carib Beer Cup, West Indies’ domestic competition.England (probable) 1 Marcus Trescothick, 2 Michael Vaughan (capt), 3 Paul Collingwood, 4 Nasser Hussain, 5 Graham Thorpe, 6 Andrew Flintoff, 7 Chris Read (wk), 8 Ashley Giles, 9 Simon Jones, 10 Steve Harmison, 11 Matthew Hoggard, 12 James Anderson.

DURBAN, South Africa, March 20 AFP – India’s cricket supremo Jagmohan Dalmiya called today for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to be even-handed in the way it enforced financial penalties.India were told before the World Cup they would be having a portion of their proceeds witheld following the players’ decision to alter the terms of their tournament contracts.But Dalmiya, speaking to reporters during India’s day-night World Cup semi-final against Kenya at Kingsmead, said the ICC would also have to be equally firm with England and New Zealand who forfeited World Cup matches in Zimbabwe and Kenya respectively and so risked potential financial penalties.”This has got to be sorted out. We can’t go on like this,” said Dalmiya ahead of a two-day ICC executive board meeting in Johannesburg starting on Friday.”But what applies to one must apply to all,” added Dalmiya, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and formerly president of the ICC.However, Dalmiya did not appear too concerned by the prospect of any action being taken by the world governing body against India. “The money is in the reserve bank of cricket.”I’ve had a little experience of the ICC. The ICC can’t claim for money against us if no one claims against the ICC.”

LONDON – England’s floundering Ashes prospects were struck a body blowtoday when Graham Thorpe was ruled out of the third cricket Test justdays after returning from a six-week injury lay-off.The Surrey left-hander, regarded by Australia as England’s top batsman,fractured a bone in his right hand while batting in the second Test atLord’s on Saturday.An x-ray on Sunday failed to diagnose the problem after Thorpe was hitby a Brett Lee delivery.But a specialist today confirmed that Thorpe had an undisplaced fracturein the metacarpal bone of his right hand.Thorpe was rushed back into the England side at Lord’s because of aninjury crisis, not even managing a warm-up game with his county.He scored 20 and two as England were humiliated again to go 2-0 down inthe five-match series against the world’s top-ranked side.The injury means that England could go into the third Test at TrentBridge, Nottingham, without three of their top batsmen.Captain Nasser Hussain, who has suffered two fractures of the hand thisseason already, has not played again.England have yet to decide whether to give him the go-ahead to play in acomeback match for his county Essex starting on Friday.No.3 batsman Michael Vaughan, meanwhile, looks set to miss his thirdTest in a row following surgery on a knee cartilage.Pace bowler Matthew Hoggard also missed the second Test with a footinjury.Australia beat England by eight wickets at Lord’s, giving them 18 winsin their last 20 Tests.They won the first Test by an innings and 118 runs. Both games couldhave finished within three days if they had not been interrupted byrain.

West Ham have reportedly made a shock bid for Real Madrid’s Mateo Kovacic, and he is the type of superstar signing that would put the Hammers back amongst the big boys.

What’s the story?

West Ham were incredibly close to infiltrating the top four in their last season at the Boleyn Ground, and if the Hammers want to get back up there they have to add some top quality to support Manuel Pellegrini.

Manuel Lanzini’s injury is a huge loss in terms of attacking impetus and creativity, and Italian reports claim the club are trying to make up for it by moving for Kovacic.

According to the report from Tuttomercatoweb, the Hammers “tabled a bid” for the Croatian international on Monday.

Real Madrid don’t want to lose a player they see as the next in line to the midfield throne after Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, but they might not have a choice.

The 24 year-old is frustrated with his lack of first team opportunities, and asked to leave the club last month, so this could be the Hammers’ best chance to swoop in and sign themselves a superstar.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”262679″ player=”12034″ title=”Chattin’ Shirt 3 Teams at Russia 2018″]

What’s all the fuss about?

Kovacic is of course not a like for like replacement for Lanzini, but his ability to break the lines with his passing or dribbling would be a huge asset in Pellegrini’s midfield.

Valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, the former Inter Milan star can play in various positions, but is best as a box to box midfielder, where he can use his versatility and intelligence help out at both ends of the pitch.

Former Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni once described him as a mixture of Kaka and Clarence Seedorf, so if that doesn’t get you excited then nothing will.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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The 24 year-old already has 45 caps for Croatia, is excellent at weaving past players with the ball, and doesn’t mind getting stuck in either, averaging well over two tackles per 90 minutes in La Liga last season.

The feisty but extremely technically gifted midfielder is reportedly wanted by Chelsea and Spurs, but if the experience and charm of Pellegrini can lure him to East London then the Hammers could make a legitimate charge at the top six, especially if they can secure other targets like Felipe Anderson.

So, West Ham fans, would you like to see a move for Kovacic? Do you think you can pull it off? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

	Michael Vaughan shakes Stephen Fleming’s hand as he arrives for his final innings © Getty Images

Farewell of the day
Stephen Fleming entered the arena to a guard of honour from England’s fielders, and left to a standing ovation, while his wife, Kelly, shed a tear or two of pride. In between whiles, Fleming served up the perfect hors d’oeuvre of an innings, much as he has been serving up throughout his 14-year career. For the 28th time in his 111-Tests, Fleming finished up with a score between 50 and 69, as a sumptuous and richly promising performance was brought to a close by a loose poke outside off stump and a thin nick to the keeper. At least he goes to retirement with an average in excess of 40, but it is scant consolation for the defeat that now beckons.Flying start of the day
Matthew Bell had mustered three ducks and 48 runs in his first five innings of the series, and realistically, another failure in this match would have ruled him out of contention for the forthcoming tour to England. Perhaps James Anderson fancied him as a victim on a damp English seamer, because the over he served up midway through the morning session was as gratefully devoured as a UNICEF food parcel. Four wide long-hops, four boundaries of increasing authority, and one single later he had passed 30 for the first time in the series. Anderson, meanwhile, was required for just four more overs all day.Golden arm of the day
Monty Panesar hasn’t had the best of luck in this series – the catch that Kevin Pietersen put down in Wellington, for instance, was about the easiest chance he’ll ever be offered. But today, Monty’s luck belatedly turned. With his third ball after lunch, he dislodged Jamie How, who had hitherto looked utterly unfazed during a 48-run opening stand, but then, three balls after tea, he repeated the dose against the hapless Bell, who had hardly put a foot wrong all innings, but then chose to have a swing at Panesar’s worst delivery of the match. It was short, leg-sided and begged to be slapped, but Bell undercut it and sent a top-edge spiralling to Stuart Broad at fine leg.Back-bender of the day
On a merciless surface, England were only going to get out of it what they put in, and so all eyes turned to their tallest bowler, Broad, whose hit-the-deckability (to coin a phrase) proved a threat throughout two marathon spells. He ran in hard for nine consecutive overs either side of lunch, then 14 off the reel in the mid-afternoon, when the shine had vanished off the old ball and opportunities were at their scarcest. But he still responded with two vital wickets, both courtesy of short deliveries. His victims, Mathew Sinclair and Grant Elliott, might not be playing too many more Tests in the near future, judging by how poorly they negotiated his lifters, but Broad has undoubtedly proved his worth in this match. Not least with his batting at No. 8.Tenuous analogy of the day
At 222 for 5 at the close of play, New Zealand are down, if not entirely out of this game and the series. However, England will not begin celebrating just yet, not while a strokeplayer of the power of Brendon McCullum remains at the crease. Six years ago in Christchurch, on England’s last tour, the first Test unfolded in a spookily similar fashion to this one. England batted first and slumped to 0 for 2 (Six years later, they made 4 for 3). They were rescued by a century from their No. 4 batsman, who scored nearly 50% of the innings runs (Nasser Hussain, 106 out of 228, Kevin Pietersen 129 out of 253). New Zealand then collapsed to a seven-for from a Yorkshire-born swing bowler (Matthew Hoggard 7 for 63, Ryan Sidebottom 7 for 47), and conceded a lead of 80-odd runs (81, 85). England batted again on a sun-baked pitch, and declared on 468 for 6 (Thorpe 200, Flintoff 137) and 467 for 7 (Strauss 177, Bell 110). New Zealand set 550 and 552 respectively to win. At one stage at Christchurch, New Zealand had slipped to 252 for 6, but then came Nathan Astle’s unforgettable 222 from 153 balls, and a monstrous dose of English jitters.

Ricky Ponting shows off the World Cup during a reception attended by thousands of supporters in Sydney © Getty Images

The World Cup has returned to Australia, landing in Sydney on Thursday morning with most of the side that won the trophy in Barbados on Saturday. Ricky Ponting said the squad had enjoyed its party after sealing the third success in a row.”[I am feeling] more refreshed than I was two days ago, that is for sure,” Ponting told AAP. “The celebrations were long and hard, which is what they should be after you win a World Cup. There were some pretty amazing scenes coming back to Australia from guys with not a lot of clothing on at different hours of the morning, but we celebrated as we should.”After breakfast with the prime minister John Howard at the SCG, Ponting lifted the trophy in front of a large crowd at a public reception for the team in Sydney’s Martin Place. Each member of the squad was given a gold ring to mark the winning achievement. The supporters who turned up also celebrated the work of the retiring Glenn McGrath and the outgoing coach John Buchanan.”I’ve been very lucky to have been involved in an era of cricket when Australia has been so strong,” McGrath said. “Since making the decision I haven’t even had a second thought. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, but it’s now time for me to move on and let the young guys come through.”Australia did not lose a game for the second World Cup in a row, sealing the tournament with a 53-run victory over Sri Lanka which was set up by Adam Gilchrist’s 149. “For us to again go through undefeated and once again have a lot of our players peaking at the right time in the World Cup is an amazing achievement by everybody,” Ponting said.”Gilly’s innings in the final, as I have been flat out telling him, it was unbelievable, that was the one difference between the two teams in the final. It has been an amazing couple of months of our lives and even more amazing last few days.”

Glenn McGrath eyes up the trophy © Getty Images

“That was definitely one of the most fulfilling days of my cricketing career,” Gilchrist said. “As Ricky said, it is very difficult in such a short space of time since it happened [to place it], but it adds to all of the fine achievements which this team has achieved over our careers.”Ponting said ending the final in the dark was a much better option than returning the next day. “I’d have been struggling to find someone to bowl the three overs,” he said. He said the officials, who mistakenly pushed for the extra overs, had learned their lesson.”I’m sure next time they officiate in big games like that they’ll know the rules inside out,” he said. The squad was missing Stuart Clark and Brad Hodge, who were in England for county stints, while Matthew Hayden arrived home on Tuesday to prepare for the birth of his third child in Brisbane.

Marcus Trescothick reaches his 14th Test hundred © Getty Images

Marcus Trescothick returned to the England fold as if he had never been away, rattling along to his 14th Test hundred and his second at Lord’s, as Sri Lanka’s bowlers were put through their paces on a glorious summer’s day. By the close, he and Alastair Cook, who made 89 on his home debut, had lifted England to a position of supreme dominance on 318 for 3.”It was time to move on,” said a delighted Trescothick, whose tour of India ended in dramatic and mysterious circumstances in March, when he flew home in tears and amid conflicting reports about his wellbeing. But all such dramas were forgotten as he found redemption in the middle, creaming 16 fours and a six in a 180-ball 106.”It was time to get things rolling, get back in an England shirt and enjoy playing cricket again,” added Trescothick, who had to endure a tricky first hour as Sri Lanka’s seamers found some useful movement off the pitch. “It was tough, more than I expected,” he admitted. “I knew it might swing around a bit but it seamed as well. We just had to watch the ball hard and play as late as possible.”For the home fans who packed the Lord’s stands, it was as if he had never been away. Trescothick was the mainstay of England’s batting during the Ashes with 431 runs in five Tests, but the reality has been somewhat different for a man unused to missing international action – prior to last winter, he had missed just three Tests out of 72 since making his debut in August 2000.”I used the time [away] to take stock, sit back, then move on,” Trescothick explained. “But I’m playing the same way as I have played all my career. I love playing cricket, and now I’ve got an opportunity to enjoy the summer. The start of the season has gone pretty well with Somerset, but back in international cricket is where I want to be.Such is the close-knit atmosphere of the current England squad, Trescothick never doubted that a place in the side would be his as soon as he was ready, but there was nothing blasé about his build-up to the match. “I was pretty nervous,” he conceded. “There were the expectations of coming back into the start of a summer, but it was a real good buzz to walk out this morning. It was quite exciting.””It was a bigger release last week when I got a hundred last week against Northamptoon, because I hadn’t got any runs prior to that in four-day cricket. But you’re always under pressure to make runs, because of the expectations of the team and our goals. Today, I played as I would have done six months ago, but you’ve got to make runs because there’s always someone waiting to take your spot!”That last remark was aimed with a smile at the man sat alongside him, Cook, who capitalised on Trescothick’s absence to make that brilliant century on debut at Nagpur. Today he fell 11 runs short, but his disappointment was tempered by the satisfaction at a job well done.”It’s been a fantastic week, I’ve really enjoyed the build-up, but it was nice to get out there, stop talking and play cricket,” he said. “It’s always nice playing in front of a lot of people, especially when the sun’s out and you’re on a good wicket.”Another 11 would have been nice, but thought I’d played ok,” he said modestly, having begun his innings after a nervy 40-minute wait over the lunch break, following the dismissal of Andrew Strauss. But, as an opener, Cook didn’t mind that situation too much. “It kind of worked in my favour,” he said. “It felt like I was opening the innings after lunch, and it was no different to walking out with someone else.”