A nationwide siege programme has caused havoc in Bangladesh’s National Cricket league, with Dhaka’s match against Barisal being postponed for “an indefinite period” and Chittagong’s clash with Sylhet also under threat.A non-stop countrywide blockade has been enforced by a 14-party alliance headed by the opposition Awami League, and according to Dhaka’s Daily Star newspaper, the police have been directed to fire gunshots if the demonstrators attack them.The demonstration means that Dhaka will have to wait to take their five remaining Barisal wickets at the Fatullah Stadium, after Mohammad Rafique’s three-wicket burst gave them the upper hand on the third day’s play. Needing 247 to win, Barisal were shakily placed at 78 for 5.At the Chittagong Divisional Stadium, Sylhet were forced to follow-on after being bowled out for just 100 in their first innings, and though they reached 130 for 2 second-time around, the security situation is such that the match could be shifted to Monday, according to the match referee Rafiqul Alam.The entire day’s play at the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium was called off due to rain and later, bad light. The hosts were leading by nine runs on the second day.

Bennett King, the West Indies coach, said his side had only themselves toblame for not forcing a result during the second Test at Multan. MohammadYousuf and Abdul Razzaq eventually steered Pakistan to safety on the finalday, after they began their second innings 234 runs behind but it mighthave been different had Yousuf not been dropped at second slip when on108. He went on to make 191.King told reporters at the National Stadium in Karachi, ahead of the finalTest, “We certainly had our opportunities and were in a strong position, Iwouldn’t say it was disappointing but we only have ourselves to blame forthe result and we need to raise our fielding standards. Certainly the halfchances we have to make sure we take them. On these types of wickets youdon’t get a lot of opportunities so when they come your way you need tomake sure you take them.”Yousuf has been a regular beneficiary of West Indian lapses through theseries, being dropped four times in three innings. He has 439 runs in theseries so far. “I think our bowling has been not too bad overall but wehaven’t taken our opportunities. We dropped him on 40-odd in the firstTest and let him off the hook in the second Test as well. He is certainlya good player and in form and we will certainly take care this time. If wetake our opportunities we can be in a strong position again.”The Multan pitch was criticised by seemingly anyone who came within a mileof it, but particularly so by both captains and Danish Kaneria. Itoverlooked the fact that this was the first drawn Test from five matches on atraditionally high-scoring ground and King at least was happy that hisbowlers managed to create enough chances from the surface.”I think the pitch we just played on, we created enough opportunities andwent past the bat enough to get edges. Collymore bowled exceptionally welland had people edged the ball instead of missing it as often as they didthe result would have been different,” King said.He added, “I certainly think we extracted as much as we can out of thewickets and we have to make sure we maintain our line and disciplines andnot just get frustrated that we are beating the bat or catches are goingdown.”More help should be on offer in Karachi. The last two Tests here haveproduced outstanding cricket, where bowlers and batsmen have tussledevenly. As ever, there is grass now, though whether it will be asplentiful in two days’ time is uncertain. King said, “There is grass butwe expect that it will be taken off in a couple of days. It looks like apretty good batting track, slow, but probably taking spin as it goesalong.”His side has been on the road for some time now, ever since the DLF cup inMalaysia in September but that hasn’t led to a tailing off inperformances, a trait that has pleased King. “We are very determined. Wehave been on the road for three months and the boys played some of thebest cricket on the fifth day when most sides would probably start to feelthe effects of a long tour. But these boys have shown mental fortitude andI am very encouraged by the performance of the last game. We expect to gofrom strength to strength.”

Mark Benson, the on-field umpire for the ongoing India-South Africa Test at Durban, left the field 20 minutes into the third day’s play after suffering heart palpitations.He will be kept under observation in the Intensive Care Unit at St. Augustine’s Hospital overnight, and his condition reassessed tomorrow. Benson, one of the neutral umpires for this Test, complained of palpitations and was escorted off the field, with Ian Howell taking his place.Benson was a left-hand opening batsman who played for Kent from 1980 until 1997 and turned out in a solitary Test and one-dayer for England. He stood in his first international match in June 2004 and was elevated to the ICC Elite Panel in April 2006. He’s stood in 14 Tests and 38 ODIs to date.

Glenn McGrath has not revealed whether he plans to stay after the Ashes series, but he insists he still relishes bowling at the highest level. McGrath played down a report in the that he would bow out of the Test scene in Sydney but continue to appear in one-day internationals.McGrath said Shane Warne’s resignation from the Australian team didn’t mean he would be doing the same. “To be honest, I haven’t said anything [about retiring],” he told commercial radio. “It’s funny where it all comes from.”To me, I’m just preparing for another game. Nothing’s changed since the end of the Perth Test, apart from the fact that Shane Warne’s retiring at the end of the Sydney Test. So it’s funny how Warney decides that and … whether it’s in his wake and I’m being pulled along as well or whether the media think it’s time for me to go, I don’t know.”Asked whether this series would be his last, McGrath was non-committal. “All I’m saying is that, to me, it’s business as usual,” he said. “I’m just preparing for these next two Test matches, then it’s the one-day series and then I’ll take it from there.”The reported McGrath would fly to Melbourne today for the fourth Test carrying his resignation letter after discussing his departure with his wife Jane, who has endured a lengthy battle with cancer.”All I did was finish in Perth, come home and I’ve done nothing since and I’ve had journalists camped on the front door and hassling me at home and everything,” he said. “For me, it’s just another day at the office.”I guess we’ll have to wait and see, won’t we, [whether I will play on]. I don’t look that far ahead. In previous years, I haven’t said I’m looking forward to the Test in eight months or 12 months so, for me, it’s just another day at the office. I’m still enjoying it. I’m still loving playing and I’ve still got a lot of cricket in me.”

Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain, has been appointed manager of the West Indies team for the four-match one-day series in India. Lloyd had earlier toured with the side as an advisor during the Champions Trophy in India last year, where West Indies finished runners-up.Lloyd takes over from Tony Howard, who has served as the team manager since April 2004. Howard has been appointed as acting chief cricket operations officer of the West Indies Cricket Board.The board also announced that Hendy Springer, the Barbados coach, will assist Bennett King, the West Indies coach, during the tour due to the unavailability of regular assistant coach David Moore.

Tasmania and Victoria have both made forced changes ahead of their Pura Cup match starting at Hobart on Monday. The Tigers have recalled Brett Geeves after Adam Griffith failed a fitness test and the Bushrangers promoted Rob Quiney in the absence of Brad Hodge, who is with the Australia ODI squad.Quiney has struggled for form in his seven one-day games this year but he scored 215 in Melbourne’s grade cricket last weekend, which could put him on track to make his first-class debut. Griffith was considered only an outside chance to make his comeback after re-injuring his hamstring at a training session.The game should also see the return of Sean Clingeleffer, who was dumped from the Tasmania Pura Cup team before Christmas. Tasmania were forced to rethink their decision to hand the wicketkeeping gloves to Tim Paine after his batting fell away dramatically with the extra responsibility.Paine, 22, made a terrific start to the season and after four matches averaged 58.42, with a highest score of 215 against Western Australia at Perth. But since he was tasked with wicketkeeping as well as opening the batting, Paine has reached double figures only once from six innings and has averaged 4.66.Tasmania squad Michael Di Venuto, Tim Paine, Michael Dighton, Travis Birt, George Bailey, Daniel Marsh (capt), Sean Clingeleffer (wk), Damien Wright, Luke Butterworth, Brett Geeves, Brendan Drew, Ben Hilfenhaus.Victoria squad Nick Jewell, Lloyd Mash, Michael Klinger, David Hussey (capt), Jon Moss, Rob Quiney, Andrew McDonald, Adam Crosthwaite (wk), Shane Harwood, Bryce McGain, Michael Lewis, Darren Pattinson.

Elton Chigumbura has admitted that emulating allrounders like Chris Cairns and Andrew Flintoff doesn’t pay off in a struggling side like Zimbabwe. “I have always been a naturally aggressive player, though I have often been inhibited by a bad team situation,” he told AFP. “But I try not to be just a slogger. I use technique instead to get the ball back mainly over the bowler or the off-side field.Chigumbura has a reputation of being a big hitter – in his last ODI, against Bangladesh at Harare, Chigumbura cracked seven sixes – but realised the need to curb his enthusiasm a while ago. “I used to just lash out, but I have now learned that it doesn’t pay. I would get out early too often and that was bad for the team, especially as I usually bat a bit lower down.”Chigumbura – whose name in his local language means one who can be hurt but never complains – hoped a strong performance at the World Cup will help him secure a county cricket deal in England. “But I would always want to be available for Zimbabwe. I also want to develop into a good allrounder.There’s no doubt that we are underdogs in the West Indies but that could actually work to our advantage. I really hope that we can through the early rounds, mainly for the team but also because I might get the chance to take on the Aussies again.”Zimbabwe are in Group D in the World Cup, with hosts West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland. They kick off their campaign against Ireland on March 15 at Sabina Park in Jamaica.

Justin Langer has decided to play on for Western Australia next season in an attempt to lead the Warriors to their first Pura Cup title since 1998-99. And if Langer has his way, the man who captained that successful team eight years ago, Tom Moody, will be back in Perth as coach.Speaking at Western Australia’s awards night on Monday, Langer said his international goals had been achieved but he had unfinished business at state level. “One of the great highlights of my career was winning that first Sheffield Shield [in 1992],” Langer told .”When I stood here this time last year I had a burning desire to win back the Ashes with my mates, and for a long time the Australian cricket team have been my mates. I have felt in the last six months, I have started to develop some really good friendships, some mates, with the West Australian guys. And I have still got a burning ambition to win the Pura Cup back, so there’s your announcement.”Langer, 36, is scheduled to play county cricket for Somerset this season. He hopes by the time he returns to Western Australia after winter, his old mate Moody will have replaced Wayne Clark, who announced his retirement as coach in January.”I’m still fit, I am still enjoying the game … hopefully Tom Moody will be coach, and if that is the case that would be an added bonus,” Langer said. “I am sure if Tom wants the job he is a walk up start. We are all hopeful we see him coming through the arrivals gate at Perth airport in a month or so.”Langer said captaining the side was not a condition of him staying on as a player, but it was something he was keen to continue. “I’d like to think my experience, working in conjunction with someone like Tom, would be a great leadership group for WA cricket,” he said.

Duplicitous team selection of the Day Part 1
“It’s a batsman’s paradise,” declared Brian Lara after yesterday’sdefeat against Australia. Few entirely concurred with him, but evenfewer could believe what a dramatic volte-face he would pullovernight. Far from backing the batsmen who had let him down the daybefore, he instead chastised them by drafting in an extra man in LendlSimmons, who contributed 14 not out from 26 balls, and faced just onedelivery as the last three wickets tumbled.Duplicitous team selection of the Day Part 2
Simmons did not, of course, just waltz into the side unchallenged.Someone had to be the fall guy and that honour went to Jerome Taylor,the quickest man in the attack (and consequently, you might havethought, the best suited to overcoming the easy-paced conditions). Butit got crazier. In Taylor’s absence, the new ball was flung to DwayneSmith, whose medium-pacers weren’t even called upon against Australia.”Maybe we have too many bowlers,” Lara had shrugged when quizzed aboutSmith’s lack of use against the Aussies. Nobody for one minuteimagined that could possibly have constituted a weakness.Flaccid dismissal of the Day
Once again there were almost too many to choose from, but this timethe honour goes to Smith whose demotion to No. 9 in the order wasfully justified by hindsight. A second-ball slog went spiralling overmidwicket, but just four deliveries later he was gone to the mostatrociously-mistimed sweep since Sooty lost his autocue.Catch of the Day
It wasn’t just a tale of West Indian ineptitude, however. New Zealandwere full value for their victory because they played the sort ofcricket that deserves to win matches. Take the wicketkeeper BrendonMcCullum for instance, whose one-handed pluck off Ramnaresh Sarwan’sinside-edge was a moment of genuine brilliance. His weight was alreadytransferring to the off-side, but he braced, buckled, sprung andstretched to shift his momentum in the opposite direction and clung onat full stretch with his weaker left hand.

Run-out of the Day
Sprinting, bending and stretching aren’t the sort of things that mostself-respecting 37-year-olds put themselves through, so when ScottStyris pushed Dwayne Bravo to Brian Lara’s right in the covers, he waswell within his rights to assume an easy single was on the cards. Larahowever had other ideas, and with the grace of an ageing gazelle, hesnatched the ball from the turf and pinged down the stumps withStephen Fleming not even in the frame.Anticlimax of the Day
You could say the crowd, but they are yesterday’s news. Once again theattendance was poor as the logistics of filling a stadium in themiddle of nowhere sapped the local enthusiasm. There was one man whohad the capacity to bring back the crowds, however. Chris Gayle is thekingpin of this current West Indian line-up, and after a tortuousfirst half to his innings, he was beginning to cut loose. After sevenruns from his first 19 balls he had recovered to 44 from 55, but thengot too cute as Jacob Oram dropped one short, and inside-edged ontohis stumps. A century was what was needed, but at 81 for 4 thegame was up.Bowler of the Day
Oram’s were the outstanding figures, with 3 for 23, and Daniel Vettorigrabbed a trio of his own, but it was once again Shane Bond who wasNew Zealand’s indisputable cutting edge. He cranked up the pace tolevels unmatched on either side, and struck in each of his threespells. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was becalmed, then beaten by latemovement; Dwayne Bravo fenced at the very first ball of Bond’s return, whilethe No. 11 Corey Collymore couldn’t counter a perfect yorker. For allhis injury problems, Bond has now taken 23 wickets in 11 World Cupmatches, at a stunning average of 16.26.

According to Bruce Aanensen, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief executive, the crucial factor surrounding the next coach will be ability and not nationality. Bennett King, the first foreign coach of West Indies, recently resigned after their failure to reach the World Cup semi-finals.”What we want to do is get the best possible coach for the team and it really doesn’t matter to us where that coach comes from,” Aanensen told the Caribbean Media Corporation. “I think if you look at most of the foreign teams, most of them have coaches that are not local to their establishment. It’s the same thing in the football World Cup, I think that all but four of the teams in the last World Cup finals had foreign coaches so to speak.”So this thing that people have that we must have a local coach, we must have the best possible coach that can take our cricket forward and whether is West Indian, English, Australian, New Zealander as far as I am concerned it doesn’t matter.”King succeeded Gus Logie in 2004. It was a controversial decision with many in the region insisting that a local should be put in charge.The WICB is scheduled to name a new captain on Sunday to take over from Brian Lara who retired from the international game. “A full board meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 29, in Barbados. At that time the matter will be addressed,” said a WICB statement. “The new captain will then join the other selectors on Tuesday, May 1, 2007 to select the other members of the team. The WICB expects that it will be able to release the names of the players on Wednesday May 2, 2007, after the convenor of selectors has notified the players.”Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lara’s long-time vice-captain, is expected to be given the job of leading the squad on the tour to England which gets underway in May.