Ray Mali, the ICC president, believes Zimbabwe will be at the top of the ICC ODI championship table if the current team is allowed to remain intact for the next three years.Mali told the on Tuesday: “The programmes that they (ZC) have will, I believe, take cricket far and it has been demonstrated by what we saw over the last three one-day games, especially on Sunday when Zimbabwe was almost there. And I believe these boys – if they are given a chance to play for the next three years as one unit – they will be at the top of world rankings.”It is not a dream, I believe it can be done. Zimbabwe Cricket will have to continue exposing these boys to higher class, intensive cricket all the time. Zimbabwe Cricket will have my support, they will have the support of ICC with this type of cricket that has been demonstrated over the last few days.”Mali, the former head of the South Africa board, heaped praised on the current ZC leadership, saying they have managed to have a sustained developmental programme that will ensure a constant supply of talent.”At the same time I am excited by the involvement of schools in the cricket set-up which augurs well for the future because I believe with the participation of schools, from the Under-11 age-group up to the top, it means the future of cricket in this country is guaranteed.”There will be a constant flow of players going up and the quality of leadership that has been assigned to look after the cricket here is of the highest quality that you can find anywhere in the world. It compares well with what we have in South Africa and other parts of the world.”Mali was in Zimbabwe for a six-day working visit to familiarise himself with the happenings inside Zimbabwean cricket. He returned home yesterday afternoon along with the South African team.”We live in a world that is governed by the information that is sent out to the various members of the world community. I came out to Zimbabwe simply because I wanted to experience myself what is happening out here. We tend to get conflicting reports about the situation in terms of cricket but the most important motivation for my coming here is that my predecessor Advocate Percy Sonn was here in August last with the CEO of ICC Malcolm Speed.”At that stage Zimbabwe were busy having a new board in place, trying to set up new cricket structures and at the same time I was here 13 years ago as manager of the South Africa A team.”Now looking at the facilities that I saw in Bulawayo and Harare, I was quite amazed by the giant strides that Zimbabwe have taken to have facilities that measure up to world standards in terms of playing cricket.”Now even on the development front I did go to Emakhandeni (Bulawayo) to have a look because, unfortunately, in Africa we have had the unfortunate situation where facilities are wrongly placed.”You find good, better and more facilities in areas where there are fewer people using them. In South Africa we have facilities that are under-utilised and I am pleased to note that the Zimbabwe Cricket board are busy tackling that serious imbalance to have more facilities in the high-density areas.”

Eager to embark on his first Test series next month, Sri Lanka’s coach Trevor Bayliss has said it will be strange being on the opposite side of the fence while taking on Australia, his home country.”Everyone’s excited about Australia. For me, it will be strange having been involved with them for so long,” Bayliss told the . “But that’s just the nature of the game these days, and I can’t wait to be involved in my first Test match in this position.”Bayliss, 44, a former New South Wales batsman who went on to coach them, was appointed as Sri Lanka’s national coach for a two-year term beginning in August. His first one-day series ended in Sri Lanka going down 3-2 to England.Over the past few weeks, there has been debate in Sri Lanka’s political circle to overturn the selectors’ decision to drop Marvan Atapattu from the touring squad. But Bayliss hoped it won’t have a major impact on their campaign in Australia. “We have a captain in Mahela [Jayawardene] who I would put right up there with the Waughs and Mark Taylor as far as leaders go. The influence he has on his players is as great as anyone I’ve seen in the game. He has the complete respect of the players, and I’ve found him to be a quality bloke.”At the moment, I’m just learning about the system here. Over time, I will let the board know if I have any ideas about how to improve things.”Bayliss was optimistic about Sri Lanka’s chances against Australia, despite them having a poor record there – losing six of the eight Tests. He was also confident that Muttiah Muralitharan would be fit for the two-Test series, starting on November 8. “He’s obviously crucial to us, and we’re just trying to make sure he’s 100%.”Murali was ruled out of the one-dayers against England due to a bicep injury but is expected to make the tour to Australia, where he has a chance of breaking Shane Warne’s record as the leading wicket-taker in Tests.”Between him, Mahela and some of the veteran players, they have a very good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the Australian players. I might be able to give a little bit more insight in terms of some of the guys I’ve coached, but for the most part, I think they’re in a really good position as it is.”Bayliss also said it had been difficult adapting to life in Sri Lanka. “The traffic, the smog, the food – it’s all very new to me. I still can’t shake the feeling at dinner time, ‘Is this the meal that’ll do me in?’. As any of my old team-mates will tell you, I love a good steak and potatoes, but now it’s getting used to the hot curries.”I have a new-found respect for the blokes over here, with the facilities they have to work with. Australians really don’t know how good they’ve got it. But our [Sri Lankan] guys get on the job with no complaints and, as we’ve all seen over the years, have done a tremendous job despite the massive challenges they face.”Meanwhile, Jayawardene denied he had told the chairman of selectors Ashantha de Mel that Atapattu had not supported him once he was made captain. “I didn’t make such comments. What I said was what I have been telling ever since I took over as captain,” Jayawardene said. “I have been telling that if we are getting a player back, the selectors need to tell him why he was dropped earlier. I definitely said so, but I never said that he [Atapattu] didn’t support me.”I told the selectors that we should speak to him and see how he feels because he is a damn good player.”

Lance Klusener, the former South Africa allrounder, has come out strongly against Cricket South Africa’s (CSA’s) decision to ban players who have signed up with the Indian Cricket League (ICL).”It’s a crazy decision,” Klusener told the , a Durban-based newspaper. “It would deprive the young players here of my input, whether on the field or through coaching. What would be the point of it? I believe I still have a lot to offer, and I’m at the stage in my career when I want to put something back into the game.”Earlier, Gerard Majola, CSA’s chief executive, had said that the board would ban players joining the ICL. “We view them [the players who have signed on with the ICL] as rebels,” Majola told , an Afrikaans newspaper. “They have joined a breakaway organisation.”Tony Irish, the CEO of the South African Cricketers’ Association, said he was “unhappy” about Majola’s decision. “I have taken it up with Majola and am waiting for his reply.” But the matter has reportedly not yet been discussed by CSA.Klusener plans to “help the Dolphins out” in their four-day match against the Eagles in Kingsmead scheduled for next week; though it is unclear whether CSA will allow him to do so. Klusener and Nicky Boje, the former left-arm spinner, are the only South Africans to have signed on with the ICL.

It is said that legspinners enjoy longevity in cricket, often playing far longer than other bowling practitioners, and for Australian Ted Martin that has been borne out this week.While there is conjecture over exactly what his date of birth was, Martin achieved centenarian status during the past week. Several authoritative sources claim that he was born today in 1902 but there are other claims that his birth date was September 26. Whatever it was, it is now official.Martin played only two first-class matches, one for Western Australia and one for an Australian XI.Playing against Douglas Jardine’s 1932-33 team at the outset of what became known as the “Bodyline tour”, he took six wickets in the opening match of the tour and on the basis of that performance was named in the Australian XI which also played in Perth and which included Don Bradman and Vic Richardson. He didn’t take any wickets in that match.Martin had been born in Bendigo but was moved west when his father followed the gold rush. Martin did not continue his cricket career beyond these matches and instead spent a professional career in accountancy.He does join a select group of players who have achieved 100 years. He’s not the first Australian to achieve the feat, although he is the only Australian first-class player. John Wheatley, who was born in Singleton, New South Wales, played his first-class cricket, 12 matches, for Canterbury in New Zealand. He died in Waimate, South Canterbury in 1962.The closest Australian previously had been New South Welshman Ray Bardsley who died in 1983 aged 99 years, five monthsThe known full list of players before Martin were:

103y 344d   JM Hutchinson    29 Nov 1896 –  7 Nov 2000   Eng102y 253d   R De Smidt       23 Nov 1883 –  3 Aug 1986   RSA102y 247d   EA English        1 Jan 1864 –  5 Sep 1966   Eng102y 101d   J Wheatley        8 Jan 1860 – 19 Apr 1962   Aus101y 222d   DB Deodhar       14 Jan 1892 – 24 Aug 1993   India101y 191d   GRU Harman        6 Jun 1874 – 14 Dec 1975   Ire100y 217d   CH Braithwaite   10 Sep 1845 – 15 Apr 1946   USA100y  77d   GO Deane         11 Dec 1828 – 26 Feb 1929   Eng

The speculation over whether Brian Lara will turn up to play in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) continues. Contrary to what Gaurav Seth, head of marketing at ICL, said earlier this week, the latest news is Lara is to arrive over the weekend.This time around Seth played it safe and chose not to confirm Lara’s arrival sometime late Friday. “Hopefully Lara will arrive over the weekend,” said Seth, unable to get a confirmed date because he hadn’t spoken with Himanshu Modi, the ICL chief who had rushed to London few days ago to have another meeting with the West Indian legend. “Lara had his own concerns but they’ve been sorted out now.” According to Seth, Modi is on his way back to India and soon things would be made clear.Lara, listed as captain of the Mumbai Champs, one of the six squads that complete the ICL league, was supposed to arrive last weekend to join his team-mates for practice at the Western Railways ground. The second part of the ICL phase starts now with the practice games that commence from tomorrow at five centres across India. The Champs will play the first of their three practice games against Kolkata Tigers from tomorrow, sans Lara.With the extended delay of his arrival, rumours about Lara opting to play both ICL and the BCCI’s Indian Premier League (IPL), which is scheduled to start in the summer of 2008, were adding sweat to ICL management. Seth said he was not bothered about the IPL now that Lara has agreed to the new terms.”He [Lara] had some concerns regarding the contract he had signed originally and wanted to renegotiate certain terms,” said Seth.It’s only natural that Lara will try to come on his own terms now that he knows he is the biggest player with the biggest brand value in the ICL. If he opted out, the pressure would be right on the sponsors.

Shaun Tait is concerned the chucking slurs will hang over him, but he is baffled over why New Zealand questioned his action in the first place. He says he has “nothing to hide” and has offered to undergo ICC testing.Controversy arose when the New Zealand camp refused to clear Tait’s action following last week’s Twenty20 in Perth. Nevertheless, Tait bears no grudges.”I’m not out for revenge. I just hope something like this doesn’t hang over me for the rest of my career like it has with [Muttiah] Muralitharan,” Tait told the Queensland-based Sunday Mail. “To be honest, I don’t know how he’s handled it. You’ve got to be mentally strong to keep going about your business when people are questioning your action.”I’m comfortable with my action. I know it’s a bit unique. I tend to turn my wrist very late at the point of delivery, but never at any stage of my career has anyone tried to suggest I chuck. I’m not happy about it at all but I’m not the sort of bloke to lose sleep over it.”If the ICC want to test me, that’s fine, I’ll do it anywhere, anytime. I’ve got nothing to hide.”Tait, meanwhile, has come under more fire from New Zealand as the vice-captain Brendon McCullum warned him about “mouthing off”. In the build-up to the opener in Adelaide on Friday, Tait had questioned the side’s ability to handle his pace, something which Daniel Vettori had himself acknowledged anyway.”If he’s Glenn McGrath, he can probably throw comments like that out there,” McCullum told AAP on Saturday. “But my only advice would be to maybe get a few more statistics behind him before he starts mouthing off.”I just thought it was a bit reckless from Taity. He’s a good bloke but he’s only played 15 games. When McGrath was very good at talking it up, he also had some unbelievable statistics behind him.”

England have been penalised for maintaining a slow over-rate during the third Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Match referee Jeff Crowe found the team to be four overs short of the alloted time after taking all allowances into consideration.Captain Michael Vaughan was thereby docked 40% of his match fee and the rest of his team, 20% each. According to the ICC’s Code of Conduct, players are fined 5% of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.The Galle Test ended in a draw after rain thwarted Sri Lanka’s push for a victory on the final day. Sri Lanka won the three-Test series 1-0.

The criticism of Australia’s conduct at the SCG has spread to other sports with three members of the country’s Hall of Fame calling for the team’s “moral compass to be returned”. John Bertrand, a sailor who won the America’s Cup in 1983, is the chairman of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and he wants a meeting with Cricket Australia to let it know its sides should be showing more respect to opponents.Australia’s behaviour during the match in Sydney has been under severe scrutiny. Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey have defended the team actions during the victory, but there have been a host of complaints in the fallout from a game that included issues over race, sportsmanship, umpiring, catching and walking.”We have a lot of clout in the sporting community and we will be saying to Cricket Australia that people need to step back and reassess what is happening here with a cool head,” Bertrand said in the Herald Sun. “The pressure to win out on the field has become too hot, and that pressure is all about winning at all costs.”That is not what sport is about … The fallout that we are seeing at the moment is not acceptable. It’s clearly damaging international relations and clearly a lot of people are upset.”Bertrand has joined the respected athletes Herb Elliott and Robert de Castella in believing the players are too arrogant. “Sport is only sport,” he said, “it’s not war.”Hussey said the players had “never stepped outside the rules or the laws of the game”. “We have a great pride in playing for the baggy green cap and for playing for each other,” he said in the Australian. “We know how hard it is to get an opportunity to play for Australia and we want to play as hard as we possibly can.”Neil Harvey, an Invincible from 1948, disagreed with Hussey and said Ponting “needs to look at himself”. “Certainly the captain needs to be stronger and keep his guys in line,” Harvey said. Harvey was also concerned by Australia’s failure to shake Anil Kumble’s hand at the end of the Test. “I don’t think they are very sporting.”

Boeta Dippenaar, the South Africa batsman, has announced his retirement from international cricket to concentrate on building a life beyond the sport.”Where my cricket career stands now, I have to make the tough call and step away,” he told on Tuesday. “I want to improve my qualifications for life after cricket. Even if I were in the national team now I would have announced my retirement at the end of the season.”Dippenaar, 30, made his debut in 1999 but it took him a further 12 months to register his first hundred. Soon after, he lost his place to Herschelle Gibbs – a batsman of complete contrast to Dippenaar, whose strengths were his sweet timing and orthodox defence.In spite of a healthy first-class record for Eagles and Free State, amassing nearly 9000 runs at 42.99, he couldn’t translate that same form into his international career, though he found some success in one-dayers with 3421 runs and four hundreds.Captain of the Eagles, who this week won the SuperSport Series title, Dippenaar will also play for Leicestershire in 2008.”Some people may question my decision but it is something that my wife and I have reached certainty about during the past year,” he said. “I am grateful for the opportunities I have had. I am grateful that I was able to represent my country and I wish the national team all the best.”Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, said though Dippenaar’s retirement announcement had come as a surprise, he had always known Dippenaar to have looked at the other parts of his life.”He studied for a law degree and he’s been chirping me about his helicopter pilot’s licence for quite a while.”Smith said Dippenaar’s experience would prove useful in the domestic game. “It’s encouraging to have men like that in the franchise circuit. With the international squad being away so much the guys don’t get enough opportunity to interact with players who have played at the highest level. They can’t always wrack a Jacques Kallis’s brain or a Shaun Pollock’s brain, so it is really encouraging that a man like Boeta is retiring from international cricket, but will still be part of the domestic game.”Cricket South Africa (CSA) wished Dippenaar well and hoped he would continue to be a role model for all the younger players in the franchise system.”CSA wishes Boeta and his family all the best in this new chapter of their lives, and we thank him for his most valued input into South African cricket at all the many levels he graced so well,” Gerald Majola, the chief executive, said in a statement.

Greg King, the Indian team’s trainer, has informed the BCCI that he does not wish to continue with the job after the completion of the tour of Australia, a day after physio John Gloster expressed the same intent.”He [King] has said that he will not continue [as the Indian team’s trainer] after this tour [of Australia], citing personal reasons,” Niranjan Shah, the secretary of the BCCI, told Cricinfo.King has been involved with the Indian team since August, 2003, when he took over from Adrian Le Roux, and was contracted with the board till December, 2007, but had decided on making the trip to Australia.Prior to his stint with the Indian team, King, who is a post-graduate in Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, was a fitness trainer with the Border squad in South Africa.King and Gloster’s exits mean that the board will have to fill two vacancies in the support staff when Gary Kirsten takes over as coach on March 1.