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Derbyshire 266 (Masters 5-51) and 173 for 7 (Durston 60, Craddock 4-66) drew with Essex 245 (Wainwright 4-64) and 294 for 5 dec (Westley 82, Foster 58*, ten Doeschate 52, Pettini 50)
ScorecardEssex saw their slim chances of promotion all but wiped out while Derbyshire took another step towards Division One when they held out for a draw in a tense finale to the LV= County Championship match at Derby.The visitors set Derbyshire a target of 274 in a minimum of 58 overs but the home side’s chase faltered after leg spinner Tom Craddock struck twice in successive overs. Wes Durston, with 60, and Dan Redfern (46) put them back in the hunt with a stand of 107 in 23 overs but Craddock took two more wickets to leave the Division Two leaders to bat out the last hour.Nerves were jangling in the home camp at 163 for seven but former Essex bowler Tony Palladino joined Ross Whiteley and they dug in for 18 minutes to steer Derbyshire to 173 for seven before rain had the final say with six overs still to bowl.Essex had to give themselves the best part of two sessions to bowl Derbyshire out and although the home side set defensive fields, the runs flowed in the morning.Essex started the day with a lead of 64 and despite losing Owais Shah in the fourth over when his miscued drive gave Palladino his 50th Championship victim of the summer, Tom Westley and Mark Pettini soon had the scoreboard ticking over.Westley twice came down the track to drive seamer Tim Groenewald back over his head for four and had scored 82 off 95 balls when he was caught behind driving at a wide ball from Mark Turner.Pettini and Ryan ten Doeschate added 56 in 10 overs, with the former Essex skipper completing his fifty off 54 balls before he pulled Ross Whiteley to deep midwicket. Essex had scored 158 runs before lunch and Ten Doeschate and James Foster scored at six an over to add 72, with the Holland all-rounder scoring 52 before he edged a drive at Turner.Foster drove David Wainwright for six to bring up his half-century off only 40 balls and then declared on 294 for 5 setting Derbyshire a target which always looked at least 25 too many.Wayne Madsen responded to the challenge by scoring 31 out of 42 in less than nine overs before he was lbw to a full-length ball from David Masters and when Craddock struck, the home side had some rebuilding to do. Paul Borrington and Usman Khawaja were both stumped coming down the pitch but Durston and Redfern found the right mixture of caution and aggression to get Derbyshire back on course.They added 107 in 23 overs but the game swung back to Essex when Redfern got a leading edge to mid-on and Craddock bowled Durston and Wainwright in the space of four balls.When Masters had Tom Poynton caught behind with 11 overs remaining, Essex sniffed victory but Whiteley and Palladino clung on for 5.2 overs to steer Derbyshire to 173 for 7 before the rain became too heavy.

Stephen Fleming has confirmed that he has no ambitions of coaching at the international level, despite his success with the Chennai Super Kings. Fleming has taken the team to three trophies – two IPL titles and one Champions League win – and has formed a strong partnership with Indian captain MS Dhoni, but has no desire to extend that any further.”I get my cricket fix doing this,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “And then I am just enjoying living a normal life. With all the travelling I did as a player, it’s nice to just have a normal life. It’s great to be able to do this for a few weeks a year but that is it.”Fleming’s decision will be a loss to the coaching fraternity, especially as he is regarded as one of the most astute men in the job. His players, like Faf du Plessis, describe him as authoritative but not dictatorial, and helpfully instructive without being overbearing.That much was on display during the team’s arrival press conference in Johannesburg. A question was asked to the table on the way Dhoni thought about R Ashwin and Fleming allowed S Badrinath to answer instead of him. “He has confidence in Ashwin to bowl in the Powerplays. Ashwin has also been bowling a few new balls with a new action. He comes up with something new every day, so to have a guy like him in the team gives more options to the captain,” Badrinath said.”Very good, that’s absolutely right,” Fleming told him and added nothing to the assessment. Badrinath is not a youngster and as one of the core members of the squad was thought more than capable of handling questions over their strategy. The smile that crept over Fleming’s face spoke of his satisfaction that the players are capable of holding their own.Fleming’s philosophy lies in relying on individual strengths rather than actively cultivating a team ethos. That is one of the reasons he has been able to bring the best out of someone like Albie Morkel, who is a CSK superstar but has not been able to replicate those performances at national level. Fleming explained that he has given Morkel certain reassurances that he does not have when playing for South Africa.”He is a bit more secure with us and a bit more in spotlight which may make him more comfortable with CSK in his role,” Fleming said. “When you have got a talented side like South Africa, they try different techniques and tactics all the way through and he may be searching a bit for his role within the side.”Having complete definition of what is expected of him has seen Morkel turn in far better performances, especially with the ball, for CSK. “He wants to be more consistent with the ball. He tends to be more inconsistent with the international stuff rather than with us,” Fleming said. “There will be a pressure aspect there, a composure aspect especially where he is searching more for that magic formula. When he comes back to us, he has that confidence and has those good thoughts again and performs well.”Morkel is of particular importance to this CSK campaign because he will also add an insider’s knowledge of conditions. “He also arranges golf brilliantly and [is] magnificent with safaris,” Fleming joked. “The biggest challenge is trying to find the right team for the conditions at this time of year so Albie will be useful to us in getting that right.”Bowlers are expected to have a good time on South Africa’s bouncy pitches which should even the contest between what is thought to be a batsmen’s game and them. “It was initially tailor-made for the batsmen, now the bowlers have improved a lot,” Michael Hussey, another CSK stalwart, said. “The onus over the next couple of years is for the batters to step up their game.”It is trends like those that Fleming has been so effective reading and preparing for. He has picked up on the nuances of a format that is seen as the caveman of cricket – without much subtlety – and has had success because of it. “The competition has got a bit tighter,” he said. “We are all looking for new ways to do things. But in saying that, there is a risk you can complicate things.” For now, simplifying them is as much as he wants from his coaching career.

Gerald Majola, the suspended CSA chief executive, has been found guilty on all nine charges laid against him at his disciplinary hearing, including accepting bonuses, not declaring them to the board and wrongdoing around travel claims. The sanction against him will only be decided on Friday, although it is likely he will be fired.Majola’s hearing took place without him after he withdrew from proceedings last week. He was invited to appear before chairperson Karel Tip for the decision today but chose not to. He could still make an appearance tomorrow to make submissions on the sanction that will be handed down.When that takes place it will bring to an end an almost three-year long saga over which has centred on R4.7 million (then US$ 671,428) in bonuses that were paid to Majola and 29 other staff members after the hosting of the 2009 IPL in South Africa. Three separate investigations found that the money was not properly declared to the board and contravened principles of corporate governance.Suspicion first emerged when CSA’a auditors picked up the payments as an irregularity in August 2009. At the time, sources close to the body maintained that the payments were made in accordance with precedents set during other non-CSA events, such as the 2007 World Twenty20. The then-president Dr Nyoka called for a more thorough look into the matter. CSA initially said they would have an external enquiry but decided to exhaust their internal mechanisms first and moved the matter in-house.AK Khan chaired the commission and cleared Majola of any wrongdoing but reprimanded him for making an error of judgement in not declaring the money. On Nyoka’s insistence – after having votes of no confidence passed against him twice and winning a court battle – CSA had to subject itself to an audit by major firm KPMG. Their investigation recommended CSA seek legal advice on whether Majola broke the law. After hearing testimony from a lawyer, the board chose to reprimand Majola severely in response.The action was deemed to be unsatisfactory by the country’s sports minister Fikile Mbalula. He stepped in and ordered that another investigation be conducted under Judge Chris Nicholson. Hearings were held from December last year to February 2012 and in March, Nicholson issued his findings. The two most notable ones were that Majola be suspended pending a disciplinary hearing and that CSA restructure its board.The latter is almost complete. On Tuesday CSA announced the five independent directors who will sit on the new board and will appoint five provincial presidents to join them at the AGM on October 27. They may also have to appoint a new chief executive if Majola loses his job after the sanctions have been announced. Jacques Faul, the acting chief executive, and Haroon Lorgat, the former ICC boss, are believed to be in the running.Majola’s hearing was due to be complete by the end of May but it was delayed when he contested the appointed chairperson. The challenge was successful because John Myburgh, who was to hear the proceedings, made an advisory award against Majola and he was believed not to be impartial in the matter because of that.Tip was then appointed and the hearing started last Wednesday. Majola has since launched a challenge in the country’s Labour Court. He is challenging the legitimacy of the action taken against him over the last year, particularly the decision to hold a disciplinary hearing against him.

Carl Hooper provided a timely reminder to West Indies selectors that he cantake wickets as well as score runs after Guyana reduced England A to 218 forseven on the first day of the Busta International Shield semi-final atBourda.He took 4-24 from 19 overs to give his side first day honours when EnglandA’s batting, which had begun to look frail in the last match against LeewardIslands, once again proved disappointing.Five of the batsmen played themselves in then suffered lapses inconcentration to gift their wickets away with Hooper and fellow spinner NeilMcGarrell the main beneficiaries accounting for six of the seven wickets.The Guyana Cricket Board have written to the cricket authorities to lodge acomplaint about Barbados taking the Busta Cup title when Guyana finished onequal points.Despite the rules, which state the team with the most outright wins becomechampions in the event of a tie on points, Guyana feel they are worthy jointchampions and their sense of entitlement was clearly manifest in theirapproach to today’s semi-final.It was a surprise however when Hooper won the toss and inserted England A ona pitch that promised assistance to the seamers only in the first hour. MarkAlleyne was quite happy with his choice and when openers Michael Powell andIan Ward played steadily to pick off the runs against some early waywardnessfrom the Guyana pace attack Reon King and Colin Stuart, it looked like thedecision may backfire.But after putting on 34 runs, with spinners already in action by the 14thover, Ward pushed defensively at a delivery from Test bowler MahendraNagamootoo and was caught having made 24.Despite his remarkable start to the tour, in which he made 643 runs fromnine innings, the last four knocks have produced a more modest 70 and he hasbeen overtaken by the prolific Hooper who, going into this semi-final match,had notched up a total of 798 and was in with a chance of reaching 1,000 toearn the bumper US$50,000 prize on offer.Powell played defiantly and with John Crawley added 54 for the second wicketand although Crawley was dropped at first slip while still on 12, he wasunable to make the error a costly one and was taken at slip for the second24 of the day giving Hooper his first wicket.Five overs later, Powell was leg before to McGarrell though televisionreplays suggested he had got bat to ball, and from then on the wicketstumbled at regular intervals with Vikram Solanki deceived by a ball fromMcGarrell that kept straight and Alleyne, who is in top form, falling for24, edging Hooper to the wicketkeeper Vishal Nagamootoo, Mahendra’s youngerbrother who was standing just inches away from the stumps.The sight of Alleyne walking dolefully back to the pavilion with the scoreon 149 for five had the 10,000 strong crowd whooping in their applause fortheir skipper, who they believe will emerge as the new West Indies captainin weeks to come after his inevitable return to Test cricket, which isexpected to be announced after the selectors meeting next weekend.Nottinghamshire left-hander Usman Afzaal battled against the spinners for 33but he too succumbed to a ball veering down the off side from Hooper that heelected to cut. Instead of clearing the field, it went straight toNagamootoo at point and the whooping grew louder, as the crowd sensed anearly conclusion to the England A innings.But a partnership between Chris Schofield and Chris Read frustrated thecrowd and the bowlers and by stumps, the total had moved onto 218, the pairadding a valuable 54 runs in the final session.With the Busta first innings rule turning this game effectively into a oneinnings match, England A’s first day effort was some way short of the targetand the final three batsmen will have to hang around well into the afternoontomorrow to stand any chance of qualifying for the final.

The Indian cricketers will play three Test matches and a triangular one-day series on their tour of South Africa, to be played from September 28 to November 28.The Indians will play the triangular series involving India, South Africa and Kenya followed by Test matches for which the venues are yet to be decided, BCCI sources said in Mumbai on Thursday.The Indians will start off their one-day campaign on October 3 against South Africa and Kenya on October 10. Their next two league matches will be against Kenya on October 12 and 17 and the last two against the hosts on October 19 and 24 before the final on October 27.The visitors will play a three-day game against the President’s XI from October 29-31 followed by the India-South Africa first Test from November 3-7.The Indians will play their second side game against South Africa A from November 10-13 before the second Test fromNovember 16-20 and the third and final Test from November 23-27 before leaving for home on November 28.The following is the (tentative) itinerary:September 31 to October 24: League matches of the Triangular one-day series involving South Africa, India and Kenya. October 27: Final. Oct 29-31: Three-day game against President’s XI. Nov 3-7: India-South Africa, first Test match. Nov 10-12: Three-day game against South Africa A. Nov 16-20: India-South Africa, second Test match. Nov 23-27: India-South Africa, third and final Test match.

The legendary Sir Garfield Sobers heads a distinguished list of formerTest players earmarked to be among the tutors for the first batch ofstudents at the Shell Cricket Academy of St. George’s University.Academy director Dr. Rudi Webster said it was also hoped that otherslike Sir Everton Weekes, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, DavidHolford, Joey Carew, Gus Logie, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh wouldbe available at some stage during the three-month programme startingon May 15.One of greatest and most neglected assets here in the Caribbean is ourformer Test players, Webster said.We don’t realise what a gold mine we have in that area and itirritates me to hear people say that ex-cricketers don’t know anythingabout coaching or they don’t know anything about the game.What Sir Garfield Sobers has forgotten, most of these young peoplewouldn’t know.In addition to the former West Indies Test players, Webster hassecured the services of current Test leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarineand two Australian coaches who were behind the success of championstate side Queensland for the past two seasons.The state’s coach Bennett King and assistant coach Terry Oliver willbe here three weeks during the second month of the programme, which isgeared towards 24 of the region’s promising cricketers between theages of 18 and 23.The 35-year King, a former Australia Under-19 player, was assistantcoach for a few seasons before taking over from current national coachJohn Buchanan, while Oliver is regional cricket manager withQueensland Cricket where he is also state co-ordinator of specialprogrammes.Bob Woolmer, who enjoyed great success as coach of South Africa, alsoexpressed an interest in playing a part in the academy, but dutieswith English county Warwickshire will prevent him from doing so.The former West Indies players are expected to join the set-up in thelast month.It was already disclosed that two Cuban coaches would be coming,mainly to deal with fielding and fitness, and there will also be thepresence of a renowned sports psychologist from Havana.The wide-ranging programme focuses on several areas, but it has beenbroken down into four main pillars: fitness, technical, tactical andmental.The main thing that I am trying to achieve at the academy is to tryand get those youngsters to start thinking for themselves, becausethis is the weakness in our cricket, Webster said.We do not think very well under pressure. A lot of the training willbe teaching these guys how to deal with pressure and how to managetheir thinking and things like concentration and stuff like that.

The comprehensive win in the second one-dayer must have done theIndian team a world of good, coming as it did immediately after theshock defeat at Faridabad. Sourav Ganguly’s men were in command rightfrom the moment they elected to bat on a slightly sluggish yet goodbatting wicket at Mohali. That said, I must add that the Zimbabweansshowed a lot of courage and determination while unsuccessfullyattempting to run down a massive victory target.

I thought the Indians paced their innings in an impressive manner inthe afternoon. Both Sourav Ganguly and Dinesh Mongia batted brisklybefore Mongia’s judicious and well-planned innings came to an end.Ganguly, however, continued to bleed the listless Zimbabwean bowlingattack dry. During his 83-ball 86, he looked the king of all hesurveyed. I couldn’t help but feel at this stage that the visitors hadbecome a trifle complacent after their spectacular comeback win atFaridabad.After the galloping start that the openers had provided, the move tosend VVS Laxman in at No. 3 was definitely a poor one. It was furthercompounded by Rahul Dravid being sent in as No. 4. I have but thehighest regard for Dravid the batsman but unfortunately the scoreboarddoes dawdle when he is at the crease. It would be appreciated if theIndian think-tank shuffles the batting order in keeping with thedemands of the situation.Getting back to the match, it was refreshing to see Laxman and Dravidscoring runs at a handsome clip for once. Dravid, who is always eagerto assimilate newer nuances of batting, tried to repeat DouglasMarillier’s astoundingly innovative scoop shot over the keeper’s headon at least two occasions, though, not with the same degree ofsuccess. But he must at least be commended for his attempt to cock asnook at the conventional in the slog overs.The Indian score of 319 definitely demanded an exceptional effort fromthe Zimbabweans who had been docked an over for their slow over-rate.Despite losing Dion Ebrahim early, Travis Friend and Alistair Campbellmade a game effort.

Friend, promoted as a pinch-hitter, was particularly outstanding,upping the tempo with genuine cricket shots. A cover drive againstKumble, which Friend executed after neatly steeping down the track,was the standout shot in an innings which would have given the Indiansa few jitters.The quick dismissal of both Friend and Campbell by Harbhajan Singh,followed by Andy Flower’s departure for a relatively low score snuffedout any faint hopes that the visitors carried. But the Zimbabweansproved yet again that they are a spirited bunch of cricketers. Theyhave been let down by their bowling attack which does not possess thewherewithal to trouble the Indians. Their batting and fielding,however, continues to impress.As for the Indians, this series is a heaven-sent opportunity for everyone of them to get into their best form ahead of the tour of the WestIndies. Ganguly, for his part, did a good job as captain. His fieldplacements were shrewd, as was the decision to retain Harbhajan Singhfor the end overs. Ajay Ratra also looked good behind the stumps andif he now can score a few runs too, he would do himself and his side abig favour. All the Indians need to do is to discover a fifth bowlerwho can support Harbhajan and Kumble.As Sourav Ganguly said at the post-match press-conference, the “firstone-dayer was lost to a freak innings from Marillier”. The win in thesecond one-dayer has, then, made India the firm favourites in thisseries, and unless they encounter the unlikely prospect of a greentop in any of the upcoming matches, they look well-nighunstoppable.

Leading up to the first tour game between the Indian touring side and Guyana, Indian coach John Wright’s remarks must come as soothing encouragement for a team under pressure to win a rare series outside the subcontinent.”I don’t actually believe in favourites and those sort of tags, but what I do know is we have a side here which, when they play as well as they can, will win against anyone,” said Wright to the press during Tuesday’s practice session.His remarks are not unfounded. The Indian batting, as has been noted many times before, is the strongest in the world on paper, possessing the world’s best batsman in Sachin Tendulkar, the world’s foremost technician in Rahul Dravid, a premier stylist in VVS Laxman, and unadorned aggression in Sourav Ganguly.But these pluses have, in the past, been negated by a singular lack of cohesion, a factor Wright recognises. “I think the big question for us is to play good cricket like a team. That for us is the focus,” he said.”I think the belief is a big factor,” he continued. “I think it is a great opportunity. The biggest challenge for us, of course, is to do well on this tour.”Team spirit, thus, was not overlooked during the training session. On his first day on the job, newly appointed Adrian Le Roux assigned various exercises that would help to build that spirit. “That is one area we are concentrating upon,” said Wright. “To forge a good team unit on and off the field.”India’s lack of success abroad has largely hinged on the alien pitch conditions encountered, but the tracks in the West Indies, over the years, have changed in nature from fiery to slow, almost sub-continental in behaviour.”In the conditions here, we will feel more comfortable as they are more akin to ones back home rather than the ones we face in countries such as South Africa, New Zealand or Australia,” said Wright, commenting on this aspect of the tour.

Gauteng Cricket Board chief executive Thabo Moseki is to fly to England this week to bring back the remains of Walter Masimula who died suddenly in his sleep on Thursday night. A memorial service is planned later this week once Masimula’s body is back in South Africa.Although the results of a post mortem have still to be released, it is understood that Masimula is believed to have died of natural causes at the age of 26. The news of his death, the details of which have only gradually been revealed, has been greeted with shock and disbelief in South Africa.Masimula was playing club cricket for Brooks Cricket Club in the Surrey Leage and was coaching at King Edward’s School in Witley when he died.In many respects Masimula blazed a trail in South African cricket, capturing the headlines some years before Makhaya Ntini and Mfuneko Ngam came through as fully-fledged Test cricketers.He emerged from the development programmes put into place in South Africa during the 1980s and went on to become something of a symbol for the newly-formed United Cricket Board and then a first-class cricketer in his own right.As a 16-year-old Masimula, from a humble background in the Johannesburg township of Alexandra, was wheeled out before a succession of visiting dignitaries as an example of the latent talent that, given sufficient time and attention, South Africa might be able to tap into.Like many promising young fast bowlers, Masimula never quite fulfilled his early promise. While slippery, he lacked genuine pace and he was to settle for line and length as his major assets.Masimula came through the provincial under age groups at a time when his team-mates were almost exclusively white. He represented the old Transvaal from under 13 onwards and in 1995 he toured England with the South African under 19 team with Makhaya Ntini as a team-mate.During England’s 1999/2000 tour of South Africa he represented a combined Northerns/Gauteng XI against the tourists and by the end of the 2001/2002 he had 18 first-class appearances for Gauteng to his credit.His unexpected death has stunned friends and team-mates in England and South Africa.Gauteng captain Clive Eksteen said: “He was a great guy, a wholehearted competitor and a pleasure to have around. We’re all very shocked and saddened by the news.”Bronwyn Wilkinson, spokesperson for the UCB, said Masimula’s death had come as a great shock for South African cricket. "He was a very popular cricketer, well liked by his team-mates, opponents and administrators. The UCB would like to offer sincere condolences to his family and his many friends."In some respects Masimula’s career has been overshadowed by the achievements of Ntini and Ngam. In terms of beaking down stereotypes and prejudices, though, Masimula will be seen to have played a crucial role in South African cricket.

India and Pakistan had played 15 Tests in both countries between 1952and 1961, but after that, the two countries did not play a single Testfor more than 17 years, thanks to two wars and a generally hostileenvironment.

Thus, quite by accident, the Test between India and Pakistan at NewDelhi in February 1961 has achieved almost historic status. Given thepresent pessimistic outlook, the one-day international between the twocountries played during the Asia Cup at Dhaka in June 2000 could verywell attain the same status as that 1961 Test match.Despite hectic parleys at the cricket board level, and even governmentlevel, there was little indication all along to suggest that the twonational teams were any nearer to meeting on the cricket field. Theproblem was that while officials on both sides took one hesitant stepforward, the seemingly insurmountable obstacles governing the matterand the generally inflexible approach on both sides negated that step.And then tragic events, like Wednesday’s bomb blast in Karachi thatresulted in New Zealand hastily abandoning their tour, have made itclear that the situation is not as smooth as some cricketadministrators portray it. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hadpointed out earlier that it was concerned with the break in cricketties between the two countries, since it affected the InternationalCricket Council’s (ICC’s) 10-year programme. PCB chief Tauqir Zia wasquoted to have said that his board would not be able to endorse theICC programme unless India agreed to play Pakistan.But now New Zealand have packed their bags midway through the tour, adevelopment that closely followed the cancellation of the Australianteam’s visit to Zimbabwe on account of security concerns, as well asthe West Indies­Pakistan series being played at the neutral venue ofSharjah instead of, as scheduled, in Pakistan. Indeed, besides dealinga death blow to the resumption of India­Pakistan cricketing ties, thebomb blast at Karachi has also thrown into disarray the ICC’sambitious schedule .The ICC programme was drawn up before the earth-shattering events ofSeptember 11. Since then, security has been the watchword, and teamshave naturally been wary of traveling to places where there is eventhe slightest risk to life and limb. Commenting on the cancellation ofthe Australian tour, ICC President Malcolm Gray said at the time thatthe ICC was “saddened by events in Zimbabwe, which have caused thistour to be abandoned. The game has already lost a recent series inPakistan, and this latest disruption is regrettable from a cricketingperspective. Having said that, the safety and security of teams,officials and spectators must always remain the priority in judgingwhether a series or match should go ahead.”The safety of the team was also on the mind of Australian CricketBoard chairman Bob Merriman, who, in broad agreement with Gray, addedthat “the security of our team is our first priority, and travellingto Zimbabwe would have compromised their safety. This is a decisionthat the ACB has deliberated on deeply, and it is recognised that itwill impact most on the cricket community within Zimbabwe. This issomething that is deeply regretted. Nevertheless, the safety of theplayers and team management must take precedence.”The situation in Kashmir being as volatile as ever, the Board ofControl for Cricket in India’s (BCCI’s) stand has always been that itwould like the ICC to make a provision for government clearance insuch matters. BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, on his part, has hadmeetings with Sports Minister Uma Bharti and other governmentofficials to discuss the vexed issue. But nothing concrete emergedfrom these parleys, what with Bharti considered to be a hawk on theissue. The BCCI chief also discussed the matter a couple of months agoat the ICC Executive Board meeting at Cape Town, but an amicablesolution was far from forthcoming.At the Cape Town meeting, members took a strong view of India’scontinued refusal to play cricket against Pakistan, threatening severeaction if the cricket-specific policy was not changed. Some memberswanted harsh punishment imposed on the BCCI for repeatedly refusing toplay. According to Dalmiya, England and Wales Cricket Board ChairmanLord Ian MacLaurin raised the point at the meeting and wanted allother countries to sever cricketing ties with India. Apart fromEngland, New Zealand too had reportedly proposed a hefty financialpenalty on India. It is hoped that Wednesday’s tragic developmentswill make the ICC members see the issue in a different light.It is easy to say that politics and sports should not mix, butsometimes the two are inseparable. For example, the Executive Boardempowered ICC Chairman Malcolm Gray and Chief Executive Malcolm Speedto meet Indian officials, if need be, in an effort to break thedeadlock. But Gray apparently took the view that the ICC could notinterfere in government or political decisions.Under the circumstances, the BCCI impressed upon ICC members toincorporate the clause in the agreement so thatIndia was not subjected to monetary fines in case the governmentrefused permission. According to Dalmiya, all the countries agreed tothe Indian viewpoint, and the clause was added tothe draft agreement.As things stand, the India­Pakistan cricketing scenario continues tobe murky. There are no indications of a thaw in the relations betweenthe two countries, and Wednesday’s bomb blast has made the resumptionof cricketing ties bleaker than ever.