Zaheer Khan has finally sorted out his action at the MRF Pace Academy, guided by a world-renowned bio-mechanics expert who assisted him with tips about injury prevention. Press Trust of India reported that according to Dr David John, the expert, the minor changes Zaheer made to his action helped him bowl faster and without pain during match situations simulated at the academy.Zaheer’s injuries and niggles had become a source of worry for the Indian team, who have required him to spearhead the bowling attack. But during the sessions with Dr John, his bowling action was scrutinised and his run-up dissected. John said, “He was not making any good use of his front arm by jumping high in the air, which translates more power on his front leg.” He added that Zaheer’s previous action resulted in his muscles coming under a lot more stress.The news, if true, will come as welcome relief for India, who need all the fit bowlers they can get before the start of the new season. Last season, the main bowlers were constantly hampered by injuries, and India were fortunate that Irfan Pathan and Lakshmipathy Balaji filled in admirably.

Bob Woolmer is looking forward to the match between India and Pakistan, who will meet in the second round of the Asia Cup, and despite describing the match as a "needle" encounter, has played down the rivalry between the two sides.”I don’t think the Pakistan players are seeking any revenge against India in the match,” said Woolmer, “But yes, they remain stunned by their home series defeat recently to the Indians and it will be a needle encounter. Obviously every time these two teams play it is a big match with a lot of emotions to it. But I think the players are looking beyond the India match in this tournament.”Pakistan and India resumed cricketing ties earlier this year after a three-year break over tensions in the disputed Himalayan state of Kashmir. India won both the one-day and the Test series.Woolmer, in his third week as Pakistan’s coach, refused to give any hints of his strategy for the second round match against India. “I can’t share the plans I have for the team with the media," he insisted, "But yes, I have set some goals for myself and the team in this tournament. Hopefully this team will get better and be more competitive.”

Gerald Majola, the chief executive of the United Cricket Board, faces a commission of inquiry as the fall-out from the Diteko Modise fraud scandal gathers pace. Modise, the former financial manager, was alleged to have stolen at least R7.2 million from the UCB, and it has been suggested in the South African media that Majola might have been expected to pick up on his behaviour.The UCB held their AGM at Johannesburg International Airport on Saturday and the general council, made up of the presidents of the provincial unions, decided to institute the inquiry. Their treasurer, John Blair, who has stepped down after four years in the post, was exonerated by the general council at an extraordinary meeting. "John Blair, as an honorary, non-executive office bearer," read a UCB statement, "was not and could not have been aware of the alleged theft committed by Mr Modise.”Advocate Norman Arendse SC, a UCB General Council member, will lead the commission of inquiry, and its terms of reference will be “to inquire into and report on the alleged misconduct of the CEO and members of his staff” and “to make findings and recommendations including, but not limited to, the taking of disciplinary action if necessary.”In other business at the AGM, Blair, who was replaced as treasurer by Haroon Lorgat, warned the UCB that it and its affiliates must “conform to strict financial disciplines” after a “very poor financial year”, due in the main to income from the sale of TV rights dropping from R50 million to just R14.6 million.Vuyisile Mgadle, the newly appointed Border president and Arendse, the head of Western Province cricket, took their places for the first time in the general council, with Eastern Province’s Xolani Boqwana, North-West’s Oupa Nkagiseng and Free State’s Tim Khumalo voted in as the three black African representatives.The general council will return tomorrow to discuss the new officebearers of Cricket SA (Pty) Ltd, with the heads of the six newprofessional franchises expected to be given the posts.

The England camp was breathing a sigh of relief this morning, after it was revealed that Andrew Flintoff had not fractured his right thumb while fielding, during the opening match of the NatWest Challenge at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.Flintoff, who clubbed England to victory with 34 not out from 23 balls, had been forced to leave the field during India’s innings, and later went off to hospital for an X-ray, which the England management later confirmed had merely been precautionary.England are loath to take any chances with their greatest asset, especially with the Champions Trophy fast approaching. After the discovery of a bony spur on his left ankle, he was rested for the first half of the NatWest Series against New Zealand and West Indies, although he was later recalled purely as a batsman.Flintoff is now all set to take his place in England’s one-day side for the second of three matches against India, at The Oval tomorrow, where England will be aiming to wrap up the NatWest Challenge with a match to spare.

Wasim Bari, Pakistan’s chairman of selectors, has been warned as to his future conduct by the International Cricket Council (ICC), after launching into a scathing attack on the English umpire, David Shepherd.Last week, Australia beat Pakistan by 17 runs in the final of the Videocon Cup, but the match was marred by two contentious decisions from Shepherd, who wrongly adjudged Inzamam-ul-Haq caught-behind, and Yousuf Youhana caught at bat-pad. “Shepherd’s umpiring decisions were like target killing,” raged Bari in an interview with AFP. “They cost Pakistan the final, and it’s time for the inaccurate Shepherd to retire.”That outburst was condemned by the ICC, whose chief executive, Malcolm Speed, deemed it “unacceptable behaviour”. Because of a loophole in ICC regulations, which forbid players and team officials from making such contentious comments but have no jurisdiction over selectors, Bari escaped official censure, but Speed was adamant that he would not get away with any future transgression.”Wasim, please rest assured that any future public criticism of ICC officials by you while you are chairman of selectors for the PCB will be dealt with very firmly under the ICC code of conduct,” Speed added in a letter to Bari. “You have been in and around the game long enough to know that you were well and truly out of order in making these comments.”Far from entering into retirement, Shepherd, 63, was kept on to officiate in the one-off match between Pakistan and Australia at Lord’s – ample evidence that the ICC are prepared to back their men to the hilt.

At stumps, Jacob Oram was unbeaten on 40 and had passed 1000 Test runs and, as he told the media, he held some hope that Australia’s massive total of 463 could be chased successfully. Meanwhile, John Buchanan, Australia’s coach, defended his team’s decision to bat past lunch and praised Ricky Ponting as a captain.

Jacob Oram
On the approach tomorrow
We are up against history and this is a huge chase. All we can do is try to get through to small targets. We might be able to reassess at lunch or tea if a couple of guys get big scores.On his surprise at Australia’s declaration
I’m not here to question the world champions’ tactics. I was under the imagination that they would come out and pretty much throw the bat. We had a look at the forecast and saw rain predicted. But they seem to be going well with the decisions Ricky makes and, when they had us 5 for 30, everything was rosy.On the pitch
The rough is a big factor and when Warne bowls into it the bounce is a bit awkward. It’s tough and it’s always going to be, it’s a matter of survival and scoring is out. You have to try to negate the bounce and smother it. That’s worked so far for me.On the confidence of the top order
I don’t know whether you can say we’re batting poorly or they’re bowling extremely well. They are bowling at the top of the innings and seem to be getting things out of the pitch that we can’t. They are making us play defensively and not giving us anything to attack.They are getting edges and we’re not. It’s good fun atthe same time.On his attitude
Coming over here was always going to be tough and I was under no illusions. The results are obviously not expected, or what I hoped for, but the type of cricket is exactly what I expected and that’s why I’m enjoying it the most. I spent three weeks in Bangladesh – thisleaves it for dead and we’re losing. I’m loving being here; it’s tough, it’s bloody hard. But it’s not hard to get up: if it was it would be `hang your boots up`.On his bowling
That’s the worst part of the series for me. I was disappointed with the way I was bowling in Brisbane, especially backing up a hundred, and it was probably my worst innings for New Zealand. I’m still not 100% at the crease, but happy enough with where it’s going.I’m extremely annoyed I haven’t got a wicket to my name and won’t get another chance. It’s bloody annoying.On the attacking batting towards the end of the day
It wasn’t due to any change of tactics. It’s just the way Brendon McCullum bats. He strides out there with no lid on and full of bravado and it’s gone well for him. Against a champion leg spinner, bowling into thick rough, it was great to watch. Some of those shots you would think impossible, but he made them look easy. If he gets in tomorrow he could be a huge key for us.John Buchanan
On the thoughts behind the declaration
The more we believed we could dig the grave for New Zealand, or they could dig it for themselves, meant we could make a declaration. It’s not just about runs, wickets and overs.On deciding when to declare
We had a number of options, including declaring straight away. The rest were at various stages through the morning, subject to the way New Zealand were placed. When we did we believed it was the appropriate opportunity. We had 140 overs for the rest of thematch and that gave us the opportunity to bowl 50 overs today.

On the match situation
Obviously we were hoping to pick up a good percentage of wickets and we did, so at this stage we are very happy.On the rain forecast for tomorrow
It was all factored in this morning. It’s very difficult to plan on what the weather is doingtomorrow.On the team’s bowling
The way our bowlers went about the pre-tea session was exceptional partnership bowling. It was simply outstanding and it would have taken a very good teamto come through that period without losing at least a few wickets.On Ponting developing as captain
The way he’s approaching his captaincy role was expected. He has had that capacity and shown it in the one-day side. The more you do it the greater the knowledge, experience and confidence you get in terms of managing and directing. His ability has always beenexceptional.On Matthew Hayden’s top-edge off Daniel Vettori
He’s nursing a sore jaw, about four stitches and a little bit of ribbing from his team-mates. I’m sure we’ll see him bouncing around on the field tomorrow.

Scorecard
Joginder Sharma celebrated his inclusion in the Indian one-day squad with a burst that decimated the Vidarbha batting line-up at Nagpur. Joginder’s 8 for 24, his best figures in first-class cricket, skittled Vidarbha out for just 57 with only one batsman, Amit Deshpande, managing to reach double figures. Haryana were 208 for 8 in their second innings and all but assured of a massive victory.
Scorecard
Kerala suffered a humiliating innings-and-29-run defeat after being bowled out for 114 in their second innings at Palghat. Having collapsed for 117 on the first day, Kerala conceded a 143-run lead as all the Saurashtra batsmen chipped in with valuable contributions. S Jobanputra’s breezy 44 was one of the highlights before he accounted for both the Kerala openers with the ball. His partner with the new ball, S Maniar, finished with 4 for 33 as Kerala were shot out in 41.5 overs.
Scorecard
Orissa fought back through their medium pacers and trailed by just 74, with eight wickets in hand, at the end of the second day at Jamshedpur. Debasis Mohanty, Deepak Mangaraj and Pinninti Jayachandra snapped up all the wickets between them as Jharkhand lost their last eight wickets for a mere 100 runs. Mahendra Singh Dhoni added only 15 more to his overnight 113 and Jharkhand’s lead was kept down to 158. Orissa reduced the deficit to 74 by stumps with Shiv Sundar Das still unbeaten on 27.
Scorecard
Maninder Bisla and Sangram Singh cracked hundreds as Himachal Pradesh tightened their stranglehold against Jammu & Kashmir at Dharmasala. Their 125-run partnership built a solid foundation before Bisla and Ajay Mannu, who made 74, stretched the lead. Abid Nabi, the J&K opening bowler, mopped up the tail and finished with 6 for 91 but Himachal managed a comfortable 270-run lead. J&K were 58 for 1 in response and staring at a heavy defeat.
ScorecardAvinash Aware and Sher Yadav got Goa back into the contest as they restricted Rajasthan to 227 in their first innings at Jaipur. Rajasthan were in a comfortable position at 162 for 3 before being pegged back by Aware’s medium pace and Yadav’s left-arm spin. Rajasthan managed to take the lead thanks to Rahul Kanwat’s unbeaten 46. Goa were 74 for 1 in reply when stumps were drawn.
ScorecardArun Sharma’s six-wicket haul restricted Tripura to 237 before the Services batsmen seized the initiative on the second day at Agartala. Ramaswamy Prasanna, an import from Tamil Nadu, completed his debut hundred but Sharma, the left-arm spinner, cleaned up the tail to give Services the edge. The three Singhs then made vital contributions with the bat – Narender and Jasvir reached fifties while Yashpal was unbeaten on a patient 40.

If you’re in Bangladesh for just one day, make sure it’s a Friday. That’s the day when the masses throng the roads, the kids drag their parents out in search of the parks, and the parents spend a day away from what must be a fairly onerous working week. Chittagong, though, is a bit different from Dhaka, in that there are a mere 7000 cycle-rickshaws per half-kilometre, a mere pound and a half of suspended particles per cubic metre of air.An English journalist once described Chittagong as a breath of fresh air, and in a limited sense that’s accurate. Sections of the city have gently sloping hills, and the poverty and despair that seem to assault the visitor in Dhaka are not as apparent, perhaps gently alleviated by the sea breeze that cools things down as the sun begins its downward journey.On Friday, just one day after another holiday – Victory Day – you would have been forgiven for thinking that the census board was lying when it recorded that Chittagong had about a quarter of the population of Dhaka. The stands were well-packed, though the support waned as Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid silenced the yelling and chanting with booming drives. There’s nothing like the crack of opposition willow on leather to shut the crowds up.But for most of the day, the real action was outside the ground. The Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka is skirted by electronics stores, so the chatter is naturally businesslike and rather dull. The edges of the MA Aziz Stadium, on the other hand, are teeming with life. East of the ground is what would have been a large open space, before it was taken over by a mammoth circus tent. All manner of garish amusements trot in and out of the tent with regularity, and almost to provide relief to the eyes, the immediate surroundings of the tent is a dhobi ghat. Large swathes of clothes dry on lines and, to the untrained eye, the whole exercise seems a waste of time, as the thick exhaust fumes of vehicles and the heavy dust particles drift towards the freshly washed clothes.If you wander towards the media box, which is at the Circuit House End, overlooking an amusement park, you have to go past the curiously named Royal Hut kebab house. The aroma of an assortment of meats being grilled over hot coals tempts you towards the shop, but you know that the cricket beckons, and refrain. The location of the kebab house could not be more apt, as it is owned by Nurul Abedin, the brother of Minhazul Abedin, and Shahidur Rahman, both former Bangladesh cricketers.But on Saturday, the second day of the Test, with India beginning well and truly on top, the surrounds of the stadium were largely deserted. It was back to work for everyone as the inevitable records tumbled. The fans trickled into the stands but, as the first ball was about to be bowled, it was only the two press buildings – the commentary boxes at the Chittagong Club End, and the three-storey tower that houses the written media – that were full. If the average fan was worried that his day would be wasted watching his favourite cricketers ground into the dust by Sachin Tendulkar, he needn’t have bothered. Mashrafe Mortaza, the hero at Dhaka, hit the perfect line and length first up, and Tendulkar was so palpably in front of the stumps that even Aleem Dar had to take that left hand out of the pocket and point to the sky.As word of Tendulkar’s dismissal and – soon after – VVS Laxman’s spread, hope returned and the stands began to fill up. But just outside the stadium, rickshaw-wallahs argued with customers, kebab houses solicited customers, and life went on. After all, it wasn’t a Friday, there was work to do, and there was no time to stop and stare.

Justin Langer has been affected by a back injury but is expected to return in time for the tour to New Zealand. He was due to play in Western Australia’s Pura Cup clash against Tasmania, but pulled out after the injury, which had threatened his appearance for the Boxing Day Test, recurred on Wednesday morning.Wayne Clark, Western Australia’s coach, played down the extent of the injury and said that Langer would consult with the Australian side’s medical staff. “He finds it difficult to bend over and we’ve decided to rest him from this game,” Clark said. “Given another day or two he probably would have been fine. He felt a recurrence of it on Wednesday morning and just didn’t have enough time to get it right.”Langer’s injury could have also affected his chances – remote ones, admittedly – of opening for Australia in the one-dayers. Usually not seen as a one-day player, Langer has been vocal about his exclusion from the ODIs. The poor run that Matthew Hayden, his opening partner in Tests, has suffered in recent times raised the possibility of Langer being tried out.

Matthew Hayden has been declared fit to tour New Zealand for the five-match one-day series. Hayden had been struggling with a chest infection which forced him to miss last Friday’s ING Cup match between Queensland and Western Australia, but was cleared in Brisbane.Dr Trefor James, the Cricket Australia medical officer, said: “Matthew underwent fitness testing and was able to get through two heavy sessions without any difficulties or ill effects. He was reviewed by Queensland Cricket medical staff who were very happy with his progress.”Hayden will get another opportunity to wrest back the opener’s spot, which was taken by Michael Clarke during the VB Series finals. Hayden has had a horror run in both Tests and one-dayers in the last season, but Trevor Hohns, the chairman of selectors, indicated that Hayden would get another chance to regain his slot in New Zealand.Talking about the illness which had laid him low, Hayden said: “I felt very sick. My lung capacity was way below 50%. I felt not dissimilar to having pre-flu symptoms but as the week went on the pleurisy symptoms really started to hurt to the point where you just couldn’t breathe in air.”But I am on the road to recovery which is a good thing. I think I was relying on how I was hitting the ball today. If I was feeling terrible after hitting balls in the nets it was a sure sign I wasn’t fit. I definitely feel all right to go.”The Australia squad will leave for New Zealand on Wednesday, and will play a Twenty20 international on Thursday. The first ODI is at Wellington on Saturday and the tour will be followed by three Tests.