Bhajji Unimpressed By Gilly's Book

A toe injury may have prevented Harbhajan Singh from joining his teammates for battle in Delhi, it seems nothing will keep him out of the headlines.
The Indian spinner has spoken out against former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist in the wake of the release of the Australian's autobiography, True Colours.
In his book Gilchrist was critical of a number Indian players, including Harbhajan, and made mention of the incident in which Sourav Ganguly and Singh withdrew from the crucial Nagpur Test in the 2004 Border-Gavaskar Series.
"When I got to the middle for the toss, Ganguly was not there," Gilchrist wrote.
"(Rahul) Dravid was in the blazer, ready for the toss. 'Where's Sourav?' I said. Rahul couldn't answer definitively. Between the lines I perceived that Sourav might have pulled out from fear of losing a home series.
"Harbhajan was out of the Nagpur Test with a 'flu', which he seems to have contracted when he saw the grassy wicket.
"I still don't know to this day what was wrong with Ganguly and Harbhajan," The Australian added.
Harbhajan has now replied with some disparaging comments of his own.
"It's time somebody asked him to shut up," he told the Kolkata Telegraph.
"I suppose Gilchrist needs to get his head examined.
"Gilchrist shouldn't be using fellow cricketers to sell his book ... I'm sure there are other ways of doing that."

Unlucky James Anderson Misses Fat-Cash Clash

James Anderson was today revealed as England's high-profile omission from the 20million showdown with the Stanford Superstars.
Anderson has been a permanent fixture in England's limited-overs team for the past 13 months but was left out to accommodate Graeme Swann as a second spinner in Sir Allen Stanford's groundbreaking match.
The 26-year-old, who was last overlooked for a Twenty20 contest against Australia at the World Championship in September 2007, is the only change from the XI which wrapped up a comprehensive 4-0 victory over South Africa in the NatWest Series.
The effectiveness of the slow bowlers on the Coolidge surface earlier in the week persuaded England's management to draft in Swann, whose last one-day international was against New Zealand in June.
"It was never going to be the easiest decision, in fact it was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make in terms of carrying 11 players onto the field," said captain Kevin Pietersen.
"He has taken the field on every occasion but what we realise is that we play to win for England and unfortunately the circumstances have arisen in terms of the pitch, and the outfield, and the way games have gone, we have to play another spinner.
"We haven't played a second spinner for I don't know how long but unfortunately conditions have meant Jimmy has to miss out.
"But it is not as though the lads who have been left out get nothing if we win, we all benefit and there is still a buzz about."
Ryan Sidebottom, who has been kept out of net sessions in recent days with a stiff calf, Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara are the other three men who will be on the sidelines as an England XI attempt to earn 1million a man.
If England are successful, the other squad members share the same sum between them.
Anderson, who is fourth in England's wicket-takers' list in one-day internationals with 127, would have been a certainty for the match back in August before Steve Harmison came out of a self-imposed limited-overs exile, and was still in the box seat when the players arrived on the island a week ago today.
He is also one of England's best fielders - Pietersen nominated him and Andrew Flintoff as the men he would most like to be under a cash-defining catch - but will be a relative have-not if England do win.
But Pietersen said: "All the permutations in the world came out as soon as everything was released in terms of how the finances would be split.
"I've said from the start it is an opportunity for someone to make a name for themselves, good or bad.
"For me it is an opportunity for the good - to make a name for yourself worldwide. Stanford told me there would be 700 million people watching tomorrow night's fixture.
"Pressure is how you see it - I don't see it as a problem, I see that as an amazing thing.
"It is such a positive to have 700 million people watching you do something that you love. If you do it well, you're going to be a star."
Luke Wright has been retained in the side for his explosive hitting and ability with the ball at the death, despite not having batted or bowled in the warm-up matches.
Sussex all-rounder Wright has also been pinpointed as a potential batsman should the match finish in a tie and a Stanford Super Over - effectively a new match of just six balls per side - be necessary to decide the result.
"Flintoff would bowl our over as one of the world's greatest yorker and death bowlers and to bat, Owais Shah is a fantastic striker of the ball from the start, so I think it would be myself, Shah, Flintoff and Paul Collingwood in the reckoning," said Pietersen.
"But if you have a guy like Luke Wright who is 30 not out and smashing it, and we flip a coin and say we will have a bat, he will probably bat with somebody."
Pietersen admits he would not relish being the man under the crucial catch - joking there might be a few strong words muttered under his breath - but insisted there will be no recriminations should a gaffe from anyone in the team prove costly.
"Absolutely zero," he said. "We have come into this week knowing what happens happens. What will be will be. The sun will still come up in the morning."
England were given a pointer in the different tactics employed in 20-over cricket in the Caribbean last night when their opponents cracked 14 sixes in a crushing 58-run victory over Middlesex.
But Pietersen played it down, adding: "I think my mum come have hit six sixes last night with the half-volleys and full tosses that were bowled."

New general manager for New Zealand Cricket

New Zealand Cricket has appointed former international Geoff Allott as the new general manager cricket.
It is a new role created by the recent restructuring of the organisation.
Allot will become responsible for overseeing the Black Caps and elite cricket, including coaches, selectors, management, and support staff. He was a left arm fast bowler and represented New Zealand from 1995 to 2000, playing 10 tests and 31 one-dayers.
Since retiring due to injury, Allott has had a successful career in banking and finance

Glamorgan legend Peter Walker wants inquiry into Mike Fatkin exit

GLAMORGAN legend Peter Walker has called for an inquiry into the departure of chief executive Mike Fatkin and groundsman Len Smith.
Walker, a club stalwart and former England Test player, has urged the county’s hierarchy to provide clarification over the September exits of Fatkin and Smith.
But Glamorgan chairman Paul Russell has dismissed Walker’s comments, saying the former England all-rounder holds no official position at the Swalec Stadium and has no knowledge of the club’s workings.
The long-serving Fatkin and Smith both parted company with the Welsh county within a week of each other, with the club stating Fatkin resigned and Smith had taken early retirement.
But, with the Ashes Test just eight months away, these explanations don’t wash with Walker.
“I have tried in vain to get to the bottom of why the decision over Mike and Len was taken,” said Walker.
“I can’t get a straight answer to why a club which stands on the brink of the biggest event in its 87 years of first-class history has decided to expense with the services of Mike, a highly-respected figure at Lord’s, and Len, who was the groundsman of the year in 2007.
“I have been told by committee members to leave it be and it is not in the public’s interest for them to know.
“But mine is not a lone voice and my research has shown there is substantial disquiet around Wales.
“This issue should not be allowed to be buried by a management which has refused to explain their reasons.”
“After all, Glamorgan is still a members’ club.
“They should be entitled to know the circumstances in which Mike and Len left the club.”
Walker, 72, is a highly-respected figure in Glamorgan circles after joining the staff in 1955.
Born in Bristol, but brought up in South Africa, he was a tall all-rounder and a brilliant close fielder, who took 656 catches in his career.
He played for the Welsh county until 1972 and was part of the championship-winning side of 1969 and won three Test caps for England in 1960.
After retiring from the game, Walker carved out a distinguished career as a broadcaster and journalist, while in the 1990s he became the first director of development for the Cricket Board of Wales.
But, responding to the claims, Russell said: “Mr Walker is neither a member of Glamorgan Cricket management, nor does he hold any other official role at the club.
“He has no knowledge of the management and governance processes at Glamorgan Cricket.
“His ill-judged remarks are based upon conjecture.
“Therefore his claims to have any knowledge of the process and to be representing the views of others have no foundation.
“The club, Mr Fatkin and Mr Smith have behaved with dignity and I commend such an approach to Mr Walker.”
While Russell has taken over some of Fatkin’s duties in an active chief executive role until after the Ashes Test, Chepstow Racecourse chief executive Simon Lee has also been installed as operations director.
Smith was replaced by ICC pitch guru Andy Atkinson as acting head groundsman.
Work costing £1m has now begun on the next phase this month with the new underground drainage system being installed and the removing of the old outfield turf.
Meanwhile, around 6,000 tickets will go on sale for the opening Ashes Test next season on Monday morning and can be bought by logging onto www.glamorgancricket.com or by calling a dedicated sales hotline on 08449670701.

Cricket all set for $20-million showdown

That's the $20-million question the players on both the Stanford Superstars and England teams are being asked to consider ahead of their Stanford Twenty20 match on Saturday at the Stanford Cricket Ground in Coolidge, Antigua.Months of publicity, planning and preparation are expected to come to an exciting conclusion when the two teams take to the field for what represents the richest team prize for a single sporting match.This brings to a close the Stanford Super Series, which is the result of a cooperative agreement between Sir Allen Stanford, an American business tycoon, as well as the England and Wales Cricket Board, and the West Indies Cricket Board.It featured six matches that also involved Trinidad and Tobago, who prevailed over Middlesex on Wednesday in the Champions Cup by five wickets to pocket $280 000.Trinidad and Tobago are the reigning Stanford Twenty20 Cup champions of the Caribbean, and Middlesex are the reigning English County Twenty20 champions.Now, the Stanford Superstars, a team selected from the best of the best of the Stanford Twenty20 Cup competitions under the captaincy of Chris Gayle, and the fully fledged England team under the leadership of Kevin Pietersen, have a chance to become "instant millionaires".Their historic match guarantees each playing member of the winning side $1-million, with $1-million to be shared between the 12th man and other non-playing squad members, and a further $1-million among the management team.The remaining prize money of $7-million was to be shared equally between the ECB and the WICB, but the legal battle that Digicel, the major sponsors of West Indies cricket, fought over their rights and entitlements in the series may deny the Caribbean governing body their split.

Malik now feels more relaxed as captain after meeting new coach

Islamabad, Oct 31 : Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik feels more relaxed as skipper now following his meeting with manager Yawar Saeed and coach Intikhab Alam in Lahore."I feel more relaxed as a captain as the team management reposed full confidence in me. I can now fully concentrate on my job," Malik said.He said it was always good to see encouragement coming from the top. "It is always good to hear words of encouragement coming from the top. I definitely feel more relaxed and powerful as captain," he said.The national team management in a recent meeting with the Pakistan captain promised to extend full support and cooperation to him in an effort to maintain discipline and get the best out of the player on the field, The News reported.It has been learnt from well-placed sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that Shoaib may continue to lead the national team even after the expiry of his tenure that ends on December 31.There are good chances that Shoaib Malik would continue as a captain of the national team even after the expiry of his tenure. With Indian tour just around the corner, the PCB and Governing Board members are unlikely to take any risk of naming new captain. "Since there is no other international engagement between the Abu Dhabi and the Indian series at home, the new captain would always find it difficult to adjust. Putting a new captain straightaway in a tough series and that too against India would not be an easy decision," a PCB official who reached Islamabad on Thursday said.He said that Shoaib Mlaik's leadership period might even get extended to the second twenty20 World Cup to be held in England in the summer of 2009.