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A day after their pace bowler Salim Veragi was called twice for a suspect action, Baroda suffered another blow when left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar was called for chucking during the second day’s play of their Ranji Trophy Super League match against Delhi.On the first day, when Veragi was called twice, Pawar bowled without being called. But Umpire Vishwas Nerurkar deemed his fourth delivery on the second day illegitimate and called it a no-ball. “The umpires found his action improper on the second day and hence they called him in the first over itself,” match referee Sunil Chaturvedi told the . “May be that time he didn’t chuck.”This turn of events added to an inauspicious beginning for Baroda. On the opening day, Veragi’s action came under scrutiny after he was no-balled twice. His action will now be reviewed by a three-member committee comprising Javagal Srinath, AV Jayaprakash and S Venkatraghavan.”The bowler will be reported to the BCCI after the first time that he’s called,” match referee Sunil Chaturvedi said. “He can, however, continue to bowl until he’s called three times in the same innings. He will then be taken off for the remainder of that innings.”Veragi’s action has been questioned before. On his debut in January 2008 in the Ranji semi-finals, also against Delhi, the opposition had lodged an official protest with the BCCI over the legality of his action.Veragi has taken 21 wickets so far in seven first-class matches. He is one of four Baroda bowlers on the BCCI’s ‘watch list’ of those with suspect actions; the others are left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar, left-arm medium-pacer Sankalp Vohra and medium-pacer Sumit Singh.

Pakistan captain Younis Khan has said he is enjoying leading the side despite the semi-final loss in the ICC Champions Trophy and insisted it had not affected his own performance on the field.”I’m enjoying cricket,” Younis said after reaching Karachi. “In fact all the boys are enjoying playing under my captaincy and that’s a good thing.”Younis was first made captain in 2005 in the absence of Inzamam-ul-Haq but announced his resignation for the 2006 Champions Trophy, only to reverse it the next day and lead Pakistan to a first-round exit in the tournament. He was favourite to take over the captaincy following Pakistan’s poor show in the 2007 World Cup but he turned it down, citing mental strain as the reason. However in January 2009, the board approached him again following a disastrous home series against Sri Lanka. This time Younis accepted and led Pakistan to a World Twenty20 title in England.Younis said the Champions Trophy exit was bitterly disappointing as he had wanted to gift his country the trophy that had been shifted from Pakistan to South Africa because of security concerns. He said there were many reasons for the team’s defeat to New Zealand, including his dropped catch, missed run-outs and poor umpiring but that finishing in the top four was a positive sign.”I will regret dropping it for the rest of my life,” Younis said. “Maybe the result could have been different had I not dropped that catch.”Allrounder Shahid Afridi felt luck had deserted Pakistan in the game against New Zealand but also said that they had made poor use of the Powerplays in the match. They scored only 35 in their batting Powerplay after taking it only in the 45th over and conceded 55 when New Zealand took theirs.

South Africa coach Mickey Arthur has said he would welcome a stint with England before quitting international cricket. Arthur, 41, took up his current job in May 2005, replacing Ray Jennings, and his contract expires in April 2012.He was heavily linked with the England job before Andy Flower took over in April, and now says he was looking forward other challenges in England as well. “The England job is certainly something I would like to look at,” Arthur told . “I think Andy Flower will be there for a long time but England’s a temptation for my family and I to explore.””If not with the England team, then perhaps one of the counties because I used to follow country cricket extensively when I was growing up. There’s such history and culture in England with cricket and that really fascinates me.”South Africa, currently No. 1 in both Tests and ODIs, will be enjoying home support in the Champions Trophy, beginning September 22, before they host England for four Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20s during the winter. And Arthur believes England’s Ashes victory will set up an exciting series.”For Flower and Andrew Strauss to have won the Ashes in their first series as a combination is unbelievable and will give them great confidence,” he said. “I actually thought Australia would win 2-1 because they had so much quality in the batting department but England played well and were full value for their triumph.””We respect England highly and realise it’s going to be a tip-top series where we must maintain our standards throughout if we are to be successful.”Arthur said the focus would be on clinging to the top spots. “It’s something we wanted to do and set out to achieve – and to have got there is obviously very rewarding,” he added. “We realise now that the easy part was getting there, so our next challenge is maintaining our consistency over the last two years so that we can stay there for a long time.”We have a really good one-day side with probably the best fielding unit in world cricket. I don’t think this side has reached its full potential yet, which is very exciting. We’re just starting to tap into the potential so the next couple of years are going to be very bright and rewarding – but we must work hard and do things right.”

Grant Elliott will take on the country of his birth when New Zealand play South Africa in Centurion on Thursday. Elliott’s move to New Zealand in 2003 was triggered by a contractual dispute with Gauteng, but foremost in the decision was a dream to play international cricket. “I always wanted to play international cricket,” Elliott told . “I wasn’t enjoying my cricket that much here, and I just needed a lifestyle change.”I played for Gauteng, I had a contractual dispute with them, so that triggered me to look elsewhere as well. So I spoke to a couple of people before I left and I ended up fulfilling my dream of playing international cricket.”I went there with an open mind for the first year to see if I enjoyed it and I really did.”Elliott made his international debut in the Napier Test against England in March 2008 but his career thus far in Tests has been restricted to three games; he averages just 6.75 in five innings. However, his record in ODIs represents a stark contrast; he’s scored one century and two fifties and averages an impressive 48.40 in 23 games, and is now an integral part of the New Zealand middle order. Elliott, though, was confident of a comeback in the Test circuit.”I was in the Test squad in Sri Lanka so I hope I get another opportunity,” he said. “But opportunities come if you perform so if I keep piling on the runs then I’ll get another opportunity to show what I’m capable of in the Test arena.”New Zealand are a part of a tough Group B in the Champions Trophy, and their form this year has been disappointing. However, Elliott was positive about his team’s prospects. “I think every team should feel they have a chance of winning it. One-day cricket can be anyone’s game going in to it,” he said. “I think potentially we have a team that can win the Champions Trophy. I think you have to think positively, you have to come here to win the trophy and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Strauss in tune
Andrew Strauss’s captaincy has been criticised during the series for being defensive and too slow to make changes. He couldn’t be accused of that today. After the lunch/rain break he could have played safe and kept on Graeme Swann, who created danger before the interval with his offspin. Strauss preferred Stuart Broad and was rewarded with five wickets in 47 deliveries from the allrounder. Later in the session Strauss replaced James Anderson with Swann and watched him take two wickets in five balls – and four for the innings – as the tourists fell over for 160.Ponting fails
The most crucial wicket was that of Ricky Ponting, a batsman who is usually at his best in the biggest contests. He never looked right today and was edgy and jerky in his movements. Broad sent a ball angling in, Ponting shifted back to play it, but it ran into his angled bat and on to the stumps. England couldn’t believe their good fortune, and an over later Michael Hussey basically padded up to continue his slump.Fred’s farewell
It’s been a tough two days for Andrew Flintoff, who was out for 7 on the opening afternoon and then went wicket-less in his first two spells. His knee remains a worry and he’s desperate to make an impact in his final Test. Strauss brought Flintoff on with the final pair in and in his fifth over he yorked Ben Hilfenhaus, sending the already excited locals to their feet again.Come in spinner. Oh, we didn’t pick one
The pitch has offered significant turn and late in the day Marcus North was called for the 11th over of the innings. In his second he removed Alastair Cook with a ball that spun sharply on the way to Michael Clarke at slip. If this is what a part-time offie can do, what might the specialist Nathan Hauritz have done? He wasn’t picked and the Australians are left to wonder.The record stops
Anderson’s lbw to Ben Hilfenhaus ended his streak of not being dismissed for zero. He had maintained the record through 54 Test innings, but that’s where it stopped as he played back and was hit on the back leg in his 55th. There wasn’t any doubt over the decision, but turtles have left the ground faster than the disappointed Anderson.Fourth time lucky
While Anderson was given straight away, Shane Watson survived three huge appeals before England finally won an lbw decision against him. Anderson had the first shout with one coming back and in the next over Flintoff roared twice to similar deliveries. The opening two balls were heading slightly over the stumps, but the third was crashing into them. Not according to Asad Rauf. Finally, with Watson on 34, England broke through when Broad arrived and Billy Bowden raised his finger.Nicked off
It was Australia’s turn to feel aggrieved a few wickets later with Marcus North’s lbw and Stuart Clark’s caught. North was playing forward to Swann when he got an inside edge that wasn’t spotted by Rauf. North was decent enough to smile, both at the appeal and the decision, rather than swear. Clark wasn’t as good humoured, walking off with a lot of muttering in Rauf’s direction after he was hit on the pad flap and taken at short leg. Cook, the catcher, was probably closer to the ball when it hit the batsman than the bat.

Match facts

July 12-16, 2009
Start time 10.00 (04.30 GMT)

The Big Picture

Umar Gul had a disappointing time in Galle, and will need to lift his performance considerably in the second Test•AFP

Two hours of poor batting undid three days of excellent work for Pakistan in the first Test in Galle, and they now have the onerous task of needing to win two back-to-back Tests to take the series, or win one and draw the other to ensure their record of not losing a series in Sri Lanka remains intact. For Sri Lanka, on the other hand, it was a fantastic result, considering the match situation going into the fourth day and the absence of Muttiah Muralitharan. The momentum is with the home team, but no international side is more unpredictable than Pakistan, and Kumar Sangakkara will be wary of a backlash as he searches for a series win in his first attempt as captain.The end result was bitterly disappointing for Pakistan, but they can take heart from the fact that their bowlers restricted the home team’s formidable batting line-up to less than 300 in both innings in Galle. The batting, though, presents more problems, especially at the top of the order. That’s been a worry for a long time for Pakistan, and neither Salman Butt nor Khurram Manzoor inspired much confidence in the first Test. A three-Test series leaves little time for a comeback, and Pakistan need to believe they can still extricate themselves from the hole they are in.The Sri Lankans are in a happier situation, but they were lucky that their batting lapses in both innings didn’t cost them the game. Despite several big names in the line-up, the batting has been patchy of late, and the P Sara Oval presents an opportunity for Sangakkara and Co to repay the debt they owe the bowlers, who were quite outstanding in a high-pressure situation on the fourth day in Galle. The absence of Murali remains a worry for the home team – and an opportunity for Pakistan to exploit – despite the poise with which Rangana Herath filled that gap in the first Test.

Test form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka – WDDWW
Pakistan – LDDDD

Watch out for …

Ajantha Mendis: In his only previous Test here, against India last year, Mendis took 8 for 137, including a five-for in the first innings. He hasn’t been at the top of his game lately, but with Murali absent, this will be the perfect moment for him to step up again.Kumar Sangakkara: In six previous Tests at this ground, Sangakkara has scored 548 runs at an average of 78.28. His last three innings here read 200 not out, 144 and 4. He had a quiet game with the bat in Galle, but his past record here, coupled with the opportunity to seal his first Test series win as captain, could inspire him on to greater deeds here.Younis Khan: Pakistan’s captain had a disappointing match too in Galle, scoring 25 and 3, and offering little support to Mohammad Yousuf. Younis has usually led from the front, and if past performances in crunch games is any indicator, expect him to get a truckload of runs over the next five days.

Team news

Both teams are undecided on their playing XI. The only question Sri Lanka need to answer is the wicketkeeping issue: Tillakaratne Dilshan was adequate in Galle, but he was also helped by the fact that Pakistan didn’t bat very long. Murali’s absence means they’ll probably go in with five bowlers, with Dilshan most likely to keep wickets again.Sri Lanka (likely) 1 Malinda Warnapura, 2 Tharanga Paranavitana, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan (wk), 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Thilan Thushara, 11 Ajantha Mendis.There was also much criticism in Pakistan over the exclusion of Fawad Alam and Abdul Razzaq from the squad, and one quick-fix solution for the second Test could be to open with Shoaib Malik, drop a regular opener, and fit in either Alam or Razzaq. The rest of the bowling attack will probably remain the same, but Pakistan will need a much better display from Umar Gul, who returned figures of 2 for 107 from 24 overs in the first Test.Pakistan (likely) 1 Salman Butt/ Khurram Manzoor, 2 Shoaib Malik, 3 Younis Khan (capt), 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Kamran Akmal (wk), 7 Fawad Alam/ Abdul Razzaq, 8 Abdur Rauf, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Mohammad Aamer, 11 Saeed Ajmal.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch at the P Sara is hard and has a bit of grass on it, and should have good bounce. Spinners have traditionally done well at this ground, and they can look forward to some assistance from the track from the fourth day onwards.It has been hot, humid and mostly cloudless over the past three days, but the forecast is for rain over the next week.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have won their last four Tests at the P Sara Oval, though two of those were against Bangladesh. Their overall record here is six wins and two losses, one of which was against Pakistan in 1994.
• Pakistan have won and drawn once each against Sri Lanka here, but their last Test at this ground was against Australia in 2002, which they lost by 41 runs.
• Mahela Jayawardene has only scored one century in eight innings at this venue, and his average is a relatively modest 42.42.
• Fast bowlers average 35.11 per wicket in the seven Tests at this ground since 2000, with only three five-wicket hauls. Spinners have done better, averaging 30.97 for their 100 wickets, with six five-fors.

Quotes

“If you see the history of Pakistan cricket, if we have lost one match we come back in a very big way. I have enough confidence in these boys, that they have the courage and the character to come back.”
“When you win one, you always have that edge for the next game, but it’s a new Test and a new start. What happened a week ago will really not matter when the first ball is bowled.”

The Ashes, as 130 years of history might suggest, is all about tradition. But, as Kevin Pietersen reflected in the unfamiliar surroundings of the Welsh National Cricket Centre in Cardiff, from time to time as a player, it doesn’t hurt to divorce yourself from the excitement.Though it might be stretching a point to suggest that Pietersen is happy to be playing the most anticipated cricket contest of the year at a venue where England have previously contested a mere three overs of an incomplete ODI, he is nevertheless ready, in that old sporting cliché, to take the positives out of the situation.”As a cricketer, you obviously know what’s going on and understand the rivalry [of the Ashes],” said Pietersen. “But if you try and make it out as something bigger than it is, you can hurt yourself and get into a bit of a tizzy, and add too much pressure on yourself.”At the end of the day it’s a game of cricket, between two teams who want to win, just the same as India, South Africa, or anyone. The simpler you try to keep each game, each session, each ball, the better you are, and the more equipped you are for success.”As a consequence, it could be taken as something of a blessing for England to have decamped to a venue lacking the grandeur of Lord’s – where Australia, famously, have not lost since 1934 – or the memories (ancient and more modern) of Edgbaston, Headingley or The Oval.But as far as Pietersen’s gameplan is concerned, history is bunk anyway – especially where his contrasting experiences in 2005 and 2006-07 are concerned. “I look back at history and take what’s happened in the past in a positive way,” he said. “I also take the negative stuff and try to turn it into positives to make it work for the team, as well as myself obviously. I’ll be motivated in a lot of different ways by what the Aussies have to throw at us this summer.”It was pouring with rain when England arrived for their practice session at Cardiff, much as it had done last September during their aborted ODI against South Africa, and though the weather cleared up beautifully as the afternoon wore on, it was precisely the sort of downpour designed to put a dampener, literal and metaphorical, on the build-up to the contest.”We haven’t been lucky enough to see much at all today because of this weather, but I’m very happy to be here in Cardiff,” said Michael Clarke. “It’s a wonderful place to play cricket. I’ve been fortunate enough to play here a few years ago when I was with Hampshire, but it doesn’t really bother me at the end of the day.It’s up to the English cricket board to work out where we play and this is the ground we’re playing our first Test match on,” he added. “It doesn’t matter where we play, we just want to get off to a good start. At the moment the covers are on, but I think tomorrow will be a pretty important day for us to come down and look at conditions. Hopefully there’ll be a bit of sunshine so we can see the wicket.”When the pitch did finally emerge from beneath its covers, there was an undoubted green tinge to the surface, although with two lawnmowers working in tandem, there’s still time for that grassy covering to have been obliterated come Wednesday morning. Either way, Pietersen is confident that a small corner of Wales will have become an extension of England by then, and if his team-mates had needed convincing of the ability of the Welsh public to cheer on sides other than their own, then the recently concluded Lions rugby tour of South Africa provided timely reassurance.”In the last three weeks, our boys have seen how much support the Lions got in those Test matches in South Africa, and so we understand and know that the support here for us will be the same singing and cheering and carrying on like the Lions got,” he said. “It brings a smile to our face, and we are looking forward to putting on a really positive performance for the Welsh public. We know how sports-mad they are, and they will be right behind us.”Few players will cause a greater frisson of anticipation when they walk out to bat than Pietersen, although he did his best to shrug off the hype that surrounds his return to Ashes action. “You guys make the weight of expectation a lot greater than it actually is,” he said. “In the dressing room I’m just as important as anyone else. There is no great expectation on me.”A lot is written, and there’s a lot of verbal stuff from outside the [dressing] rooms, but if you look at the stats over the last 12 months, [Andrew] Strauss has got hundreds, [Alastair] Cook is turning fifties to hundreds, Colly’s got hundreds, Bopara has got three in a row. Matt Prior’s got runs. It’s not as big an issue as everyone says. I have confidence in the dressing room. If you get me out cheap or if I have a bad series, I truly believe that the guys will perform and England will win.”As far as Australia’s prospects are concerned, Pietersen was wary of reading too much into reports of Brett Lee’s impending absence from the first two Tests, but he nevertheless admitted that without players of the stature of Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist in their ranks, they were bound to lack some of their aura of previous series.”Any team that loses Warne, McGrath, Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist, Damien Martyn, is not going to be as strong, because those guys are as close to legends of the game as you can possibly get, and some are legends of the game,” said Pietersen. “They are going to be weakened, but the Australian way is to come out and be fierce, competitive, and dominant in what they do.”They will be forceful in their approach, and throw a lot of punches early in a Test and a series. It doesn’t matter who they put out, it’s going to be tough for us. We can’t talk about who they don’t have, because when those guys pull on the baggy green, which is so historic to them, they are a fierce, fierce side. We expect it to be tough, but we’ll also come out hard and come out fighting, because we’re not scared.”

Zaheer Abbas, the former Pakistan captain, has said his country will be better served with a specialist batting coach rather than a sports psychologist to help them perform better and cope with pressure situations, starting from the World Twenty20 in England next month. The Pakistan Cricket Board had, earlier this week, appointed psychologist Maqbool Babri to work with the team in the pre-tournament conditioning camp at a hill resort in Bhurban.”I don’t understand what purpose it will serve to have a sports psychologist give lectures to the players,” Abbas told . “Because it is obvious that the team’s main problem is the batting not clicking consistently as it should. The board should think about having a full-time batting coach with the team. And it is clear their fielding also needs to improve.”The poor batting was primarily responsible for the ODI series defeat against Australia in the UAE recently. They were bowled out for 207, 171 and 197 in the three games they lost and that cost them the series. They were well-placed for victory in the third ODI but collapsed due to shoddy shot selection and lost ten wickets for only 76 runs. They rebounded in the fifth ODI, winning the dead rubber by seven wickets before winning the one-off Twenty20 international.Another former Pakistan international, Mohsin Khan, also didn’t support the idea of hiring a psychologist. ‘These players are not small children but professionals and they should know what they are supposed to do on the field,” Mohsin said. “I belong to the old school of thought and I don’t know if having a sports psychologist giving lectures will really help to improve the performance of these players in the (Twenty20) World Cup.”Pakistan finished runner-up to India in the previous World Twenty20, in South Africa in 2007.

West Indies have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during their 15-run loss to Sri Lanka in the Group C match at Trent Bridge. Match referee Chris Broad imposed the fines after Denesh Ramdin’s side was ruled to be two overs short of its target at the end of the Sri Lankan innings when time allowances were taken into consideration.In accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing over-rate penalties, players are fined 5% of their match fees for every over the side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount. As such, Ramdin was fined 20% of his match fee while the others received 10% fines. The offence is contrary to Section J of the Code and for such offences, the decision of the match referee is final and binding.

In the first official response to the ICC’s decision to exclude Pakistan from hosting the 2011 World Cup, the Pakistan board has issued a legal notice to cricket’s governing body, calling the decision to do so discriminatory and “legally flawed.”The ICC decided at a recent board meeting in Dubai to take away Pakistan’s share, as one of four co-hosts, of the World Cup matches. The move came after terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team during their February-March tour, which was itself the first major bilateral contest in Pakistan since October 2007. A number of teams since then had refused to visit in the wake of an unsettled and increasingly violent domestic backdrop. The meeting also said that international cricket was unlikely to return to Pakistan till 2011.Ijaz Butt, chairman of PCB, had hitherto maintained a stony silence on the decision, to the ire of much of the population here. But at a press conference at the board’s HQ in Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, flanked by senior officials and legal advisors, he said that the manner in which the ICC decision was taken was “legally flawed…unfair and discriminatory” and that Pakistan intended to fight for its right as co-host.The notice has been sent through its legal advisors Mark Gay, of DLA Piper, and Tafazzul Rizvi, the PCB’s legal consultant. “We are most concerned about the manner in which the ICC took this decision,” Butt said. “There was no notice prior to the meeting that a decision of this nature would be taken. There was no proper security assessment of Pakistan nor of the other Co-Hosts of the 2011 Tournament. We believe that more could and should have been done to review the actual situation to deal with the matter on a non-discriminatory basis. We will push for the matter to be expedited.”In particular, Pakistan’s gripe, Butt clarified, was that the status of the 2011 World Cup was not on the original agenda of the ICC Board meeting on April 17 and 18 (when the decision was made). The implication is that Pakistan wasn’t given a fair opportunity to defend its case as a co-host.”This issue was not on the agenda,” Butt said. “There was a discussion of the Sri Lankan attacks on the agenda and this topic came up. They never gave us notice and it was not on the agenda. We want to revoke the decision full stop.”Butt repeatedly pointed to what he claimed were also uncertain security environments in the other co-hosts – India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka – and said that provisions are in place for such decisions to be taken as late as 18 months before an ICC event, something that would have given the board time to prepare a security plan and for inspections to be carried out. It is the absence of this process, more than anything else, which has seemingly spurred the PCB’s move to send a legal notice.The legal notice has been sent to the ICC president David Morgan and under the ICC’s constitution, the PCB is asking for the matter to be referred to the disputes resolution committee. “The matter has been submitted to the president of the ICC’s dispute resolution committee. He can either refer the matter to the dispute resolution committee which is made up of ICC’s officials or to the independent arbitration before the court of arbitration sport court. The PCB prefer impartial arbitration in the interest of justice, equity and fairplay.”If the disputes resolution committee fails to come up with a satisfactory solution, the option to take the case further remains. “There are two options with the disputes resolution committee,” Salim Altaf, the board’s chief operating officer, told Cricinfo. “Normally all disputes are resolved there. But if there is no satisfactory resolution, then the case can be sent to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), in Lausanne, Switzerland.”Ratification of the ICC’s decision was expected to take place at the annual board meeting in June, though now that no longer seems a foregone conclusion.