The Zimbabwe Cricket Union has given the 15 rebel players a further 21 days to return to practice and make themselves available for selection, starting from today. Otherwise, their contracts are likely to be torn up for good.In a statement released today, the board said that, after accepting advice from senior counsel, and for the “avoidance of any doubt and for the sake of the game of cricket”, it would give the players another chance to comply. In other words, this means they must be available at all times for training and matches for which they are selected.The statement also said that the ZCU would no longer work with a mediator because of the players’ attitude – allegedly, two of the rebels had commented that the mediation method might not preclude another walkout.Since the players walked out, a second-string team, led by Tatenda Taibu, has struggled to give the touring Sri Lankans a decent game. They lost the one-day series 5-0, and were walloped in the first Test at Harare by an innings and 240 runs. They will have an even bigger struggle on their hands against the Australians, who arrived in the country today for two Tests and three one-dayers, starting next week.The majority of the players met last week and, it was thought that, as a gesture of goodwill, they would resume training and make themselves available to play in the second Test. However, after another breakdown in communications with the board, they were all sacked on Monday.Heath Streak, the former captain, and whose dismissal sparked off this series of events, was actually watching the Test at Harare today – but he had to pay to get in.

Two days after Sourav Ganguly said that Yuvraj Singh would most likely replace Aakash Chopra as a Test opener, Virender Sehwag has suggested that he would prefer to open with a more defensive-minded partner.According to a report, Sehwag said that a defensive opener could stay at the wicket for longer periods, especially in testing conditions. “In my opinion, one opener should be defensive,” he said. “I need it and India need it. A player whose technique is correct and who can play 15 to 20 overs without any hassle and see off the shine. If the other opener is also a strokemaker like me, then nobody is sure if he’ll last one over or 20 overs.”But before the media could blow things out of proportion, Sehwag added that he didn’t mind opening with Yuvraj, as they understood each other. But he reasoned that it was easier for him to go for his strokes secure in the knowledge that the batsman at the other end was adopting a defensive approach. “I think my combination with Sanjay Bangar and Aakash Chopra is good,” he said, “because both of them are very defensive and play the new ball easily. That gives me the option to go for my strokes.”Changing opening partnerships out of choice, rather than compulsion, appears to be a new phenomenon in Indian cricket. For the best part of the last decade, India’s search for good openers was a fruitless one. More than 15 openers were experimented with, until Sehwag was uprooted from his middle-order position and asked to open. The move came off instantly, and he formed a reasonable partnership with Bangar.It provided India one of its most memorable victories in 2002, at Headingly. But Bangar then made way for Chopra, whose understanding with Sehwag was reflected in their running between the wickets, and consistently large partnerships. They were most successful in Australia in 2003-04, in stark contrast to the disastrous opening gambits that had characterised the debacle in 1999-2000.

The ECB has confirmed that Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson will be available to play for Lancashire in the Twenty20 Cup finals day this Saturday at Edgbaston (August 7). While the majority of the contracted England players were ordered not to turn out for their counties ahead of the third Test, Flintoff and Anderson, along with Mark Butcher and Simon Jones, have been given the all clear.The ECB stressed the importance of the players having to rest and recuperate after the back-to-back Tests against West Indies, but due to the status of the Twenty20 Cup, they were able to make an exception just this once.The news will please many Lancashire supporters, as well as Warren Hegg, the captain, who was understandably keen to have Flintoff in his ranks for the big day. On the back of a Test-best score of 167, Flintoff played only two Twenty20 matches in the qualifying stage, but still managed to top the averages with 58 from two innings of 85 and 31.”I know there’s nothing Freddie would like more than to play for Lancashire in a big final.” Hegg told the BBC. “It all depends how serious they [the ECB] are about wanting the competition to be a success. This is a big showpiece day for English cricket when they’re trying to get the public’s interest, and it would be great to have the top players like Jimmy and Freddie playing in it.” Well, he has got his wish.Butcher will be available to play for Surrey, although he is struggling to be fit in time for the finals day, as well as the third Test, with a thigh injury. Graham Thorpe, however, will not be available due to a sore achilles.Jones, who was left out of England’s starting XI for the last Test, and then also for Glamorgan’s Championship match against Hampshire, is free to play in their current match at Taunton, the Twenty20 day, and the National League match at Canterbury on Monday, August 9.The finals day includes the two semi-finals, to be fought out between Lancashire and Surrey, last year’s finalists, and then Leicestershire and Glamorgan. The final will be played under the floodlights at 7pm.

Every now and again Test cricket throws up an epic individual battle that sticks in the memory. Dexter v Hall here at Lord’s in 1963. Greig v Thommo (and Lillee) at Brisbane in ’74-75. Atherton v Donald at a hushed Trent Bridge in 1998. And today we had a contender: Gayle v Harmison, Lord’s, 2004.Chris Gayle, fresh from a forthright 66 in the first innings, was ready to back his formidable eye. Meanwhile Stephen Harmison, who had been strangely subdued in the first innings himself, was ready to move up a gear or two. It made for enthralling cricket, and emptied the bars almost as fast as Andrew Flintoff’s blazing half-century earlier in the day.Gayle had skeetered to 46 when Harmison hurtled in again. Gayle was in stand-and-deliver mode, hardly moving his feet and thrashing through the line. Harmison moved one away at speed, Gayle followed the ball, and edged it. Marcus Trescothick had just moved a little wider at slip, and he and Geraint Jones waved the ball through and looked at each other. Meanwhile Gayle was celebrating his half-century, and rubbed it in next ball with another four. And before the crowd had got its breath back Harmison was at it again, rocketing a lifter onto Gayle’s edge … but it ballooned out just past the despairing dive of Graham Thorpe, who could only get his (wrong) right hand to it from gully.The fun wasn’t over. Gayle turned his attention to Ashley Giles, who was straining for his 100th Test wicket, and larruped him into the Mound Stand for six. Giles will have to wait – unluckily, because Shivnarine Chanderpaul later punched one straight to short leg with his glove, only for Rudi Koertzen to turn down the appeal.And then it was back to the main event: Harmison jinked in again, Gayle teed off again. A cut flew away for four, then a less-voluntary shot screamed between the two gullies.In the 24th over of the innings Gayle brought up the West Indian 100 – and took himself into the eighties – with another bullet cut over the infield. It was his 13th four, to go with that six … but it was also his last. Harmison was operating almost at warp speed now, and a pinpoint yorker zeroed in towards Gayle’s boots. They didn’t move, but his bat did. This time, though, he could only get an inside-edge, which detonated leg stump.Gayle was gone for 81, out of just 102. He’d won a few battles, but with 376 runs more to score, West Indies might well have lost the war. Given fine weather tomorrow, England should be one-up by tea-time.Steven Lynch is editor of Wisden Cricinfo.

In April, Tatenda Taibu, at the age of only 20, became the youngest captain in Test history. He took charge of Zimbabwe’s national side when Heath Streak’s criticism of team selection and certain selectors led to the sacking (twice) of Streak and 14 of Zimbabwe’s top cricketers, and an ongoing legal dispute with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, which has now gone to arbitration.Taibu was put in charge of a team made up largely of players fresh from the national Under-19 squad, and led them in two tough series, against Sri Lanka and Australia. The pressure heaped on Taibu’s shoulders increased after the thrashing that his young team received at the hands of Sri Lanka led to the postponement of all Zimbabwe’s Tests until next year, but he is adamant that the strain has not got to him. He told BBC Sport: “I don’t know pressure to be honest. I just go out there and enjoy my cricket. I love playing the game. The reason I started playing cricket at a young age was because I enjoyed it, and I hope and I feel that it is the same for the other players."I’m as passionate about cricket as ever," he added. "The one thing that has kept me going is the fact that the youngsters really want to play and look forward to every game. That’s why I keep going. That’s why I keep fighting.”I have to have answers, because if I don’t then nobody else will. I’m maturing quickly as a cricketer. I’m learning things now that I would learn at a later stage. It is a huge responsibility and I have found it very tough, but there really is no-one else to do it. I have to take it on my shoulders."Taibu admitted: “There are mixed feelings to the cricket team in Zimbabwe. There are people who want to see us do well, and others who don’t. It has nothing to do with colour, just people with their own views. It’s obviously sad but I see it is a challenge to prove some people wrong and make other people happy.”Surprisingly, Taibu added that he wasn’t at all shocked to be given the captaincy, and that he didn’t support the rebels’ boycott of the national team. "I had been in a few meetings where things weren’t going well for Heath and the board,” he said. “I knew Heath might resign at any time from the meetings that we had. I was half-positive he would. I didn’t support the 15 players because if I did I would have joined them. I didn’t join them because I love cricket, and I would play for no cost if I had to.”At the end of July, the rebel cricketers accepted the ICC’s proposal for their dispute with the ZCU to be taken to arbitration, and the ICC has since appointed a two-man panel to investigate the allegations of racism that were at the root of the dispute. Even if the outcome of the arbitration were to go their way, it is unlikely that many of the rebels will return, with many of the senior players having already made other plans.Heath Streak, when fit, enjoyed success with Warwickshire this season. Sean Ervine, a very promising allrounder, has started a new life Down Under, signing a contract with Western Australia. Grant Flower and Ray Price have moved to England to play county cricket, while Andy Blignaut spent some time in Tasmania before signing a one-month contract for Durham.”Obviously I would like to have the players back in the side, but my job as captain is to lead whatever side given to me by the selectors,” Taibu concluded. “Either way, I think things will be good. If they come back it means the team will be stronger, but if they don’t then we are left with an exuberant young side who are willing to fight all the way. So I’m not really bothered. Either way, things will move forward for us.”

Brad Haddin, the wicketkeeper-batsman, has been appointed as the New South Wales captain and will stand in for Simon Katich, when he is on international duty. Katich’s selection in the Australian squad for the Indian tour in October meant that Haddin got his chance.While terming it as a “great honour”, Haddin said that this was an exciting time to be made captain. “My role is to see that the guys keep improving. “I want to continue the good work that Simon and Steve Waugh have put into this team over the years.”Haddin recently played in the Videocon Cup in Holland and has been part of the NSW side since 1999. In 48 first-class matches, he averages 32.46, with two hundreds and 16 half-centuries.

Anil Kumble had to wait for 69 deliveries this afternoon before he left behind Kapil Dev as India’s leading wicket-taker in Tests. And fittingly, it was one of those quicker balls, with which he has caused so much damage down the years, that trapped Mohammad Rafique in front of the stumps.Since making his debut at Old Trafford in 1990, Kumble has spent most of his career ploughing a lone furrow. Kapil Dev was around for the first couple of years, and his Karnataka mate, Javagal Srinath, offered sterling service before the rigours of bowling fast caught up with him. The spin-support cast changed often, with the likes of Venkatapathy Raju and Rajesh Chauhan making way for Sunil Joshi, and then Harbhajan Singh.Through it all, Kumble moved serenely on, enhancing his repertoire, and making fools of those who unthinkingly labelled him a dustbowl bully. His greatest vindication came in Australia last winter, when he scalped 24 wickets in three Tests against one of the greatest teams that cricket has ever seen. He followed that up with 15 wickets in Pakistan (three Tests), 27 in the home series against Australia (four matches) and 10 against South Africa (two Tests). The light may be fading, but Anil Kumble seems determined to go out in a blaze of glory.

Individual statistics for Tests played in 2004

Individual statistics for ODIs played in 2004

Former Test batsman Martin Love has been left out of Queensland’s one-day cricket side after struggling to return from a finger injury. Love returned to the Bulls outfit in the Pura Cup loss to Victoria this week but failed in both innings and the selectors want to see him have more match practice to get back into form.Wade Seccombe, the wicketkeeper, and allrounder James Hopes have both been named in the team to play Tasmania on January 2 but must first pass fitness tests. Seccombe has been sidelined with a broken foot while Hopes has a severely bruised hand that restricted him during the 156-run loss to Victoria at the Gabba.Queensland squad
Jimmy Maher (capt), James Hopes, Shane Watson, Andrew Symonds, Clinton Perren, Craig Philipson, Brendan Nash, Wade Seccombe, Andy Bichel, Ashley Noffke, Nathan Hauritz, Shane Jurgensen.

Occasionally sport has a significance that transcends nationality, politics, and religion. A fortnight after the Indian Ocean tsunami that claimed more than 150,000 lives and left millions more injured and homeless, a limited-overs game took place at the MCG. It involved players from Australia, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and England – all providing their time and energies free of charge. It depended on hundreds of volunteers, a myriad of sponsors, the attendance of 70,101 fans and a telecast into 122 countries. It was history in the making.The tsunami appeal was the idea of Tim May, the former Test offspinner who is now the chief executive of the Australian Players’ Association. The theory? Stage a star-studded match with proceeds going directly to the disaster-affected areas. The practice? Apparently not as complicated as it sounded. “I started making a few calls to players,” said May late last week. “I was amazed by the response. Everyone I talked to wanted to be a part of it.”By the time the coin toss took place, courtesy of the prime minister John Howard, it was clear that crowd numbers were massive. By the time the teams had gathered around the pitch for a minute’s silence, there was only a smattering of spare seats, and those, according to ticket agencies, had been snapped up days ago. By the time the game got underway, beneath a perfect Melbourne blue sky, there wasn’t a player, politician, official or spectator who didn’t seem excited and privileged to be in attendance.We’d come to see the local heroes Gilchrist, Hayden, Ponting, Warne and McGrath. We’d come to witness the magic of imported talent such as Lara, Sehwag and Jayasuriya. And we’d come to welcome back fondly an offspinner from Sri Lanka who, after a plethora of chucking allegations, had vowed never to play here again. As the bowling change was announced and Muttiah Muralitharan took the ball from the City End, the cheer was loud and unanimous. If there was one, identifiable human face of this incomprehensible tragedy, it was his.The game itself proved to be a one-sided affair, involving the mandatory slap-dash, wham-bam, towering sixes and pointless stumpings. But along the way it also provided elements of the extraordinary. Stars from India and Pakistan in the same team. Steve Waugh, with that still-familiar Charlie Chaplin waddle, took the field to a standing ovation. Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting shared a scintillating partnership, high-fiving each other at regular intervals. And Glenn McGrath, who will dine out on the experience for years, was promoted to No. 6 ahead of Matthew Hayden.By the time the ICC World XI had cruised to a 112-run victory, the stats were in. Over A$14million had been raised through ticket sales, related telethons and at-the-ground wheelie-bin collections. The players’ shirts, as well as the coin used for the toss, were being auctioned on eBay, and Warnie’s shirt was already attracting bids of over $150,000. The unmeasurable stat was the palpable spirit surrounding May’s brainchild.”None of these cricketers had to do this, and none of the fans had to come,” said the Reverend Tim Costello as he received the cheque on behalf of World Vision. “Why did they? Because they’re part of this wave of compassion. We have begun to give hope to those who are still alive and to say to them you are not alone. We will see you through this. We will stand by you until the job is done.” Occasionally, sport can surmount the sum of its parts.Christine Davey is a freelance writer based in Melbourne.