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Andrew Flintoff could have done with a fly-swatter while addressing themedia on the eve of England’s knock-out game against Australia. As heanswered a variety of questions – ranging from the Ashes to hisshirt-waving spectacle at Mumbai in 2002 and the Diwali fireworks expectedtomorrow – Flintoff couldn’t but swing his arms, trying to keep out thepests that swarmed around him.During the game tomorrow, especially after sunset, he might feel likeblocking his nose and stuffing his ears. The flies may keep away but theexplosive fire-crackers – a part and parcel of Diwali, the festivalof lights – is likely to pose a share of problems. Locals estimate thatthe pollution levels (both air and noise) increase by 200% on Diwali day.Both captains warned that there’s still a while to go before the event butthere’ll be plenty of ashes around the city tomorrow.The cloud of smoke that’s likely to envelope the city might well affectthe dew factor, an issue that’s slowly becoming one of the talking pointsof the tournament. Pakistan benefited from the film of dew while chasingagainst Sri Lanka but whether there will be dew to the same extent tomorrow, with thenight skies set alight, remains the question. Added to that is the possibility ofshowers – Australia’s practice session was slightly delayed owing toearly-morning rain. Modern cricket teams are accompanied by a sizeablesupport staff but it’s high time someone appointed a permanentmeteorologist.”Some days the dew’s been a factor, some days it’s not,” said a slightlybemused Flintoff when asked about how he went about practicing for thedew. “I don’t think there’s any hard and fast way to find out when it’sgoing to come down. In the game we played against India, I don’t think thedew came down a great deal. It’s something we’ve to look at on the day,after seeing overhead conditions.”England are no doubt preparing themselves for fielding under lights, withthe prospect of having to bowl and field with a soggy ball. “We had afielding practice before the India game,” said Flintoff as he continuedhis battle with the flies,” and we’re having another session underfloodlights tonight. It’s something we’ve come across before – we’veplayed under floodlights in England and the dew plays a part in SouthAfrica as well.”As far as tactics go, it’s pretty much the same really. A good area tobowl is a good area to bowl. You need to bowl pretty straight, thatdoesn’t change if the dew comes in. Sometimes you get a bit more swing, orball may seam a bit more but the areas you put the ball is prettysimilar.”Irrespective of the atmospherics, England are likely to stick to the sameXI that played the first game. The spinners – Michael Yardy and JamieDalrymple – were impressive against India while the seamers did their bitto make a meagre total into a challenging one. What England couldn’t doagainst India, and what they can’t do without tomorrow, is to raise theirintensity and Flintoff underlined the importance of an aggressiveapproach. “Australia are a fine side and remain favourites going into it,”he added. “But both sides have lost first and I don’t think they’ll be.We’ll try and take Australia on and see what happens.”Statistics don’t reveal much. The two teams have encountered each otherjust twice on Indian conditions: first at the famous World Cup final in 1987, when Mike Gatting reverse-swept England to their doom, and next atthe Nehru Cup in 1989, when a Wayne Larkins hundred steered England home.Ultimately it will come down to the team that holds its nerve, gas-masksand ear-muffs best. It promises to be a cracker, in more ways than one.England (likely): 1 Andrew Strauss, 2 Ian Bell, 3 Andrew Flintoff (capt), 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Michael Yardy, 7 Jamie Dalrymple, 8 Chris Read (wk), 9 James Anderson, 10 Sajid Mahmood, 11 Steve Harmison.

Kookaburra, the company sponsoring Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, will have its banned bats tested using laser vibration in a bid to show the graphite stickers on the back do not increase its power. The Marylebone Cricket Club last week ruled three of Kookaburra’s styles were illegal and the company withdrew the products from Test and ODI markets.Ponting will use his Kahuna and Hussey his Beast in the one-day games in South Africa, but the pair needs replacements for the three-Test series starting on March 15. “There’s a couple of good ones at the moment I don’t really want to part company with,” Ponting told . “I’m going to be right to use those bats until the end of the one-day series and then it’s going to be up to me over there to get the black graphite off the back of the bat so I can use them in the Test series.”The reported Kookaburra had provided scientific evidence from independent sources to argue the strip does not form an integral part of the blade and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology would conduct vibration testing. “The MCC says its experts have raised the point that the covering changes the amount of vibration and thus increases the power,” Rob Elliott, Kookaburra’s managing director, told the paper. “We know this isn’t true, from anecdotal evidence and testing, and now we’re proving it.”

England are “very likely” to take up an offer from Allen Stanford to play a multi-million dollar Twenty20 match during the tour of West Indies next year according to Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman.Clarke met with Stanford at Lord’s on Tuesday to discuss possible joint ventures which could include Stanford having a role in any future English Premier League plus the match next year, which could be worth as much as $20million, against an All-stars West Indies XI.”We did see Sir Allen – a date has not been fixed for when anything will be played, or what format it will take this year or going forward into the future,” Clarke told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme. “I think that match is very likely to take place. Sir Allen is doing a huge amount for cricket in the West Indies and we are keen to help things develop there.”With no window in the current international schedule to allow England’s centrally contracted players to compete in the Indian Premier League (IPL) the ECB is eager to appease players who are keen to cash in on lucrative Twenty20 tournaments.Clarke added: “Of course we are also keen to give our players the chance to make a significant amount of money and these types of games can be tremendously dramatic. We are extremely interested in his ideas but there is a long way to go.”We need to confirm a lot of things with our friends in the West Indies. There is not a specific date at this moment of time and no specific structure at this time.”Clarke also admitted that the ECB are still formulating plans for an English Premier League. “I think what the IPL will achieve is remarkable given the time and speed with which it has been put together. We are spending a lot of time looking at creating a robust, sustainable and economically viable league that still protects our core revenues of Test cricket.”Stanford has previously tried to invite South Africa for a winner-takes-all match but it fell through after a clash with the West Indies board. Last year Stanford also offered to bring the World Twenty20 winners, India, to the Caribbean but the BCCI wasn’t keen on taking part in an unofficial event.

England left-arm fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom has been ruled out of the first one-day international against India at Southampton on Tuesday because of a side strain.Sidebottom sustained the injury during the third Test against India at The Oval and did not bowl in the second innings. He was being treated at Loughborough and will be re-assessed for the rest of the seven match ODI series after the first match.England haven’t called up a replacement to the squad, which leaves the fast-bowling attack in the hands of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Tremlett and the returning Andrew Flintoff.Sidebottom took eight wickets at nearly 38 apiece in the Test series against India and was included in the one-day squad even though he had played only one out of three against West Indies. He has also been named in England’s squad for the Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa in September.

Martin Bicknell, the Surrey and England fast bowler, has retired. Bicknell, 37, had enjoyed some outings in Surrey’s first team this year, but had always said this was to be his final season and he finally called time on his playing career today, a few weeks earlier than planned. “Physically I was struggling,” he said,”but it just felt like it was the right time.”I’m relieved in a way,” he added, “but also a bit sad. It’s the end of an era.” It certainly is. Bicknell has been with Surrey for the last 28 years, since he joined them at the age of ten. He always wanted to play professional cricket and that dream came true when he was handed his first county contract at the age of 17, following a successful season in the seconds.In all he took 1047 wickets for the county, but he also fashioned something of a batting career for himself, and he’s rightly proud of his 6740 first-class runs. He smiles: “I was almost an allrounder.”He also flirted with the Test stage, although he only had four matches at that level. His debut, in 1993 against Australia, was a most fiery baptism. “I was thinking this is so tough – Allan Border, Steve Waugh, David Boon, all at the height of their careers.” Nevertheless, he had some success, taking four wickets, but injury wrecked his chances of a winter tour.He then waited for a call but that only came a decade later. “I wasn’t selected, it baffled me for a while.” True, he had stiff competition from Andrew Caddick and Darren Gough because he was seen as a new-ball bowler, but Bicknell still finds that perception bemusing. “It’s a bit of a mystery. I was actually most successful on the unresponsive pitches at The Oval.”He just shrugged and got on with being a strikeforce for Surrey, and helped them lift the Championship trophy in 1999, another career highlight. Then came the surprise Test recall in 2003, when he was 34. “I had just gone past my peak,” he admits. “I was very concerned at how I’d get on.” He need not have worried; he took a wicket with his second ball against South Africa at Headingley and then bowled England to victory in the final Test at The Oval.

“I had two very good performances and that left a good feeling for me. I had happy experiences of playing Test cricket.” But should he have played more? “People will look back and think I was a bit unlucky. Obviously it would be nice to have played 60 or 70 Tests, but it’s just one of those things. I was lucky to have played Test cricket at all.”Alan Butcher, the manager of cricket at Surrey, added, “Martin Bicknell is one of the true Surrey greats. He was integral to Surrey’s success during the glory years between 1997-2003, and is one of those cricketers who are truly irreplaceable.”Bicknell may have called time on playing, but he intends to maintain his Surrey links, hopefully getting involved with coaching their juniors. “That would be very enjoyable.” And he will be nurturing more youth as Head of Cricket at Charterhouse School, after four successful months with them.When he’s not involved in cricket, Bicknell enjoys his golf – and he has an impressive handicap of 2. He’s back off to India in February for the World Cup of Golf, where former international cricketers compete for the honours, and he hopes to claim the title this year, after Kapil Dev pipped him in the inaugural competition this year. “It’s a lovely day out,” he says of playing golf. “I love the game. I could play every day.”And as for cricket, though he won’t be playing every day, he will look back on his time with happiness. “I’m not leaving the game with any regrets.”

Surrey’s ignominious performance in the field against Nottinghamshire has been exacerbated by the news that they have been given a five-run penalty for ball-tampering, after an incident that came to light after the first day’s play at The Oval.The match umpires, Mervyn Kitchen and Nigel Llong, revealed that they had taken the overnight decision because of alterations to the condition of the ball. No single player could be singled out, they stressed to reporters at the match, although the pair added that Mark Ramprakash, Surrey’s captain, had been warned after 35 overs after it was spotted that the quarter-seam had been lifted.Llong checked the ball again with five overs of the day remaining and found no further evidence, but when he discovered at the close of play that the condition had altered once again, he reported the matter to the England & Wales Cricket Board. The old ball is now in the possession of the ECB, and Nottinghamshire’s batsmen were permitted to chose a new one for the resumption of play. They chose wisely as well, as Stephen Fleming hurtled to a magnificent double-century against a demoralised attack.Alan Butcher, Surrey’s stand-in coach, told the Press Association: “Further to the umpires’ ruling and the alteration of the condition of the ball we will co-operate with any inquiry by the ECB. We are conscious of the need to uphold both the spirit and the letter of the laws of cricket.” Nottinghamshire’s coach, Mick Newell, added: “I thought the umpires got it about right.”

Anil Kumble passed Courtney Walsh’s haul of 519 wickets on the third day of the St Lucia Test, but speaking to the press after the close of play, he said that such landmarks hardly mattered to him, and winning the Test was more important.Daren Ganga also spoke to the press about the challenge that lay ahead for the West Indies, and how they would take it one session at a time.Listen in!Anil Kumble’s press conference
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Streaming Audio: Real :: WMADaren Ganga’s press conference
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Kamran Akmal and all-rounder Yasir Arafat helped Pakistan ‘A’ complete a clean sweep in the one-day series against Sri Lanka ‘A’ at Gaddafi Stadium Thursday. Kamran hammered a scintillating 72 and Yasir claimed five for 28 as the home side won by 34 runs. Pakistan ‘A’ had already sealed the three-match rubber by winning the two first ties at Multan and Faisalabad, respectively.Sri Lanka ‘A’ made a partial recovery from 75 for six before being dismissed for 210 in 47.2 overs. Skipper Thilan Samaraweera and Khaushal Lokuarachchi saved face for the visitors by putting on 112 for the seventh wicket.Samaraweera struck seven fours in making 74 off 101 deliveries before being last out while Lokuarachchi hit 63 off 75 balls with six fours and one six.Yasir, who claimed three wickets in his opening burst, was adjudged Man-of-the-Match. He got excellent support from off-spinner Irfanuddin with three for 51.Earlier, Pakistan ‘A’ made another fine start when wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt shared an opening partnership of 108.Salman departed after stroking 44 off 62 balls. His knock included six boundaries. Kamran’s 93-ball knock of 72 was laced with seven hits to the fence.Stand-in captain Naved Latif contributed 25. Saeed bin Nasir made full use of an extended opportunity in the middle by remaining unconquered on 43, which were scored off only 41 balls with the aid of three fours and one six.

Umpire Richard Illingworth was “distraught” when he discovered that he had incorrectly called a no-ball that reprieved Adam Voges on the first day in Wellington, according to match referee Chris Broad.Voges went on to score 239 in a match-defining innings; he was on 7 at the time when he left a delivery and was bowled off the Doug Bracewell no-ball, despite a significant part of the bowler’s heel being behind the crease. Under the ICC playing conditions, a no-ball can be retrospectively called but not rescinded, so there was nothing that could be done about the call after Illingworth had made it.”Unfortunately Richard was distraught afterwards when he realised that it wasn’t a no ball,” Broad told the . “… I think when anyone is proved wrong in any decision that they make it’s clearly embarrassing at the time. But umpires, particularly on the elite panel have a great ability to be able to overcome that feeling and get on with the game.”There can be nothing done about it. The problem is that when an umpire calls a no-ball, you can’t change that decision because under the laws a batsman may change his shot when the no-ball is called. It was called – that’s the end of the matter. Richard is a Yorkshireman, he shrugs his shoulders and gets on with it. I’m constantly amazed at how the umpires, when they do make their occasional errors, are able to recover from it.”The mistake has led to debate about whether the on-field umpire is the best person to call no-balls, and whether the job would be better placed in the hands of the TV umpire. Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann, who sits on the ICC Cricket Committee which has discussed the matter in the past, said he would like to see the square-leg umpire take control of no-balls.”It’s a part of the game but I know it’s not right,” Lehmann said of Illingworth’s error. “We all make mistakes, I make plenty as a coach, umpires are going to make some. It’s heightened because he was on 7 and made 239 isn’t it? The no-ball situation is getting tough for umpires. I’d have the square-leg umpire do the no balls, but that’s me, that’s my cricket hat on.”Where do you go? How far do you go? How many no-balls are there in a game. How long will the day go, how many overs will we miss out on? All those questions have to be asked.””It’s something we’ve got to talk about at the ICC Cricket Committee. I sit on that so I have my views but there’s a lot of views and a lot of good players who have played a lot of cricket on that. We’ve got to get the solution right for umpires as well, there’s umpires on that commitee.”The incident occurred in the last over of the first day and was not replayed on the big screen at the Basin Reserve, so the New Zealand players did not realise the no-ball call was incorrect until they left the field at stumps. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said he had spoken to Broad about the no-ball but the New Zealanders had moved on and tried to refocus on the match.”I just discussed it with Chris Broad after the game, as you do, but it became fairly clear pretty quickly that there’s not a lot that can be done about it, so you move on,” Hesson said on Tuesday morning. The spirit [among the players] was fine, there’s no doubt at the time we were disappointed, there’s no doubt about that. We moved on pretty quickly.”After New Zealand’s loss, captain Brendon McCullum indicated he would have no problem with taking no-ball calls out of the hands of the on-field umpires, and Hesson was also open to the possibility.”The more decisions right the better,” Hesson said. “If we can use more technology to do that then decisions like that become less influential. It’s something the ICC are aware of and will discuss … The game’s about swings and roundabouts, sometimes you get a bit of fortune sometimes you don’t. In this situation many batsmen get a reprieve but some are good enough to make the most of it and Adam Voges certainly made the most of it.”

Brad Hodge, the Australian batsman, will miss the next five weeks of the county season with Lancashire after signing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. It is a move that has come out of the blue and the player only learnt of the approach within the last 48 hours.Hodge is the leading scorer in Twenty20 cricket worldwide with 1649 runs at 42 and a strike-rate of 139 from 47 matches. “I was approached only 24-48 hours ago and I’m still in shock at the opportunity that has been presented,” he said.”Twenty20 is a format that I really enjoy and have a good record in, and to be part of the inaugural IPL tournament is something most cricketers would find hard to turn down. It’s been an extremely difficult decision to make, but Lancashire have been very understanding of my situation and I hope to repay them on the field when I return.””Brad is arguably one of the best Twenty20 players in the world,” said Jim Cumbes, the Lancashire chief executive. “Although it’s disappointing to be losing a player of his calibre for part of our season, we are very lucky at Lancashire to have depth in our squad and this is a great opportunity for someone else to step up to the plate.”Hodge will join his Victoria team-mate David Hussey at Kolkata, who will lose Brendon McCullum to New Zealand’s tour of England at the end of the month and Ricky Ponting to a training camp. He will leave after Lancashire’s current Championship game against Somerset and the first match he misses is the Friends Provident Trophy clash against Scotland. Lancashire have no current plans to bring in another overseas player for the period Hodge is away.