Yuvraj Singh, expected to be out of action till the World Cup, could make a return of sorts as early as the home one-day series against West Indies. Yuvraj, who has been training in Mumbai in the Bandra Kurla Complex, at the same time as the finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the zonal under-19 tournament, could make a comeback as soon as the second half of the four-ODI home series against West Indies.”He is in the final phase of rehabilitation. He is doing light fielding, functional agility, netting,” Mithun Joshi, sports physiotherapist and son of the board’s medical expert Dr. Anant Joshi, wrote in a report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. “It is likely he will be able to return to light Twenty20 style match play by the 19th of this month. He could be with the team for the preparation for the West Indies series and be available to play in the latter part of the one-day series against West Indies, or for the series against Sri Lanka.”Yuvraj had recently practiced against a bowling machine, and was doing light exercises. He has been out of cricket since the middle of the Champions Trophy, when he tore a ligament in the knee in a pre-match training session at Mohali, while playing , a traditional Indian game, as part of warm ups.”There was never any pain,” an audibly elated Yuvraj told Cricinfo over the phone from Mumbai. “From the beginning it was never a question of pain. It was bone bruising because of the ligament tear. Obviously there is discomfort in using crutches, wearing a brace but it was not about pain.”It’s hard to come back so quickly without surgery. I have really worked very hard over the last 40 days,” said Yuvraj. “The problem is that it plays on you mentally, especially when fielding. You’re wondering whether you might get a recurrence of the injury and that could put you out for a long time.”Assessing his own fitness, Yuvraj concurred strongly with the doctors’ judgement. “Actually in plain terms I’m about 90-95% fit at the moment,” he said. “But it’s always different being in a match situation. It’s just about getting some match practice under the belt. Hopefully I can play three or four practice matches, and then if all goes well declare myself fit and eligible for national selection.”

Ricky Ponting wants his team to be “ultra-competitive” and said “nothing over the top” occurred to spark Lou Vincent’s comments about Australia’s ego-driven behaviour. Vincent complained the home players thought they were “bigger than the game” and were always talking, but Ponting said the chatter was an element of international competition.”Lou is a player who is always yapping up a bit and chirping when he is out on the field, trying to get an advantage for his team, and I think that’s just part of the game at the highest level,” Ponting said in The Australian. “There was nothing over the top that went on the other night, and what he is saying merely highlights how tough our two sides go at it out in the middle.”I want the guys in my team to be ultra-competitive. That’s what it is to play cricket for Australia, and I’m sure New Zealand are exactly the same.”The Australians have taken Vincent’s claim that they “hunt like a pack of dogs” as a compliment. Matthew Hayden said he was proud of the way the players stuck together and Brett Lee said it was what the team tried to do.”One of the reasons we have played really well recently is that we have had a never-say-die attitude, and sometimes other teams see that as a bit of ego,” Lee said in the Courier-Mail. “That is definitely not the case.”People talk about our sledging, and we play really tough cricket. We are renowned for that, but we know there is a line in the sand. We are well aware of the boundaries.”Lee said things on the field were not spoken “in a bad way”. “There are no racial things said, and nothing that represents a bad image for kids,” he told the paper. “Of course there are mind games. There is always going to be chat out there.”Stuart Clark, who is a quieter member of the squad, said he was surprised Vincent was listening to the Australians. “He should be thinking about what he has to do,” Clark said in the Sydney Morning Herald. “I don’t think we’re nasty or unfriendly, but I do think that the Australian cricket team hates losing as much or more than anyone, and I don’t see how that’s a bad thing.”John Buchanan did not feel there was a problem with his team’s behaviour. “We play the game hard, there is no doubt about that,” he said in The Australian. “But we play it fair and within the spirit of the game.”

Scorecard

Tasmania experienced a perfect start in their plan to make the Pura Cup final as they captured two points before stumps on the first day against a dreadful South Australia. After a horrible collapse of 9 for 53 dropped the home side for 139, Tasmania, who started the game equal with the leaders New South Wales, eased to 2 for 149 through Michael Di Venuto’s speedy 78.Having won the toss and batted, Darren Lehmann would have been pleased with the Redbacks’ position when he guided them to 1 for 86. However, Jason Borgas was taken at short leg and Lehmann (34) had not added to the score when he slipped against the occasional bowling of Michael Dighton.Callum Ferguson scraped to 29, but the rest of the order could not reach double figures and Luke Butterworth mopped up with 4 for 39. Butterworth finished the innings by taking Dan Cullen and Paul Rofe in consecutive balls while Jason Krejza and Brendan Drew collected two wickets each.South Australia were unable to match their opponents’ productivity and Cullen’s removal of Tim Paine for 26 was their first breakthrough. Di Venuto, who struck nine fours and a six in his 85-ball display, was run-out by the bowler Cullen Bailey’s direct hit from a drive and by the close Tasmania had a 10-run lead.

The Barbados government has rejected out of hand a plea by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to allow it to use Kensington Oval’s World Cup (CWC) gate receipts to clear some of its US$15 million debt.”It would be an act of irresponsible folly for us to take the only thing we would get from the World Cup and give it to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to pay its debts,” prime minister Owen Arthur said yesterday evening. He urged WICB president Ken Gordon and other officials of the cricket-managing body to “pass over the gate receipts so that we can start dealing with our financial matters at the Oval”.Arthur made the call while addressing Barbados Labour Party (BLP) faithful at Christ Church Parish Centre attending the uncontested nomination of minister of health Jerome Walcott, the sitting Member of Parliament, as candidate for Christ Church South. Arthur said Government had raised “a lot of money” to redevelop Kensington Oval with the understanding that the Local Organising Committee (LOC) would get the gate receipts from the matches played there.However, he disclosed that Gordon had written him, saying the board had a US$15 million debt “and they want us to agree that we will give them the gate receipts to pay their debts”.The Prime Minister said: “Now I have already written him to say that the Government of Barbados does not and will not agree . . . .” He said while he was sympathetic to the needs of the WICB and wanted to see its debt problem addressed, the board should hand over the gate receipts to the various countries that hosted CWC games “so that they can start paying their debts for building these stadiums”.Arthur also dismissed what he said was a statement by Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) president Tony Marshall that his group owned Kensington Oval. He said what the BCA owned was the land at Kensington Oval. Government owned 90% of the property development company that had been set up to develop Kensington, with the BCA owning the rest, Arthur said. Government, having spent over $100 million to redevelop the Oval, “shall not surrender our interest in it”, he declared. But he told the meeting: “We would like the partnership to continue.”The prime minister also announced that he had summoned a meeting with “all concerned” to deal with the ownership issue as well as the management of the Oval. “What the Government owns is ours and we have to put together a company to jointly manage it and a company also has to be put together to jointly own it and manage it, using a partnership.”

Michael Vaughan, the England captain, might resort to using an oxygen chamber in a bid to hasten his recovery from a broken finger.Vaughan fractured his right middle finger when he was struck by a lifter from Stuart Clark in Yorkshire’s Championship match against Hampshire at The Rose Bowl last Thursday, almost certainly ruling him out of the first Test against the West Indies in two weeks. Early reports from the England management also suggested that he might miss the second Test at Headingley, too.But Scott McAllister, the Yorkshire physio, isn’t ruling out using the oxygen chamber. “It is just one of the options being considered,” he told the , “but it may or may not be beneficial in Michael’s case. “We’re icing the finger to keep swelling to a minimum and concentrating on making sure it is immobile at all times.”Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a technique in which patients are exposed to 100% pure oxygen, promoting the formation of new capillaries surrounding the wounds and thus helping to hasten the recovery. It has been used by Wayne Rooney, the England footballer, and Simon Jones, the England fast bowler.”That combination of regular icing and immobility could well be the best route to follow but we’re keeping an open mind right now,” McAllister added. Should Vaughan not be fit in time for the first Test, which gets underway at Lord’s on May 17, it seems likely Andrew Strauss will replace him at the helm. And Strauss, who led England to a 3-0 win over Pakistan last summer, has received support from Darren Gough.”Without a doubt Strauss [should be captain], as he’s done it before and knows what it’s all about,” Gough told BBC Radio Five Live. “Unfortunately Flintoff got done for going out and having a drink but that should not stop him being captain of England. But I think they will go for Strauss.”

Lasith Malinga’s world-record four wickets in four balls against South Africa during the World Cup has inspired his former school, Mahinda College in Galle, to hold a felicitation ceremony in honour of its past cricketers who have gone on to play for Sri Lanka.The ceremony, to be held June 2 at the college hall, will pay tribute to several former and current Sri Lankan cricketers including Somachandra de Silva, Jayananada Warnaweera, Athula Samarasekera, Marvan Atapattu, Upul Chandana, Malinga and the late DLS de Silvam who played in the 1979 World Cup.Several other cricketers in the pre-Test era will also be felicitated, namely the late DD Jayasinghe, Somasiri Ambawatte, WB Bennett, DP de Silva, PHKH Ranasinghe, AJ Samasekera, Gajaba Pitigala, Mihiri Egodage, Kamal Dharmasiri, Neil de Silva, Dileepa Wickremasinghe and Upul Sumathipala.Sumathipala, a member of the organizing committee, stated that the school wanted to honour its past cricketers for some time and Malinga’s record-breaking feat precipitate plans to hold a ceremony. He said that Malinga will be presented a special award.Sumathipala also stated that Champaka Ramanayake, a former Sri Lanka fast bowler and head of Sri Lanka Cricket’s fast bowling academy, will receive a special award as the coach who discovered and nurtured Malinga to become an international fast bowler. All the cricket coaches who served Mahinda College in its 115-year history will also be felicitated.

The Rubies maintained their 100% record in the Super 4s competition, with victory over third-placed Diamonds at the weekend.Lydia Greenway, the England middle-order batsman, continued her impressive form with another half-century. She made 54. Her England team-mate Caroline Atkins added 46 to overhaul the Diamonds’ 171 with two overs remaining. The Diamonds were grateful to Tamsin Beaumont’s solid 45 and useful contributions from Jenny Gunn and Kate Oakenfold.The other match between Rosalie Birch’s Sapphires and Alexia Walker’s Emeralds was abandoned without a ball being bowled. The umpires came to a decision on Friday afternoon. Each team will pick up 11 points with the match not being rescheduled.Next Saturday, June 23, The Emeralds will hope for better weather as they entertain the Sapphires at Loughborough, who are still looking for their first success of the tournament.In the other match, the leaders Rubies will look for another victory in the competition and a double over the Diamonds at Taunton.

Louise Milliken, the New Zealand women’s fast bowler, has been ruled out of the five-match Rose Bowl Series against Australia and the tour to England after injuring her knee. Sarah Burke will replace her for the Australian leg of the tour, while Ros Kember will take her place on the tour to England.A scan done in Hamilton revealed that Milliken will require surgery after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament.New Zealand narrowly lost the Twenty20 game against Australia by just one run on Thursday. The one-day series starts today, while the tour of England begins early next month.

From the vast, high-tech arena that was the Rose Bowl, the one-day caravan has shifted to the idyllic County Ground at Bristol, a venue set up as early at 1889 and one steeped in history.It’s a ground where the memory of WG Grace, Gilbert Jessop and Wally Hammond lives on, from an age where the sport was still an amateur pastime. There is a suite named after Jack Russell, the former England wicketkeeper, who was one of the most eccentric men to walk the cricket field. Temporary stands have been set up for this encounter and makeshift flood-lights arrangements are being put in place.Narrow, winding streets provide an approach to the ground and locals say the route will be choc-a-block tomorrow. This miniature ground is lined with houses on one side and trees on the other. A thick edge is bound to fly over third man for six and, if the pitch plays true, the match could be a high-scoring one.Twice in nine games has a score of more than 300 been seen here and India have been involved in both. The first was against Kenya in the 1999 World Cup when Sachin Tendulkar made an emotional hundred after returning from his father’s funeral; the next was against Sri Lanka in the Natwest Series of 2002, when Tendulkar smashed another century in India’s 63-run win. He batted at No. 4 in both instances. India will need something similar from him tomorrow, this time at No. 1.Worringly for India, Tendulkar missed practice on the eve of the game along with Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, RP Singh and Yuvraj Singh, all of whom were suffering from flu and body ache. With Munaf Patel returning from injury, India find themselves heavily depleted at such an early stage of the series.England are likely to stick to the same combination, one that ran away to an overwhelming win at the Rose Bowl. “There’s a lot of energy in the side,” said an upbeat Stuart Broad, England’s opening bowler. “It’s an exciting place to be playing. We had a great performance at the Rose Bowl. If we fulfil our potential, we’re difficult to beat.”A fiery return for Andrew Flintoff added an potency to their side. Steaming in at more than 90mph and hitting the awkward middle length, he made life difficult for India’s middle order. The fact that James Anderson and Broad teamed up for such a good combination first up made things easier. “Jimmy bowls a swingy length and I hit the pitch and get bounce,” said Broad. “It’s good to have such a combination. Certainly our aim is to bowl straight and [be] aggressive.”

Rahul Dravid admitted that Gautam Gambhir’s spot was under scrutiny, adding that he might miss out if they go with the five-bowlers option. “Like everyone else in this side, he has earned the right through performances,” Dravid said. “When he goes back to domestic cricket he scores runs and must be given the opportunity. Whether he takes those chances or not is up to him. In Ireland he got a 70, did well in Scotland. He’s got runs in all the side games between the Tests. Now it’s up to him to stand up and make the jump.”India have a few factors to consider while picking their XI – the pitch, which the curator feels is “a 300 wicket” and the size of the ground, which is conspicuously small. It might be tricky playing two spinners here, especially with the 30-yard circle dangerously close to the boundary line at the pavilion end. One meaty hit is all it will take to clear the Hammond roof, the Grace pavilion, and the Jack Russell suite. Three legends floored with one stroke.England (likely) 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Matt Prior (wk), 3 Ian Bell, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood (capt), 6 Andrew Flintoff, 7 Ravi Bopara, 8 Dimitri Mascarenhas, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 James Anderson,11 Monty PanesarIndia (likely) 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 Sourav Ganguly, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Rahul Dravid (capt), 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), 7 Dinesh Karthik, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Ajit Agarkar, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 RP Singh.

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.