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“Herschelle, at what stage did you realise it was a million dollars and not a million bottles of Johnnie Walker that was up for grabs?”The question was irreverent and came at the very tail-end of the press conference, but it was worthy of being asked. Herschelle Gibbs hasbeen accused of many things in his career, but an ambassador for responsible drinking is surely not one of them.And yet, the man who once claimed his return to form against West Indies had come on the back of “a pizza and a couple of Jack Daniels”had just won a whisky company’s million-dollar challenge as the first man in the World Cup – and all international cricket for that matter -to slam six sixes in an over. The company in question, Johnnie Walker, apparently encourages the players in this tournament to “know theirboundaries”. In a colourful career that has encompassed match-fixing scandals, racism charges and dope-smoking, Gibbs has certainly crossed many more boundaries than the seven he pulled off today.”The message came out that Jacques Kallis and I could have a dip, and we probably had a bigger dip than was needed,” Gibbs said.”After the fourth one, I thought it could be on. I thought about using my feet and coming down the pitch, but then I changed my mind anddecided to stay in the crease. The idea was for me to have another two goes at it [the record] and luckily I didn’t miscue any of them, so it was quite nice.”They weren’t miscues by any stretch of the imagination, but conventional shots they were not. Smears one and all, over long-off,long-on and midwicket, it was arguably some of the most reckless driving ever seen on a cricket pitch. “If the ball presents itself, I’ll try everything,” he said. “I was lucky the straight boundaries were quite small but the six sixes was a bonus, it was just nice to get a hit in the middle.”Related

• Herschelle Gibbs hits six sixes in an over in record win over Netherlands

• Herschelle Gibbs smashes a record six sixes in an over

• 'That was my only bloody wish, to win a World Cup'

• Netherlands v South Africa, Group A, St Kitts

“Nice” was not an adjective the Netherlands captain, Luuk van Troost, was about to use in a hurry. Looking utterly shell-shocked, he gave an honest assessment of a gruelling day. “They totally outplayed us,” he said. “This was world-class batting and the small boundaries were never going to help us. In the end we didn’t do well enough, simple as that.”I was quite happy with the start actually,” he said after South Africa struggled to 4 for 1 after five overs. “But after that they were cruising. After we came off everyone was very negative, obviously, and so we thought, well, let’s try to get them. It’s the only way.”van Troost said his team had been suckered by the torrential morning rain, and erred in omitting both of their frontline spinners,Muhammad Kashif and Adeel Raja. Into the breach, and straight into history, stepped Daan van Bunge and his part-time legbreaks. “Daanbowled very well against Kenya and we thought he could be our spinner,” van Troost said. “Well, it didn’t work out very well that plan!”What followed was an onslaught straight out of the annals of village cricket. “What can you say? There were a few good balls in it and a few shit balls,” van Troost said. “I told Daan after the third ball, ‘try to bowl a quicker one’. He said, ‘I just did!’ He had some flashbacks since then. Seriously, he started laughing as he was sitting in the dressing-room. Before the game we said let’s make history today, well, we made history!”It’s terrible to be a captain in that situation. For the last couple of overs I didn’t know where to put my players any more or where to bowl. I thought I’ll take the last over, someone’s got to do it.” In the event, he too felt the wrath of a well-set international cricketer, as Kallis lashed each of his final three deliveries into the pavilion.The nightmare, however, may only just be beginning for Holland. In two days they take on the Australians and van Troost was wincing atthe prospect. “I don’t want to think about it now,” he said. “We’ve just got to take the positives out of this performance. The first tenovers were pretty good, I thought our fielding was pretty good, and Ryan ten Doeschate got a good 60. But perhaps tomorrowwe’ll have a team meeting and find a new game plan. We have to improve a lot in the next two days.”

Pakistan’s coach, Bob Woolmer, twice turned down an offer to coach the Sri Lankan cricket team.Woolmer, the former South Africa coach, said he had been taking time off from the game when the first offer was made, and had not been satisfied at the manner in which the second offer was made.”The first time I was approached was soon after the 1999 World Cup when my contract with South Africa was over,” said Woolmer, “but I wanted some time out from cricket and didn’t quite consider the offer.”Woolmer, 57, who is back in Sri Lanka with the Pakistan team for two Tests and three one-dayers, said he had been interested in the assignment in 2003 but the officials did not have proper discussions with him.”On the second instance the circumstances weren’t right and therefore I declined,” he said. “They were making offers of money without trying to sit down with me for a chat.”Although Woolmer’s name was rumoured in cricket circles to replace Dav Whatmore three years ago, it was believed at the time that violence in the country had made him decline the offer.But Woolmer said security was never a concern. “That’s far from the truth. I love this place and my wife loves this place. It didn’t worry me one bit. If I am going to die while coaching cricket, then so be it.”Sri Lanka were desperately searching for someone to replace Whatmore after the last World Cup and had an interim coach in former skipper Duleep Mendis before the Australian, John Dyson, was given the job. Dyson coached Sri Lanka for 18 months before being replaced by present coach Tom Moody, also an Australian.Woolmer also indicated that he did not have many years left in coaching. “I am getting old for the job. Throwing hard at practice sessions and giving high catches are becoming difficult,” he said. “I am contracted with the Pakistan Cricket Board till the 2007 World Cup and will assess what to do after that.”Woolmer made a name for himself in the early-1990s as Warwickshire’s coach and later moved to South Africa, where he worked for five years. He was later appointed as the International Cricket Council’s High Performance Manager and took up his present assignment in 2004.

Lord’s will stage a fund-raising match for the tsunami appeal on June 14, with the MCC taking on an International XI. Twenty two of the world’s leading players will take part in a similar event to the one stage in Melbourne during January.Brian Lara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Stephen Fleming, Shane Warne and Andy Flower have already agreed to participate and Flower, who will be playing for Essex this summer, said: “We are incredibly fortunate in this country to live a pain-free, privileged and comfortable existence. There are millions of people affected by the tsunami living in terrible conditions. This one event has caused so much sadness and hardship. It is important that we make a contribution to such a vital cause. This match gives us an opportunity, in one small way, to alleviate some of that suffering.”This is the third part of the MCC’s commitment to the tsunami relief effort. They have donated £25,000 to the rebuilding fund of the Galle stadium, which was destroyed by the tsunami on December 26, and will be hosting a fund-rasing event in the refurbished Long Room and Lord’s next month.The rest of the players, and the two captains, for the match will be named in the coming weeks, and tickets will be available from April 4, costing £20-£30 for adults and £10 for children.

David Hussey is to sign for Nottinghamshire as their second overseas player for next season, according to the . Although negotiations are continuing and nothing is expected to be announced for a week to ten days, Hussey is almost certain to join Stuart MacGill, the Australian legspinner, at Trent Bridge.Hussey, 26 and brother of Mike, who played his first one-day international for Australia last week, has made a tremendous impact on Australian domestic cricket since moving from Western Australia to Victoria two years ago. He has averaged 97 this season, and averages 72 for Victoria.His four first-class hundreds include a top score of 212 not out against New South Wales, and his impressive form caught the eye of Lindsay Walker, a Nottinghamshire coach. Hussey has also been recommended by Steve Waugh, believed to be the county’s original target, but who turned down an offer for family reasons.

Guy James Whittall – born Chipinge, 5 September 1972
Right-handed batsman, right-arm medium-pace bowler
Career: 1990/91-2001/02

Abbreviations: Capital letters for team names denotes a Test match.Man – ManicalandMash – Mashonaland * indicates not out inningsMat – Matabeleland + indicates wicket-keeperMCD – Mashonaland Country Districts *+ retired hurt/illMid – Midlands # batted firstZim – Zimbabwe/ZimbabweansGrounds:Alex – Alexandra Sports Club OG – Old Georgians Sports ClubBAC – Bulawayo Athletic Club OH – Old Hararians Sports ClubHSC – Harare Sports ClubNo. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1990/91 (Zimbabwe) bat Score Total bowl Total1 Young Zimbabwe v Pakistan B (8) 4 187 – — #469(Alex, 16-18 Oct – Drawn) — 1 — 86/32 Zimbabwe v Worcestershire (2) 31 157 – — #377/4d(HSC, 8-10 April – Drawn) (2) 20 276/71990/91 SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM2 3 0 55 31 18.33 – – 1 –No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1992/93 (Zimbabwe) bat Score Total bowl Total3 Zimbabwe B v Kent (1) 10* 194 – — #323/5d(OH, 30 March-1 April – D) (4) 42 101/5 – — 151/8d1992/93 SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM1 2 1 52 42 52.00 – – – –No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1993 (England) bat Score Total bowl Total4 Zimbabweans v President’s XI (6) 1 #160 – — 460/7d(Scarborough, 1-3 Sept – D) (3) 20 279/25 Zimbabweans v Surrey (1) 7 221/9d – — #304/7d(The Oval, 8-10 Sept – D) (6) 11 196/6 – — 189/9d6 Zimbabweans v Kent — 53/1d – — #264(Canterbury, 11-13 Sept – L) (3) 9 83 – — 68/1d1993 SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM3 5 0 48 20 9.60 – – – –No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1993/94 (Pakistan) bat Score Total bowl Total7 Zimbabweans v Bank of Khyber XI (7) 19* 405/5d 1 (3) 17 4 31 1 254/2(Peshawar, 26-28 Nov – D) –8 ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (1st) (6) 33 289 – (4) 12 4 26 1 #423/8d(Karachi, 1-6 Dec – L) (6) 2 134 – — 131/3d9 ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (2nd) (7) 29 254 – (4) 17 6 39 0 #245(Rawalpindi, 9-14 Dec – L) (6) 0 187 – (5) 4 1 10 0 24810 ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (3rd) (6) 2 230 – — #147(Lahore, 16-21 Dec – D) — – (6) 10.5 4 17 0 174/11993/94 (PAKISTAN) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM4 6 1 85 33 17.00 – – 1 60.5 19 123 2 61.50 1/26 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1993/94 (Zimbabwe) bat Score Total bowl Total11 Matabeleland v Mash Under-24 (4) 18 #296 – (3) 23 6 43 2 251(Queens, 14-16 Jan – D) (5) 73 200 1 (5) 1 0 8 0 137/512 Matabeleland v Mashonaland (4) 5 214 – (4) 18.3 3 64 2 #358(HSC, 4-6 March – D) (4) 22 253/9 – (4) 12.4 1 33 1 160/3d13 Matabeleland v Mash Under-24 (4) 0 140 – (4) 27 7 60 2 #286(HSC, 18-20 March – D) — – (4) 25.5 9 34 6 24514 Mat Invitation XI v Worcestershire(5) 5 #224 – (3) 27 7 81 3 322/9d(BAC, 13-15 April – D) (5) 10 291 – — 27/01993/94 (ZIMBABWE) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM4 7 0 133 73 19.00 – 1 1 135 33 323 16 20.18 6/34 1 -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1994/95 (Zimbabwe) bat Score Total bowl Total15 Matabeleland v Mashonaland (3) 51 178 – (4) 16 0 67 2 #344/7d(BAC, 16-18 Sept – L) (3) 6 241 – — 76/116 Mat Select XI v South Africa A (3) 105 #379 1 (4) 22 3 92 1 471/9d(BAC, 27-30 Sept – L) (3) 5 308 – (4) 8 0 37 1 219/417 Zimbabwe A v South Africa A (3) 12 #87 1 (5) 6 1 15 0 409(Alex, 4-6 Oct – L) (3) 2 14318 ZIMBABWE v SRI LANKA (1st) (6) 4 319/8 – (4) 33 8 70 4 383(HSC, 11-16 Oct – D) –19 ZIMBABWE v SRI LANKA (2nd) (6) 12 462/9d – (5) 17.1 6 35 2 218(Queens, 20-24 Oct – D) — – (3) 17 7 29 1 193/420 ZIMBABWE v SRI LANKA (3rd) (6) 61* 375 1 (4) 28 5 74 0 #402(HSC, 26-31 Oct – D) — 2 — 89/3No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1994/95 (Australia) bat Score Total bowl Total21 Zimbabweans v Tasmania (3) 24 141/3d – (4) 13 2 48 0 #257/5d(Devonport, 18-20 Dec – D) (3) 6 156/5 1 (4) 5 0 37 1 136/3d22 Zimbabweans v Queensland (3) 0 #294/6d – (6) 9 2 37 1 223/5d(Maryborough, 29-31 Dec – L) (3) 0 129 – (5) 8 1 20 1 201/61994/95 (AUSTRALIA) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM2 4 0 30 24 7.50 – – 1 35 5 142 3 47.33 1/20 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1994/95 (Zimbabwe, cont.) bat Score Total bowl Total23 Matabeleland v MCD (3) 28 127 – (3) 7 0 14 2 #123(Harare South, 20-22 Jan – W) (3) 180* 335/3 – (3) 16 2 59 0 33624 President’s XI v Pakistanis (3) 104 #301/4d 1 (4) 13 4 44 2 327/6d(Harare South, 27-29 Jan – L) (8) 0 143 – (3) 5 0 21 1 119/325 ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (1st) (6) 113* #544/4d 1 (4) 29 10 49 2 322(HSC, 31 Jan-4 Feb – W) — (4) 16 3 58 3 15826 ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (2nd) (6) 7 #174 – (4) 15 3 42 1 260(Queens, 7-9 Feb – L) (6) 5 146 – — 61/227 ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (3rd) (6) 34 243 – (4) 18 3 73 1 #231(HSC, 15-19 Feb – L) (5) 2 139 1 (3) 22 3 66 3 25028 Mash Select v Northamptonshire (6) 6 83 1 (4) 16.3 6 54 2 #276/7d(HSC, 4-6 April – W) (6) 10* 417/4 – (3) 9.1 0 48 1 22329 Matabeleland v Glamorgan (4) 3 302/8d – (4) 6 0 30 0 266/7d(BAC, 11-13 April – W) (4) 12 294/7d – (4) 15 4 56 6 1711994/95 (ZIMBABWE) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM13 22 4 762 180* 42.33 4 2 9 334.5 68 1033 35 29.51 6/56 1 -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1995/96 (Zimbabwe) bat Score Total bowl Total30 Matabeleland v Mashonaland (4) 99 #305 1 (3) 18 2 62 3 219(HSC, 15-17 Sept – W) (4) 64 300/7d 2 (3) 16 3 58 2 227No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1995/96 (South Africa) bat Score Total bowl Total31 Zimbabwe A v Transvaal (4) 4 #264 – (4) 15 2 69 1 509(Johannesburg, 21-24 Sep – L) (4) 22 312 – (3) 4 0 13 0 70/132 Zimbabwe A v Eastern Province (4) 0 #112 – (3) 7 1 27 1 313(Port Elizabeth, 28-30 Sep – L) (4) 4 144 -33 Zimbabwe A v South Africa A (5) 62 #221 1 (3) 6 1 18 0 310(Durban, 6-9 Oct – D) (5) 19 256/81995/96 (SOUTH AFRICA) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM3 6 0 111 62 18.50 – 1 1 32 4 127 2 63.50 1/27 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1995/96 (Zimbabwe, cont.) bat Score Total bowl Total34 ZIMBABWE v SOUTH AFRICA (Only) (6) 29 #170 1 (5) 2 0 11 0 346(HSC, 3-5 Oct – L) (6) 38 283 – — 108/335 Matabeleland v Young Mashonaland (4) 0 #221 1 (4) 19 1 63 4 203(BAC, 3-5 Nov – D) (5) 139* 370/5d – (3) 15 2 52 0 202/236 Matabeleland v MCD (4) 9 #152 2 (4) 8.5 1 39 4 209(BAC, 17-19 Nov – W) (4) 1 344 – (4) 8 0 64 0 28337 Zimbabwe Board XI v Northerns B (6) 85 334/9d 1 (4) 19.4 1 86 2 #339(Centurion, 24-26 Nov – D) (6) 4 131/7 1 (3) 6 1 23 0 244/8dNo. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1995/96 (New Zealand) bat Score Total bowl Total38 Zimbabweans v New Zealand XI (7) 4 172 1 (4) 7 2 18 2 #111(Wanganui, 2-4 Jan – W) — 154/3 – (4) 15 3 54 1 21239 Zimbabweans v NZ Academy XI (7) 40 #274/7d – (6) 7 3 14 0 213/1d(Whangarei, 6-8 Jan – D) (5) 14 207/4d – (6) 3 0 9 0 109/140 ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND (1st) (6) 54 196 – — #230/8d(Hamilton, 13-17 Jan – D) (3) 20 208/6 – — 222/5d41 ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND (2nd) (3) 27 326 – (5) 12 4 36 1 #251(Auckland, 20-24 Jan – D) (3) 10 246/4 – (4) 13 4 40 0 441/5d1995/96 (NEW ZEALAND) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM4 7 0 169 54 24.14 – 1 1 57 16 171 4 42.75 2/18 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1995/96 (Zimbabwe, cont.) bat Score Total bowl Total42 Mat Select XI v Yorkshire (3) 0 84 1 (3) 12 2 38 0 #329/5d(BAC, 11-12 April – L) (5) 2 2341995/96 (ZIMBABWE) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM6 12 1 470 139* 42.72 1 3 10 124.3 13 496 15 33.06 4/39 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1996/97 (Sri Lanka) bat Score Total bowl Total43 ZIMBABWE v SRI LANKA (1st) (5) 39 145 – (3) 12 1 43 0 #349(Colombo Pre, 11-14 Sept – L) (6) 13 12744 ZIMBABWE v SRI LANKA (2nd) (7) 0 141 – (5) 16.5 4 48 1 350/8d(Colombo SSC, 18-21 Sept – L) (7) 3 235 – — 30/01996/97 (SRI LANKA) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM2 4 0 55 39 13.75 – – – 28.5 5 91 1 91.00 1/48 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1996/97 (Pakistan) bat Score Total bowl Total45 ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (1st) (7) 0 #375 – (5) 25 5 73 2 553(Sheikhapura, 17-21 Oct – D) (7) 32 241/746 ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (2nd) (7) 9 #133 – (4) 7 4 11 0 267(Faisalabad, 24-26 Oct – L) (7) 0 200 – — 69/01996/97 (PAKISTAN) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM2 4 0 41 32 10.25 – – – 32 9 84 2 42.00 2/73 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1996/97 (Zimbabwe) bat Score Total bowl Total47 Matabeleland v Mashonaland (1) 159 448 – (4) 15 4 40 0 #503/4d(Alex, 15-17 Nov – D) –48 Matabeleland v Mashonaland (1) 18 69/4d – (4) 20 3 69 1 #477/6d(BAC, 22-24 Nov – L) (1) 3 195 – — forfeit49 Matabeleland v England XI (1) 19 188 3 (3) 14 4 40 2 #334(BAC, 10-13 Dec – L) (1) 11 261 3 (4) 3 0 17 0 230/5d50 ZIMBABWE v ENGLAND (1st) (7) 7 #376 – (5) 10 2 25 0 406(Queens, 18-22 Dec – D) (8) 56 234 – (5) 2 0 10 1 204/651 ZIMBABWE v ENGLAND (2nd) (7) 1 215 1 (5) 16 5 18 4 #156(HSC, 26-30 Dec – D) — 195/352 Mat Invitation XI v Worcestershire(4) 2 168/9d – (5) 5 0 12 0 #145(BAC, 28-30 March – L) (4) 40 222 1 (5) 8 1 23 0 263/8d1996/97 (ZIMBABWE) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM6 10 0 316 159 31.60 1 1 8 107 25 270 8 33.75 4/18 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1997/98 (Zimbabwe) bat Score Total bowl Total53 Matabeleland v Mashonaland (4) 1 129 1 (6) 10 4 19 0 #307(OH, 4-5 Sept – L) (4) 42 14254 ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND (1st) (4) 33 #298 1 (5) 5 0 15 0 207(HSC, 18-22 Sept – D) (4) 4 311/9d – (3) 5 1 19 0 304/855 ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND (2nd) (4) 203* #461 – (6) 6 1 14 0 403(Queens, 25-29 Sept – D) (4) 45 227/8d 1 — 275/856 Matabeleland v Mashonaland A (4) 29 300/7d – (3) 15 3 51 0 #312(BAC, 23-25 Oct – D) (4) 61 277/9 1 (2) 5 0 22 0 279/5dNo. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1997/98 (Sri Lanka) bat Score Total bowl Total57 Zimbabweans v Sri Lanka Board XI (4) 11 #311/6d – — 313/8d(Matara, 2-5 Jan – D) –58 ZIMBABWE v SRI LANKA (2nd) (4) 11 #251 1 (3) 3 0 18 0 225(Colombo SSC, 14-18 Jan – L) (5) 17 299 – (5) 7 1 12 0 326/51997/98 (SRI LANKA) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM2 3 0 39 17 13.00 – – 1 10 1 30 0 –No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1997/98 (New Zealand) bat Score Total bowl Total59 Zimbabweans v New Zealand A (6) 13 #67 1 (4) 12 1 67 1 271/8d(Dunedin, 8-10 Feb – L) (4) 6 19560 Zimbabweans v Canterbury (4) 20 422/8d – (2) 13 4 21 2 #100(Timaru, 13-16 Feb – W) — – (2) 16 8 25 1 26661 ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND (1st) (4) 6 #180 – (4) 5 2 12 0 411(Wellington, 19-22 Feb – L) (5) 22 250 – — 20/062 ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND (2nd) (6) 1 #170 1 (3) 14 3 68 0 460(Auckland, 26-28 Feb – L) (6) 10 2771997/98 (NEW ZEALAND) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM4 7 0 78 22 11.14 – – 2 60 18 193 4 48.25 2/25 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1997/98 (Zimbabwe, cont.) bat Score Total bowl Total63 ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (1st) (6) 1 #321 – (4) 27 9 63 4 256(Queens, 14-18 March – D) — 302/4d – (4) 18 5 61 0 258/664 ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (2nd) (6) 62 #277 1 (4) 32.5 4 78 3 354(HSC, 21-25 March – L) (6) 15 268 – (2) 15 4 35 2 192/71997/98 (ZIMBABWE) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM6 11 1 496 203* 49.60 1 2 5 138.5 31 377 9 41.88 4/63 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1998/99 (Zimbabwe) bat Score Total bowl TotalAfter missing the first half of the season, including the tour of Pakistan, with a knee injury that later restricted his bowling, Whittall kept wicket in the opening Logan Cup match, when his century also saved the match for his side.65 Matabeleland v Mashonaland (3) 62 232 1/0 — #243(BAC, 5-7 Jan – D) (3) 131* 278/6 1/0 — 333/2d66 Matabeleland v Mashonaland A (4) 75 403/9d – — #102(BAC, 19-21 Jan – W) — 50/3 – — 35067 Zimbabwe A v England A (3) 24 #160 2 (6) 6 0 16 0 192(Alex, 2-6 Feb – D) (3) 3* 20/168 Zimbabwe A v England A (4) 0 223 – (3) 16 6 33 2 #383(Queens, 9-13 Feb – L) (4) 16 277 1 (3) 10 5 25 0 310/6d1998/99 (ZIMBABWE) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM4 7 2 311 131 62.20 1 2 5 32 11 74 2 37.00 2/33 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1999/2000 (Zimbabwe) bat Score Total bowl Total69 ZIMBABWE v AUSTRALIA (Only) (9) 27 #194 – (5) 21.4 3 74 1 422(HSC, 14-17 Oct – W) (8) 2 232 – — 5/0No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1999/2000 (South Africa) bat Score Total bowl Total70 ZIMBABWE v SOUTH AFRICA (Only) (8) 85 #192 – (6) 30 9 95 2 417(Bloemfontein, 29 Oct-1 Nov -L) (8) 51 2121999/2000 (SOUTH AFRICA) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM1 2 0 136 85 68.00 – 2 – 30 9 95 2 47.50 2/95 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1999/2000 (Zimbabwe, cont.) bat Score Total bowl Total71 ZIMBABWE v SOUTH AFRICA (Only) (8) 3 #102 – (4) 27 8 78 0 462(HSC, 11-14 Nov – L) (8) 17 14172 ZIMBABWE v SRI LANKA (1st) (7) 11 #286 – (5) 14 3 48 0 428(Queens, 18-22 Nov – D) — 136/373 ZIMBABWE v SRI LANKA (2nd) (7) 1 #174 – (6) 19 2 60 1 432(HSC, 26-30 Nov – L) (8) 53* 292 – — 38/474 ZIMBABWE v SRI LANKA (3rd) (7) 37 #218 – (4) 17 9 37 2 231(HSC, 4-8 Dec – D) (7) 9 197/7d – — 36/175 Manicaland v Mashonaland (5) 80 #287 3 — 353/9d(Mutare, 17-19 March – D) (4) 17* 77/21999/2000 (ZIMBABWE) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM6 11 2 257 80 28.55 – 2 3 98.4 25 297 4 74.25 2/37 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.1999/2000 (West Indies) bat Score Total bowl TotalAfter a recurrence of his knee trouble, Whittall arrived on this tour in time for the one-day international tournament only.76 Zimbabweans v West Indian XI — 170/4 – (6) 8 2 16 0 #257(St George’s, 8-10 April – D)1999/2000 (WEST INDIES) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM1 – – — — — – – – 8 2 16 0 –No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.2000 (England) bat Score Total bowl Total77 Zimbabweans v Hampshire (7) 24 364/7d – (5) 7 1 25 1 #131(Southampton, 27-30 Apr – D) — – (4) 16 7 31 2 234/478 Zimbabweans v Kent (4) 15 #159 – (5) 26 3 99 2 487/8d(Canterbury, 3-5 May – L) (4) 4 16579 Zimbabweans v Essex (8) 54 #315 – (4) 14 6 24 2 249(Chelmsford, 11-14 May – D) — 75/080 ZIMBABWE v ENGLAND (1st) (7) 15 #83 – (5) 7 0 27 3 415(Lord’s, 18-21 May – L) (8) 23 12381 Zimbabweans v Yorkshire (2) 89 #235 1 (6) 3 3 0 1 124(Leeds, 24-27 May – W) (2) 15 68 – (5) 6 1 23 0 14782 ZIMBABWE v ENGLAND (2nd) (2) 28 285/4d – (6) 19 7 47 2 #374(Nottingham, 1-5 June – D) (2) 12* 25/1 – (4) 8 3 14 3 14783 Zimbabweans v British Univs (2) 25 441/6d 1 — #261/8d(Cambridge, 21-23 June – D) –2000 (ENGLAND) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM7 11 1 304 89 30.40 – 2 2 106 31 290 16 18.12 3/14 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.2000/01 (Zimbabwe) bat Score Total bowl TotalWhittall missed the First Test against New Zealand, withdrawing from the team in protest at what he saw was political interference in selection. His bowling was restricted for most of the season due to knee trouble.84 ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND (2nd) (6) 9 166 1 — #465(HSC, 19-23 Sept – L) (6) 188* 370 – — 74/2No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.2000/01 (India) bat Score Total bowl Total85 Zim v National Cricket Academy (7) 30 #322/6d – — 323/6d(Indore, 8-10 Nov – D) (6) 36* 320/5d – — 42/186 Zim v Board President’s XI (5) 30* 236/5d – — #314/5d(Faridabad, 13-15 Nov – W) (6) 26* 262/6 – — 183/2d87 ZIMBABWE v INDIA (1st) (6) 0 #422/9d – — 458/4d(Delhi, 18-22 Nov – L) (6) 29 225 – — 190/388 ZIMBABWE v INDIA (2nd) (1) 84 382 – — #609/6d(Nagpur, 25-29 Nov – D) (1) 11 503/6d2000/01 (INDIA) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM4 8 3 246 84 49.20 – 1 – –No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.2000/01 (New Zealand) bat Score Total bowl Total89 Zimbabweans v Canterbury (1) 4 150 – — #330/5d(Christchurch, 21-23 Dec – D) (1) 16 38/2 – (5) 3 1 8 0 121/0d90 ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND (Only) (1) 9 340/6d – (5) 22 6 55 0 487/7d(Wellington, 26-30 Dec – D) (1) 6 60/2 – (5) 4 3 2 0 153/4d2000/01 (NEW ZEALAND) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM2 4 0 35 16 8.75 – – – 29 10 75 0 –No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.2000/01 (Zimbabwe, cont.) bat Score Total bowl Total91 Manicaland v Mashonaland A (2) 29 244 1 — #325(Mutare, 30 Mar-1 Apr – L) (2) 68 232 – — 225/9d92 ZIMBABWE v BANGLADESH (1st) (1) 119 457 1 — #257(Queens, 19-22 April – W) — 1 — 16893 ZIMBABWE v BANGLADESH (2nd) (1) 59 421/9d – — #254(HSC, 26-30 April – W) (1) 60 100/2 – — 26694 ZIMBABWE v INDIA (1st) (1) 6 #173 3 — 318(Queens, 7-10 June – L) (1) 20 328 – — 184/295 ZIMBABWE v INDIA (2nd) (1) 0 315 – — #237(HSC, 15-18 June – W) (1) 10 157/6 – (4) 7 4 15 0 23496 ZCU Pres XI v West Indians (3) 5 128/9d – — #191(Country Club, 9-11 July – L) (3) 45 306 1 — 457/5d97 ZIMBABWE v WEST INDIES (1st) (5) 42 #155 1 (6) 1 0 2 0 559/6d(Queens, 19-22 July – L) (5) 10* 22898 ZIMBABWE v WEST INDIES (2nd) (5) 43 #131 – — 347(HSC, 27-31 July – D) (5) 12 563/9d – — 98/12000/01 (ZIMBABWE) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM9 17 2 725 188* 48.33 2 3 9 8 4 17 0 –No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.2001/02 (Zimbabwe) bat Score Total bowl Total99 ZIMBABWE v SOUTH AFRICA (1st) (8) 16 286 – (5) 12 2 34 0 #600/3d(HSC, 7-11 Sept – L) (7) 3 391 – — 79/1100 ZIMBABWE v SOUTH AFRICA (2nd) (7) 16 #419/9d – (5) 29.4 6 80 0 519/8d(Queens, 14-18 Sept – D) — 96/3No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.2001/02 (Kenya) bat Score Total bowl TotalWhittall was dropped from a tour team for the first time since his debut, missing Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and later India. Instead he toured Kenya with Zimbabwe A.101 Zimbabwe A v Kenya (1st) (5) 25 #240 – (5) 7 3 12 1 411(Nairobi Gym, 30 Nov-2 Dec – L) (5) 1 148102 Zimbabwe A v Kenya (2nd) (5) 58 278/7d – (4) 17 5 73 1 #424(Nairobi Simba, 4-6 Dec – D) — 199/1 – (4) 3 1 6 0 314/4d2001/02 (KENYA) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM2 3 0 84 58 28.00 – 1 – 27 9 91 2 45.50 1/12 – -No. Own Team Ct No. O M R W Opp.2001/02 (Zimbabwe, cont.) bat Score Total bowl Total103 Manicaland v Mashonaland (4) 247 #513 – (2) 24 11 38 4 226(Mutare, 1-4 March – L) (4) 24 146 1 (4) 23 4 80 4 506104 Manicaland v Mashonaland A (4) 53 #255 2 (4) 30 8 48 0 307(Alex, 22-25 March – L) (4) 36 206 – (1) 13 3 46 4 155/8105 Manicaland v Midlands (4) 28 #200 – (4) 17 7 28 1 374(Kwekwe, 29-31 March – L) (4) 0 178 – — 7/12001/02 (ZIMBABWE) SEASON TOTALM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM5 9 0 423 247 47.00 1 1 3 148.4 41 354 13 27.23 4/38 – -RECORD SEASON BY SEASONM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wM1990/91 2 3 0 55 31 18.33 – – 1 –1991/92 -1992/93(Z) 1 2 1 52 42 52.00 – – – –1993 (E) 3 5 0 48 20 9.60 – – – –1993/94(P) 4 6 1 85 33 17.00 – – 1 60.5 19 123 2 61.50 1/26 – -1993/94(Z) 4 7 0 133 73 19.00 – 1 1 135 33 323 16 20.18 6/34 1 -1994/95(A) 2 4 0 30 24 7.50 – – 1 35 5 142 3 47.33 1/20 – -1994/95(Z) 13 22 4 762 180* 42.33 4 2 9 334.5 68 1033 35 29.51 6/56 1 -1995/96(SA) 3 6 0 111 62 18.50 – 1 1 32 4 127 2 63.50 1/27 – -1995/96(NZ) 4 7 0 169 54 24.14 – 1 1 57 16 171 4 42.75 2/18 – -1995/96(Z) 6 12 1 470 139* 42.72 1 3 10 124.3 13 496 15 33.06 4/39 – -1996/97(SL) 2 4 0 55 39 13.75 – – – 28.5 5 91 1 91.00 1/48 – -1996/97(P) 2 4 0 41 32 10.25 – – – 32 9 84 2 42.00 2/73 – -1996/97(Z) 6 10 0 316 159 31.60 1 1 8 107 25 270 8 33.75 4/18 – -1997/98(SL) 2 3 0 39 17 13.00 – – 1 10 1 30 0 –1997/98(NZ) 4 7 0 78 22 11.14 – – 2 60 18 193 4 48.25 2/25 – -1997/98(Z) 6 11 1 496 203* 49.60 1 2 5 138.5 31 377 9 41.88 4/63 – -1998/99(Z) 4 7 2 311 131 62.20 1 2 5 32 11 74 2 37.00 2/33 – -1999/00(SA) 1 2 0 136 85 68.00 – 2 – 30 9 95 2 47.50 2/95 – -1999/00(Z) 6 11 2 257 80 28.55 – 2 3 98.4 25 297 4 74.25 2/37 – -1999/00(WI) 1 – – — — — – – – 8 2 16 0 –2000 (E) 7 11 1 304 89 30.40 – 2 2 106 31 290 16 18.12 3/14 – -2000/01(I) 4 8 3 246 84 49.20 – 1 – –2000/01(NZ) 2 4 0 35 16 8.75 – – – 29 10 75 0 –2000/01(Z) 9 17 2 725 188* 48.33 2 3 9 8 4 17 0 –2001/02(K) 2 3 0 84 58 28.00 – 1 – 27 9 91 2 45.50 1/12 – -2001/02(Z) 5 9 0 423 247 47.00 1 1 3 148.4 41 354 13 27.23 4/38 – -105 185 18 5461 247 32.70 11 25 63 1643.1 389 4769 140 34.06 6/34 2 -* including one Zimbabwe Board XI match played in South AfricaRECORD IN EACH COUNTRYM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wMZimbabwe 61 109 13 3911 247 40.74 11 16 52 1101.5 249 3132 100 31.32 6/34 2 -England 10 16 1 352 89 23.46 – 2 2 106 31 290 16 18.12 3/14 – -Australia 2 4 0 30 24 7.50 – – 1 35 5 142 3 47.33 1/20 – -South Africa 5 10 0 336 89 33.60 – 4 3 87.4 15 331 6 55.16 2/86 – -West Indies 1 – – — — — – – – 8 2 16 0 –New Zealand 10 18 0 282 54 15.66 – 1 3 146 44 439 8 54.87 2/18 – -India 4 8 3 246 84 49.20 – 1 – –Pakistan 6 10 1 126 33 14.00 – – 1 92.5 28 207 4 51.75 2/73 – -Sri Lanka 4 7 0 94 39 13.42 – – 1 38.5 6 121 1 121.00 1/48 – -Bangladesh -Kenya 2 3 0 84 58 28.00 – 1 – 27 9 91 2 45.50 1/12 – -105 185 18 5461 247 32.70 11 25 63 1643.1 389 4769 140 34.06 6/34 2 -RECORD ON ZIMBABWEAN GROUNDSM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wMAlexandra 5 8 1 293 159 41.85 1 1 6 70 16 165 4 41.25 4/46 – -Bulawayo AC 13 25 2 799 139* 34.73 3 4 15 226.5 31 853 24 35.54 6/56 1 -Country Club 1 2 0 50 45 25.00 – – 1 –Harare South 2 4 1 312 180* 104.00 2 – 1 41 6 138 5 27.60 2/14 – -Harare SC 22 39 5 1202 188* 35.35 2 7 14 483.1 111 1293 45 28.73 6/34 1 -Kwekwe 1 2 0 28 28 14.00 – – – 17 7 28 1 28.00 1/28 – -Mutare 3 6 1 465 247 93.00 1 2 5 47 15 118 8 14.75 4/38 – -Old Hararians 2 4 1 95 42 31.66 – – 1 10 4 19 0 –Queens SC 12 19 2 667 203* 39.23 2 2 9 206.5 59 518 13 39.84 4/63 – -61 109 13 3911 247 40.74 11 16 52 1101.5 249 3132 100 31.32 6/34 2 -LOGAN CUP RECORDM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wMFor Matabeleland:1993/94 3 5 0 118 73 23.60 – 1 1 108 26 242 13 18.61 6/34 1 -1994/95 2 4 1 265 180* 88.33 1 1 – 39 2 140 4 35.00 2/14 – -1995/96 3 6 1 312 139* 62.40 1 2 6 84.5 9 338 13 26.00 4/39 – -1996/97 2 3 0 180 159 60.00 1 – – 35 7 109 1 109.00 1/69 – -1997/98 2 4 0 133 61 33.25 – 1 2 30 7 92 0 –1998/99 2 3 1 268 131* 134.00 1 2 2 –Total: 14 25 3 1276 180* 58.00 4 7 11 296.5 51 921 31 29.70 6/34 1 -For Manicaland:1999/2000 1 2 1 97 80 97.00 – 1 3 –2000/01 1 2 0 97 68 48.50 – 1 1 –2001/02 3 6 0 388 247 64.66 1 1 3 107 33 240 13 18.46 4/38 – -Total: 5 10 1 582 247 64.66 1 3 7 107 33 240 13 18.46 4/38 – -ALL LC: 19 35 4 1858 247 59.93 5 10 18 403.5 84 1161 44 26.38 6/34 1 -RECORD AGAINST OTHER LOGAN CUP TEAMSM I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct O M R W Av. BB 5wI 10wMFor Matabeleland:Mashonaland 7 13 1 663 159 55.25 2 4 6 126.1 20 412 11 37.45 3/62 – -Mashonaland A 2 3 0 165 75 55.00 – 2 1 20 3 73 0 –Mash Country Dist 2 4 1 218 180* 72.66 1 – 2 39.5 3 176 6 29.33 4/39 – -U24/Young Mash 3 5 1 230 139* 57.50 1 1 2 110.5 25 260 14 18.57 6/34 1 -Total: 14 25 3 1276 180* 58.00 4 7 11 296.5 51 921 31 29.70 6/34 1 -For Manicaland:Mashonaland 2 4 1 368 247 122.66 1 1 4 47 15 118 8 14.75 4/38 – -Mashonaland A 2 4 0 186 68 46.50 – 2 3 43 11 94 4 23.50 4/46 – -Midlands 1 2 0 28 28 14.00 – – – 17 7 28 1 28.00 1/28 – -Total: 5 10 1 582 247 64.66 1 3 7 107 33 240 13 18.46 4/38 – -For any team:Mashonaland 9 17 2 1031 247 68.73 3 5 10 173.1 35 530 19 27.89 4/38 – -Mashonaland A 4 7 0 351 75 50.14 – 4 4 63 14 167 4 41.75 4/46 – -Mash Country Dist 2 4 1 218 180* 72.66 1 – 2 39.5 3 176 6 29.33 4/39 – -U24/Young Mash 3 5 1 230 139* 57.50 1 1 2 110.5 25 260 14 18.57 6/34 1 -Midlands 1 2 0 28 28 14.00 – – – 17 7 28 1 28.00 1/28 – -Total: 19 35 4 1858 247 59.93 5 10 18 403.5 84 1161 44 26.38 6/34 1 -CENTURIESNote: all Guy Whittall’s centuries have been scored on home soil.1 105 Matabeleland Select XI v South Africa A (Bulawayo Athletic Club) 1994/952 180* Matabeleland v Mashonaland Country Districts (Harare South Country Club) 1994/953 104 ZCU President’s XI v Pakistanis (Harare South Country Club) 1994/954 113* ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (First Test, Harare Sports Club) 1994/955 139* Matabeleland v Young Mashonaland (Bulawayo Athletic Club) 1995/966 159 Matabeleland v Mashonaland (Alexandra Sports Club) 1996/977 203* ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND (Second Test, Queens Sports Club) 1997/988 131* Matabeleland v Mashonaland (Bulawayo Athletic Club) 1998/999 188* ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND (Second Test, Harare Sports Club) 2000/0110 119 ZIMBABWE v BANGLADESH (First Test, Queens Sports Club) 2000/0111 247 Manicaland v Mashonaland (Mutare Sports Club) 2001/02CENTURY AND FIFTY IN THE SAME MATCH62 and 131 Matabeleland v Mashonaland (Bulawayo Athletic Club) 1998/99TWO FIFTIES IN A MATCH99 and 64 Matabeleland v Mashonaland (Harare Sports Club) 1995/9685 and 51 ZIMBABWE v SOUTH AFRICA (Only Test, Bloemfontein) 1999/200059 and 60 ZIMBABWE v BANGLADESH (Second Test, Harare Sports Club) 2000/01200 OR MORE RUNS IN A MATCH271 (247 & 24) Manicaland v Mashonaland Mutare Sports Club 2001/02248 (203* & 45) ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND (2nd Test) Queens Sports Club 1997/98208 (28 & 180*) Matabeleland v Mash Country Districts Harare South CC 1994/95`PAIRS’0 and 0 Zimbabweans v Queensland Maryborough 1994/95FIVE WICKETS IN AN INNINGS1 6/34 (25.5 – 9 – 34 – 6) Matabeleland v Mashonaland Under-24 (Harare SC) 1993/942 6/56 (14 – 4 – 56 – 6) Matabeleland v Glamorgan (Bulawayo Athletic Club) 1994/95BEST MATCH FIGURES8/94 (2/60 & 6/34) Matabeleland v Mash Under-24 Harare Sports Club 1993/948/118 (4/38 & 4/80) Manicaland v Mashonaland Mutare Sports Club 2001/02MOST OVERS BOWLED IN AN INNINGS33 (33-8-70-4) ZIMBABWE v SRI LANKA (1st Test) Harare Sports Club 1994/9532.5 (32.5-4-78-3) ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (2nd Test) Harare Sports Club 1997/98MOST OVERS BOWLED IN A MATCH52.5 (52.5-16-94-8) Matabeleland v Mash Under-24 Harare Sports Club 1993/94MOST RUNS CONCEDED IN AN INNINGS99 (26-3-99-2) Zimbabweans v Kent Canterbury 2000MOST RUNS CONCEDED IN A MATCH139 (40-6-139-4) ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (3rd Test) Harare Sports Club 1994/95MOST MAIDEN OVERS BOWLED IN AN INNINGS11 (24-11-38-4) Manicaland v Mashonaland Mutare Sports Club 2001/02MATCH DOUBLE OF 100 RUNS AND FIVE WICKETS247 and 24; 4/38 and 4/80 Manicaland v Mashonaland (Mutare Sports Club) 2001/02DETAILS OF DISMISSALS AS A BATSMANbowled 27 16.17lbw 16 9.58caught 87 52.10caught by wicketkeeper 23 13.77caught and bowled 5 2.99stumped 1 0.60run out 8 4.79TOTAL 167 100.00%DETAILS OF DISMISSALS AS A BOWLERbowled 17 12.14lbw 23 16.43caught 65 46.43caught by wicket-keeper 30 21.43caught and bowled 5 3.57stumped – –TOTAL 140 100.00%THREE OR MORE CATCHES IN AN INNINGS3 (twice) Matabeleland v England XI (Bulawayo Athletic Club) 1996/973 Manicaland v Mashonaland (Mutare Sports Club) 1999/20003 ZIMBABWE v INDIA (First Test, Queens Sports Club) 2000/01FOUR OR MORE CATCHES IN A MATCH6 Matabeleland v England XI (Bulawayo Athletic Club) 1996/97

* Employers offer Das executive postYoung Orissa opener Shiv Sundar Das has not only impressed cricketfans in the country but also his employers National Aluminium Companywhich has offered him promotion to the executive rank. Das, who baggedthe man of the match award for his knocks of 30 and 82 not out in thefirst Test at Bulawayo, has enhanced his job prospects over the lastfew days with the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) also offering him anexecutive position.”A decision to promote him to an executive position will be taken intwo to three days. We can tell the exact post only after that,” aNALCO spokesman said in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. Das is currentlyworking as a supervisor, a non-executive post, in the central sectorNALCO which has also given employment to another Orissa cricketerDebasish Mohanty. Medium pacer Mohanty, the first Orissa cricketer tobreak into the national scene, is currently working as a juniormanager, a post which falls in the executive category.The Union Minister of State for Steel, Braja Kishore Tripathy, hadearlier offered to accommodate Das in an executive position in SAIL. Apress release issued from the Minister’s office quoted Tripathy assaying that Das had risen to represent the country from a state whichdid not have much of a sporting infrastructure through his talent andperseverance. He has become a source of inspiration for the youth ofOrissa, it said.* Appeal of Gayatri Arts disposed of, BCCI to file affidavitThe Mumbai High Court on Wednesday directed the Board of Control forCricket in India to file an affidavit by June 18 in reply to apetition challenging the award of contract to International ManagementGroup (IMG)-Transworld International (TWI) for clothing sponsorship ininternational matches for the next three years from July 1.Refusing to stay the contract awarded to IMG and its subsidiary TWI, abench comprising Justice BN Srikrishna and Justice Nishita Mhatredirected the appellant Sham Dhumatkar, proprietor of Gayatri Arts, tomove a notice of motion before Justice DK Deshmukh, who had in anearlier order also refused to stay the award of contract by the BCCI.However, the division bench directed the single judge to dispose ofthe notice of motion before July 1 when the new contract would comeinto force.Gayatri Arts had challenged the BCCI decision to award a contract toIMG-TWI by way of a petition in the High Court. The company claimedthat it had made the highest bid of Rs 90 crores through a legaltender advertised by BCCI in a newspaper and yet the contract wasawarded to IMG-TWI combine.* Police seek to declare Prabhakar a `proclaimed offender’The Uttaranchal police will file an application in a city court nextweek praying that former Test cricketer Manoj Prabhakar, accused ofmisappropriating public funds in a finance company and evading arrestbe declared as a “proclaimed offender”The Uttaranchal Director-General of police, Ashok Kant Sharan told PTIin Dehra Dun that efforts were made by the state police to arrest theaccused on a non-bailable warrant issued by the Haldwani Court lastmonth. He has since been evading arrest, Saran said adding Delhi andRajasthan police had earlier failed to locate him.The DGP said the application under section 82 of the CRPC will befiled in the Haldwani court seeking to declare Prabhakar as aproclaimed offender. According to the normal judicial procedure if theformer cricketer is not arrested or he does not appear before thecourt within one month of his being declared as ‘proclaimed offender’,then the court has the power to declare him as ‘absconder’ undersection 83 of CRPC and also to announce a cash reward for his arrest.

For a few tantalising minutes, Mitchell Johnson once again had England by the unmentionables. Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes had been bounced out in the space of three balls, and the hosts’ tail-enders quaked in their Edgbaston rooms as they scurried around, out of sight of the cameras, for protective gear. England led on the scoreboard, but not between the ears.Had this been 2013-14, the unbridled aggression briefly glimpsed would have been allowed to bloom. Johnson would have continued sending down his bombs, the English tail would have been razed, and doubtless Brad Haddin would have done his merry batting dance once more. But it is now 2015, and at the other end to Johnson are Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazewood rather than Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle.Johnson cannot quite put his finger on why he did not follow up with further hostile short stuff, but the matter of runs leaking at the other end has crossed his mind. So too does the fact that in a Test series that has already spanned the length of most encounters between nations, it is those two balls to Bairstow and Stokes that have generated most discussion. Next time around, he is unlikely to hold anything back.”I don’t know. I guess from my point of view I was just trying to really dry up the runs and I probably just lost that bit of aggression,” Johnson said. “I don’t read into it too much to be honest. But I think because the ball has been swinging over here a lot more, I feel like I’m trying to get the ball up there a lot more often anyway. I feel like I’ve bowled a lot fuller this trip. I’ve been really happy with the way I’ve bowled, generally.

Johnson reveals off-field heckling

Mitchell Johnson says he quite enjoys the taunts of England supporters on the field these days – but does not want a repeat of one instance away from cricket where he was confronted while walking with his family. Johnson was confronted during the Cardiff Test, and expressed a hope that there would be no repeats.
“I have got it walking down the street in the past and in Cardiff as well it’s happened,” he said. “I’m all for it when it’s in a game but I think when you’re walking with your family in the street I think it’s a bit overboard.
“People are pretty passionate about their cricket and when they’re doing well so I guess you’ve got to understand it from that point of view, but I’d prefer when it’s out in the middle that the crowd are right behind their team and giving it to me on the field. I think that’s fair game.”

“There’s been a few spells here and there. I probably didn’t start too well last Test match. You probably try a bit too hard when there’s a small total there to defend. Generally I feel like I’ve bowled quite well throughout this tour. I’ve swung the ball consistently. At Lord’s I felt like I used the short ball when it was time to use it. I feel like I’ve become a much smarter bowler and I feel like I’ve found a bit more consistency.”Lord’s is the only ground where I’ve had a real crack at it, and those two short balls. I actually had a few high-school friends Facebook message me about it, saying they’ve been replicating it at club training. So they were pretty excited about it. It’s something I need to have a look at throughout this Test match and just keep that aggression. That’s how I’ve been bowling and it’s been working.”Johnson was certainly building up to an aggressive spell on the third and final day of the Birmingham Test. Granted only 120 runs to defend, he paced through his warm-ups with an intensity that suggested he was exceptionally eager to take the new ball for the first time in this series. Yet by the time Michael Clarke deigned to throw Johnson the ball, England needed only 74 more runs.”I thought to myself I was really keen to get the new ball, but whatever is best for the team in those situation I’m happy with,” Johnson said. “It’s something that I’ve become better at is not to become frustrated in those situations where sometimes I feel like I might be better suited in a situation like that. But I have full trust in those guys, Starcy and Hazlewood, to do the job but I’m always prepared to bowl in any position, I think that’s something that I’ve adapted very well to in my Test cricket now.”The equanimity with which Johnson waited for the ball was matched later on when he responded in good humour to the most sustained and intense baiting of the series thus far. Thousands as Edgbaston sang their mocking tune as he bowled, and as the game sailed beyond Australians’ reach, he responded by jokingly stopping his run-up for one delivery, and then next time around delivering a ball to Joe Root from parallel to the umpire.”I get amongst it a bit more now,” he said. “I definitely take it as a bit of a compliment now and when the whole crowd is cheering my name at the end of a game when they’ve just won you have to take that as a compliment. It’s a pretty special crowd, they were really loud there and I expected that from past experiences, they really do get vocal and they really enjoy their cricket.”That over where I did stop in my run-up was deliberate to try and have a bit of fun with the crowd and apparently it had a fair bit of appreciation when I went down to fine leg with people clapping and saying a few choice words. But it was all in good fun. I was just playing it up a bit with the crowd as well, but at the same time respecting the game.”Playing up to the crowd is less likely to be on Johnson’s agenda this week, as he charges at England’s batsmen in what is most likely the last chance more than half this squad will get to win an Ashes series on these shores. The tourists are not wallowing in the problems exposed at Edgbaston, knowing that self-recriminating thoughts do no-one any good right now. But they know they have to get things right this time.”Cardiff, the way we played, then we played so well at Lord’s then we played in Birmingham and did what we did there. I just think our consistency as a whole has just been off,” Johnson said. “I didn’t think we bowled particularly well up front in Birmingham, I think we could have done a lot better with the newer ball. It was a bit like Cardiff, we didn’t play our cricket in partnerships, batting and bowling.”The way we’ve been playing Test cricket for the last 12-18 months has been really good. It has been that consistent cricket. But we are over in these conditions, it’s an Ashes series and we’ve got some guys that are probably feeling the pressure a little bit. I know what it’s like when you first come over and experience it, so I think the guys have handled it really well.”Especially a loss like we had in the last Test, I think we’ve all handed it really well. We were disappointed as a team and a group, but we were able to move on and the guys are – we left a day early to get here and train, get used to the conditions. I think that’s what we have done really well, we’ve been able to move on from losses like that. Hopefully learn from them and hopefully we can come out here and win this Test match, because if we don’t we are in big trouble.”More trouble, even, than Bairstow and Stokes.

Malik Mohammad Qayyum, Pakistan’s attorney general, has attacked the Pakistan Cricket Board for its firm stance against players who have signed up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL), saying it restrains them from earning their livelihood. Qayyum said the board could be in big trouble if the players decide to take them to court.Qayyum, a former Lahore high court judge, led an inquiry into allegations of match-fixing among Pakistan players in the 1990s.”The ban is a clear-cut case of restraining someone from earning from his trade,” Qayyum told Geo TV, a Pakistan-based television channel. “If these players decide to seek redress from the court then they have a strong case against the board as the ban is not justified.”The board can’t stop a player from earning his livelihood. The ban on playing domestic cricket can be challenged by the players.”The PCB had reaffirmed its earlier stance that the six ICL players – Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imran Farhat, Taufeeq Umar, Shabbir Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood – would not be eligible to represent Pakistan internationally or play in the domestic tournaments. The players hit out at the board’s decision, arguing that it was an attempt to destroy their livelihood, and said they would discuss the issue with Inzamam before taking legal action.The ICL completed its inaugural season in November last year.

Now that both India and Sri Lanka have announced their 15-member squads for theWorld Cup, the third one-dayer at Goa on Wednesday will provide a sneak preview about their respective strategies.India, as they have been doing over the last six games – four against West Indies and two against Sri Lanka – will continue to ask questions of themselves. Sri Lanka,wearing a more settled look and with a lead in the series, will havemore on the agenda – to seal the series and avenge the 6-1 drubbingwhen they last toured India. Quite against the run of form, theyhad lost out in the first round of the Champions Trophy too. For Indiathis match is another part of a protracted finetuning, for Sri Lankaanother step in a confidence-building exercise, while the 27,000 or soGoans, who will be packing the stadium to the rafters, would surely want to witness another humdinger of a contest.India go in with a few changes from the previous game. Irfan Pathan is still not 100 per cent fit and will miss out, while Sreesanth will be rested. Anil Kumble will miss the match due topersonal reasons. Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar are set to makea comeback, while Dinesh Karthik is most likely to make way for YuvrajSingh. Sourav Ganguly batted with a bandage on his left thumb – he had injured his thumbat Rajkot – and looked in a bit of discomfort early on. But after a few knocks, helooked okay, as Dravid later confirmed. Suresh Raina and RP Singh, stand-in for the unfit players, were expected to join the team later in the day and not play tomorrow.Yuvraj’s fitness and form will be closely watched as he will be the most crucial batsman inthe Indian middle-order for the World Cup. Last April, at the same venue, he had looked unstoppable. Probably at the brightest of his purple patch then, he had decimatedEngland with a 76-ball 103. He is yet to get a century since and willlook for a happy return to form. After a cruciate ligament tear duringthe Champions Trophy forced him out of international action, he hasplayed only two one-dayers, against West Indies in therecently-concluded series. In those two matches, he did not show anypalpable signs of his earlier form, and was forced out of the next twogames against Sri Lanka because of back spasms. At the nets today Yuvraj batted, bowled, and fielded with a knee cap on. “In the last couple of games he had back spasms. He’s fielded and batted. We feel he is fit enough to be considered in the 12. So we picked him,” said Rahul Dravid at the pre-match press conference.The other closely-watched Indian player will be Sehwag.Sometime ago his opening slot was set in stone; now recalled, the teamis not sure where to use him. He batted in the middle-order in thelast game and scored 19 off 23 before featuring in a soft late-cutdismissal. Dravid said they had notruled out the option of Sehwag opening the innings tomorrow. “”We areall hoping he comes good. I think he’s an innings away from cominggood. If it happens tomorrow, great, if he doesn’t we’ll just have towait a little longer.”Sri Lanka have not chosen their twelve sofar and will take one final look at the pitch tomorrow morning beforedoing so. Missing from the nets was Kumar Sangakkara who had come downwith an upset stomach. Sangakkara had scored a century at Rajkot andwon the man-of-the-match award. But Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankancaptain, didn’t sound worried. “It is nothing serious as such, he hada stomach upset in the morning. We felt that he doesn’t need to cometo the practice. He should be okay tomorrow,” Jayawardene said.

With a series to be won, the Sri Lankans are not expected toexperiment too much – two of their 15-man squad on this tour are notgoing to the World Cup and hence may not feature in this match. “Everygame is a motivation for us. Winning is a good habit to have. We wantto win every game and that has been the attitude for the last 12months. The team that wants to beat us have to play really well.Winning the series would be a great achievement,” Jayawardene said.After losing the last match at Rajkot, Dravid, mindful that he was not leading the youngest team around, had conceded that a superior fielding effort from Sri Lanka had made the difference in the end. Fielding was indeed the focus for the first forty minutes at the netstoday. After the team had a meeting for around 45 minutes, withall the members sitting on the ground in a circle, they got intofielding and running-between-the-wickets practice before they went forthe nets. Greg Chappell, the coach, chucked balls at Ian Frazer, theteam biomechanist, while the fielders ran in to field and throw andtwo batsmen were made to run between the wickets at the same time. SriLanka followed a more orthodox routine at the nets, an indicator of lesser concerns in fielding.The pitch at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda looks a batting beauty, agood flat one-day track as the euphemism would have it. Both thecaptains were of the opinion that the pitch should produce a bigscore while Dravid thought it would help spinners in the latter partof the day. Suryakant Naik, the curator, said the wicket would playevenly through the day, predicting 280 to 300 should be a good score.The weather in Goa promises to be rain-free, with temperaturesexpected to range between 26 and 31 degree Celsius. Humidity of 59 percent is expected. India have played four matches at the Nehru Stadiumand have lost three – two of them to Sri Lanka, who have played onlyone other game here, losing to Australia in 1989-90.Squads:India (from): 1 Rahul Dravid (capt), 2 Sourav Ganguly, 3 RobinUthappa, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 Virender Sehwag, 6 Yuvraj Singh, 7Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), 8 Ajit Agarkar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 MunafPatel, 11 Zaheer Khan, 12 Dinesh Karthik.Sri Lanka (from): 1 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3Upul Tharanga, 4 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 5 Marvan Atapattu, 6Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Chamara Silva, 8 Russel Arnold, 9 UpulChandana, 10 Farveez Maharoof, 11 Lasith Malinga, 12 Dilhara Fernando,13 Malinga Bandara, 14 Nuwan Zoysa, 15 Nuwan Kulasekera.

Yuvraj Singh is expected to be fit for the second Test against England, at Mohali, after recovering from the hamstring strain that he sustained in the final one-day international against Pakistan, in Karachi.The BCCI secretary, Niranjan Singh, said a fitness report on Yuvraj was with the Board. “I have got first-hand report on Yuvraj’s fitness and he seems to have recovered. The report of the physiotherapist would be taken into consideration when the selection committee meets here tomorrow.”Yuvraj’s availability leaves the selectors with a dilemma for second Test. Mohammad Kaif, who was his replacement for Nagpur, was India’s leading batsman in the first innings with a career-best 91, which makes it very hard for the selectors to leave him out.The man under most pressure now is VVS Laxman. He was trapped lbw first ball, by Matthew Hoggard, in the first innings and could very well be batting for his Test place as India fight for a draw on the final day.