D’Oliveira’s tale is the best

The story of Basil D’Oliveira’s life as a South African-born cricketer during apartheid won Britain’s sports book of the year...

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The story of Basil D’Oliveira’s life as a South African-born cricketer during apartheid won Britain’s sports book of the year award.

‘Basil D’Oliveira: cricket and controversy,’ by Peter O’Borne, won the 15th edition of the prize, sponsored by British bookmaker William Hill. O’Borne, political editor for The Spectator magazine, won 15,000 pounds ($28,393).

Woolmer backs his batsmen

Perth: Coach Bob Woolmer is tipping Pakistan’s top batsmen to play the tour-opening match against a Western Australia 2nd XI in Perth starting tomorrow in a bid to acclimatise quickly to Australian conditions.

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Pakistan has never won a Test series in Australia and was swept 3-0 in its last visit in 1999. But Woolmer says his lineup is capable of surprising Australia in the three-Test series starting December 16 in Perth.

Controversy affected us: Fletcher

HARARE: England coach Duncan Fletcher believes his players have been adversely affected by the controversy that has dogged their tour of Zimbabwe.

England beat Zimbabwe by five wickets in the first of four one-day internationals in Harare on Sunday, but they lost four wickets for 43 runs in 12 overs chasing a modest target of 196.

“We bowled badly at the start, and I would have liked to win by seven wickets and not five,” Fletcher told a news conference on Tuesday. “But a few more guys were able to bat, which was a positive.”

Windies rebels train on their own

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Bridgetown: West Indies’ dissident cricketers began arriving at a training camp in Barbados even as a judge was named to arbitrate their contract dispute with national administrators.

Most of the victorious Champions Trophy squad, including captain Brian Lara and deputy Ramnaresh Sarwan, were barred from the camp last week when they refused to sign on with the West Indies Cricket Board because of a conflict over personal endorsements. With the tour to Australia jeopardised, the board and West Indies Players Association agreed through mediation last Friday to reopen the camp to the dissenters, and allow an independent arbitrator to resolve the dispute by December 15. — Agencies