Intikhab Alam lashes out at PCB

General Tauqir Zia, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, announced on Sunday that Alam would be replaced as coach by another former captain Javed Miandad after the current three-match Test series.

“I told Gen Zia that I have been humiliated. This is not the way to do things when the series is still not finished…I was not interested in the job. It was forced on me,” Alam, who took 250 wickets in 47 Tests, said.

On the reappointment of Miandad, Alam said: “He resigned because of some problems with the players. I am pretty sure that the problems will erupt again and there will be no cohesion between him, the team and the captain.”

Miandad resigned last year, two weeks before the team was due to leave for England for the World Cup, amid reports of clashes with senior players.

In the past 11 months Pakistan have had four cricket board chiefs and five coaches.

NZ retain Test team

WELLINGTON: New Zealand named an unchanged Test line-up on Tuesday for the first of three Tests against Australia starting on Saturday in Auckland.

Wicket-keeper Adam Parore, dropped for the recent limited-overs series, retained his place in the Test squad, as did out-of-form opener Craig Spearman.

New Zealand scored a 2-0 Test series win over West Indies earlier this year but struggled against Australia in the recent One-Day Internationals, losing 1-4 with one match washed out.

New Zealand team: Stephen Fleming (captain), Matthew Horne, Craig Spearman, Mathew Sinclair, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Adam Parore, Daniel Vettori, Paul Wiseman, Simon Doull, Shayne O’Connor.

Walsh recovering

KINGSTON: West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh is recovering from an ankle injury and should be bowling within a few days.

“He still feels very minor pain when some exercises are done, but the evidence is that it is improving significantly,” West Indies sports therapist Ronald Rogers said on Monday.

“He will see the doctor again and I expect that within the next few days he will be able to do some bowling,” he added.

Walsh, who needs nine wickets to beat Kapil Dev’s World record of 434 Test wickets, damaged ligaments in his left ankle on the third morning of the recent final in the Busta Cup West Indies first-class championship between champions Jamaica and Leeward Islands a week ago here.

Buchanan takes field

HAMILTON: Australian coach John Buchanan got a chance to demonstrate his fielding skills for the National team on Tuesday when he was called upon to field in a tour match.

Buchanan fielded at mid-off for an over against New Zealand’s Northern Districts when regular starter Greg Blewett left the field. With official 12th man Michael Kasprowicz out training and reserve fielder Mark Waugh indisposed, Buchanan had no choice but to deuptise in the field when Blewett needed a break.

He was in the thick of action during his brief stint — he chased a cover drive to the boundary and was almost in position to take a catch, tumbling forward as the ball fell just short of his reach.

No replacement for Lara

ST JOHN’S: West Indies selectors have decided not to name a replacement for Brian Lara in the squad currently in training for the two-Test series against Zimbabwe.

A West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) statement on Monday said the decision was made “because the programme will be too far gone by the time arrangements for a replacement could be made”.

Lara, 30, who resigned as captain last month following a disastrous tour of New Zealand, announced last Thursday he was also withdrawing from the Test series against Zimbabwe.

Balderstone dead

LONDON: Former England Test batsman Chris Balderstone died on Monday at the age of 59, his county club Leicestershire said.

Balderstone, who played two Tests for England against West Indies in 1976, was also a professional footballer.

He played county cricket for Yorkshire and then Leicestershire and also played soccer as a midfielder for Huddersfield, Doncaster, Carlisle and Queen of the South.

Zimbabwe match drawn

ST GEORGE’S: Zimbabwe ended a satisfying tour opener after dominating their drawn three-day game against a West Indies Board XI at the Queen’s Park Stadium.

After securing a commanding 230-run first innings advantage, Zimbabwe reached 24 without loss in their second innings when the game was called off on Monday at the start of the mandatory 15 overs.

With a result out of the question after rain hit the second day, Zimbabwe dismissed the Board XI for 198 with occasional left-arm spinner Grant Flower returning figures of three for 15 from 11 overs.

Zimbabwe face almost exactly the same line-up in their second match against a President’s XI in a four-day game at Guaracara Park in Trinidad starting on Friday.

Miller scalps three

HAMILTON: Tight bowling by Colin Miller and Glenn McGrath helped Australia dismiss New Zealand’s Northern Districts for 280 in the second innings on day three of their four-day match in Hamilton on Tuesday.

But chasing 198 for victory, Australia lost the two early wickets of Michael Slater for nine and Adam Gilchrist for 17 to be 55 for two at stumps, needing another 143 runs with eight wickets in hand.

Earlier, Miller took three for 68 off 26 overs with his ability to turn the ball and McGrath picked up three for 37 off 12 with his trademark consistency and accuracy to restrict Northern Districts in good batting conditions. Brett Lee and Matthew Hayen took two wickets apiece.

Brief scores: Northern Districts 300 & 280 (J Marshall 40, M Bailey 32, H Marshall 50, S Styris 31, G Bradburn 63; McGrath 2-37, Brett Lee 2-50, Miller 3-68, Hayden 2-25) vs Australia 383-4 declared & 55-2