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Steve Harmison is in line for his first Test appearance since the West Indies series in June, after Peter Moores, England’s coach, conceded that Matthew Hoggard’s prospects of being fit in time for Sunday’s second Test at Colombo are extremely doubtful. Though Hoggard batted in England’s training session at the Premadasa Stadium on Friday, he has not attempted to bowl since injuring his back during Sri Lanka’s second innings at Kandy, and Moores conceded that time was running out.”His back’s still sore,” said Moores. “It’s got better as backs do, but tomorrow’s the key day. He’s going to have to bowl tomorrow to be available for selection.” The likelihood of that happening, however, is slim in the extreme, and worryingly for England, Hoggard is not the only seamer in the wars. Ryan Sidebottom missed training with a stomach complaint, while James Anderson bowled with strapping on the left ankle he injured during the warm-ups.Both men are still expected to be fit for selection, which leaves a straight choice between the experienced Harmison and the rookie Stuart Broad, who has yet to make his Test debut. From the evidence of their performances at nets, there was only one man showing any relish for the contest. Harmison was listless for long periods of his spell, and spent several minutes between deliveries discussing his action andrun-up with Moores and the bowling coach Ottis Gibson. Broad, on the other hand, plucked out Michael Vaughan’s middle stump with a seaming delivery, and was lively and eager to impress throughout.Even so, the indication from the England camp is that they are prepared to trust in the greater knowhow of Harmison, for what has become a must-win match. “We’ve seen Steve over the last two weeks, not just in the last few net sessions,” said Moores. “He’s an experienced Test-match cricketer, and in Steve we’ve got someone whocreates bounce, creates pressure, and is someone who Sri Lanka won’t like to face.”The final point is the crucial one as far as England’s permutations go, because their seam attack at Kandy was lacklustre once the friendly first-day conditions had evaporated. “Our line and length wasn’t too bad, but we’ve got to be a bit more savvy and streetwise,” said Moores. In Harmison, England have a cricketer whose reputation for devastating menace precedes him. If he doesn’t play in this contest, there seems little point in ever calling on his services again.Moores, though, gave the impression of a man who was prepared to disregard the evidence before his eyes, and trust Harmison’s big-match instincts to kick in on the day. “Whenever you play someone in a Test match, you never quite know what you’re going to get,” he said. “There’s always an element of risk. Steve worked hard during the last Test match, but one of the challenges during Tests is that you bowl by yourself in the middle. He needs time against batters, so netting today was good.

“The real challenge comes when he pulls on an England shirt again and goes out to play for his country,” said Moores. “We all know that nets are different. You get fantastic net players who can’t translate that in the middle, so we can only take so much from that. You have to take stuff from how the player is around the team – how he’s talking, how he’s feeling. Steve’s doing everything right, both on the fitness and technical side, and if he’s the best man for the job, he’ll play.”Another omission for Broad would be a tough break for a player who has been waiting patiently for his debut since the start of the English summer, but at the age of 21, there is no question that his chance will come before long. Moores, though, wasn’t going to be rushed into giving him that first call-up. “The challenge with Stuart is to know when to release him into Tests,” said Moores. “There’s no doubt he’s pushing very hard. He’s playing well and offers some options with the bat as well, and he’ll be very much talked about in selection, as will everyone.”Broad’s willowy frame is a concern for the team management, however. He has the height to be a fast bowler, but so far lacks the meat on his bones that will make him a durable England prospect. “He’s adaptable, he’s got a knack of getting wickets, and he’s getting stronger all the time,” said Moores. “But part of Stuart’s thing is getting the physical strength to deliver his skill over a decent length of time, in what are pretty harsh conditions.”He’s earned his right to be in this squad because of how he’s performed,” said Moores. “He’s probably physically ready to bowl three spells a day over five days, but he’d be pushing the limits of it, to be honest. Mentally, for a young bloke, he’s very strong and I think he’s got a Test match in him, but whether he’d be able to play three on the bounce, I don’t know yet.”Both men could yet be called upon if Sidebottom and Anderson fail to recover fully from their respective ailments. England do have previous in that regard, having purged their entire new-ball attack between the first and second Tests in Sri Lanka four years ago, but Moores implied that Hoggard’s enforced absence would be sufficient change among the seamers. “I saw enough from the England team that we can still win the series,” he said. “If we play to our ability, and put them under pressure. The challenge is to do that, and sustain the pressure over longer periods with bat and ball.”

Close England 139 and 30 for 0 (Trescothick 7*, Strauss 21*) trail South Africa 332 (Kallis 162, Pollock 43) by 163 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball

A masterful century from Jacques Kallis put South Africa firmly in control of the second Test on the second day at Durban as they took a first-innings lead of 193 runs. England’s batsmen chipped away in reply as the lights came on, but they head into the third day under the kosh, trailing by 163.England’s tiring pace attack threw everything at the classy Kallis throughout the day but he never wavered. When he finally fell for 162 – pulling Matthew Hoggard to the waiting substitute Paul Collingwood on the leg-side boundary – South Africa were in the box seat and they were odds-on favourites to level the series.It was a remarkable rescue act by Kallis, who dragged South Africa from 118 for 6 to 332, with some capable assistance from a reinforced lower order. Shaun Pollock contributed 43 in a stand of 87 which took the home side ahead. Then Makhaya Ntini upped the ante, striking 22 and scoring only in boundaries as his four fours and a six formed part of another vital partnership with Kallis. Between them, they struck 50 in 58 balls.But the day belonged to Kallis, who was patient at first, grinding down the bowlers in the heat and leaving anything outside off stump before he cut loose after tea. His chanceless century was the embodiment of exemplary concentration as he peppered shots to all parts, and a glorious straight drive back past Matthew Hoggard brought up his fifth century of 2004, and the 18th of his career. From then on, he stroked boundary after boundary as he found his groove.

England’s pace bowlers were up against it from the off as Ashley Giles was off the field all day with back spasms. Michael Vaughan sent down ten overs of his occasional offspin to allow the pace attack some respite – but they had no answer to the majestic innings of Kallis and the tailenders.Pollock eventually fell to Vaughan, as he chased one down the leg side and edged to Geraint Jones, but not before he had worked hard to gain the home side an important advantage. And there was no let up after Pollock’s departure, as the handy Nicky Boje joined Kallis in punishing the bad balls and keeping the score ticking over. Hoggard removed Boje for 15 as Paul Collingwood tumbled forward at point to take a good, low catch (243 for 8).Yet if England thought they could finish it off quickly they were wrong and, in fact, worse was to come as South Africa piled up 89 for the last two wickets. Ntini’s intent immediately showed as he launched a towering six off Hoggard to get off the mark, before Kallis added another off Andrew Flintoff for good measure. Ntini’s typical tailender’s swish was then matched by Dale Steyn who swung the bat with abandon.At the start of the day, Graeme Smith said he would be happy with an advantage of 200 runs. This looked nothing more than a fanciful late addition to his Christmas list, after his team were wobbling on 90 for 5 as England’s bowlers worked tirelessly and Kallis stayed in his shell, albeit defiantly.

South Africa had started the day on 70 for 3, but after a loosener which Kallis drove through mid-on for three, Flintoff struck. Martin van Jaarsveld, whose footwork is not one of his strengths, was caught leaden footed and his half-hearted defensive jab crashed into his middle stump via an inside edge (80 for 4). England had the breakthrough – but it was hardly deserved after some loose bowling early on.Hashim Amla made just 1 amid a painful battering in his baptism into Test cricket when he received a brute from Harmison which he failed to evade and a gloved edge arced to Geraint Jones (90 for 5). AB de Villiers (14) smacked two delightful fours and, for the first time, South Africa were taking the attack to England. But he came unstuck when Jones surprised him with bounce and extra pace and a checked pull looped gently to Graham Thorpe at midwicket.But in came Pollock to join Kallis as Smith’s lower order rallied, duly delivering just seven short of his desired 200-run lead. England made a decent fist of chipping away at their reply before the close, as Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss steered them to 30 without loss. And another chink of light for England’s batsmen: the pitch could get flatter. But they now really have their work cut out to overcome this total and get back in the game.

India 349 for 7 (Dravid 99, Sehwag 79) beat Pakistan 344 for 8 (Inzamam 122, Youhana 73)
Scorecard

A series that the entire cricket world had been waiting for with bated breath started off with an absolutely incredible match at the National Stadium in Karachi. In a game in which the result was in the balance until the very last ball, India finally edged through by five runs after amassing 349.For much of the match, it appeared that Pakistan would pull off an astounding run-chase, as Inzamam-ul-Haq chose this stage to showcase his genius. His innings of 122 – surely one of the greatest ever played in a one-day international – made light of a steep target, and almost handed India their second defeat in three days after scoring more than 300. Even so Pakistan’s 344 was comfortably the highest total made by the side batting second in any one-day international.It was high-octane stuff from the start, with plenty of batting stars from either side: Virender Sehwag blasted 79 from 57 balls to get India off to a blistering start, while Rahul Dravid stroked a classy 99 to ensure that the splendid start wasn’t wasted. Then, Yousuf Youhana caressed 73 to revive Pakistan’s hopes. But the innings of the match came from Inzamam.No team had ever successfully chased 350 in an ODI, and that statistic didn’t look likely to change when Pakistan lost two early wickets and struggled to 71 for 2 in 15 overs. The Indian seamers bowled with superb control, and with the asking rate mounting to eight early in the chase, it seemed that India would run away with it.Inzamam and Youhana turned it all around with an outstanding partnership of 135 from a mere 20 overs. Not only did they press on the accelerator, they did so with minimum risk, tonking the slow bowlers for straight sixes, and nurdling the seamers for ones and twos. Youhana finally played one lofted shot too many, but that only allowed Inzamam to take centre stage.Not allowing the pressure to get to him at any point, Inzamam turned it on with some scintillating batting, caressing fours to midwicket and square leg with a casual flick of the wrists, or making room to play some delectable strokes on the off side equally effortlessly. Ganguly switched the bowling around, but except for Sehwag, none of the bowlers made even a semblance of an impression. Inzamam’s fourth-wicket stand with Younis Khan yielded 109 before Inzamam finally perished, nicking one from Kartik to Dravid (278 for 4).Younis and Abdul Razzaq ensured that the momentum didn’t slip away, running hard between the wickets and finding the boundary frequently. Kartik swung the match India’s way again, bowling Younis for 46, while Zaheer’s slower ball did for Razzaq. Then came another twist in the tale, when Mohammad Kaif pulled off an amazing running catch to dismiss Shoaib Malik, running around from long-off, diving, and clinging on to the ball even as he almost collided with Hemang Badani. That catch came off the penultimate ball of the 49th over, and Pakistan approached the last over needing nine to win.Ashish Nehra, the man chosen for the task, did a nerveless job, bowling full and on the stumps. Naved-ul-Hasan swished and missed at the first one, but stole a single off the next. Moin Khan failed to get a yorker away, and only managed a single off the fourth ball. When Hasan took a run off the fifth, it required Moin to hit a six off the last ball. Javed Miandad was gesturing furiously from the stands – he obviously had a right to do so, having smashed a memorable last-ball six off Chetan Sharma to win a thriller at Sharjah back in 1986 – but all of that was to little effect, as Moin spooned a full-toss to Zaheer at extra cover. The match was India’s.When Pakistan look back on the match, they will probably identify their lack of discipline in the field as the primary reason for the defeat. Pakistan got the best of the bowling conditions – the pitch afforded plenty of bounce and some seam early on – but made a mess of it, sending down a shocking 20 no-balls and 10 wides. The Indians, on the other hand, bowled just two no-balls and seven wides.

The trend was set in a frenetic first over in the Indian innings. Shoaib Akhtar, visibly keyed up for the battle with Tendulkar, bowled a nine-ball first over which included a couple of wides and no-balls. He began his second over with another no-ball, off which Tendulkar was caught at square leg, and then saw insult added to injury later in that same over when Tendulkar top-edged a hook for six.At the other end, Sehwag went on his merry way, slashing and swinging through the off side with gay abandon. Shoaib got Pakistan the breakthrough, when Tendulkar guided a drive to Hasan at backward point (69 for 1) for 28, but that only set the stage for a breathtaking onslaught by Sehwag.Hasan, all of two ODIs old in international cricket, bowled four no-balls in his first five deliveries, and disappeared for 24 in the over, while Razzaq was smashed for three fours in his opening over. Sehwag was finally bowled by a beautifully disguised slower ball from Hasan (142 for 2), but with 143 from the first 15 overs, the platform had been laid.Dravid and Sourav Ganguly then kept it going with a run-a-ball partnership of 72, but Pakistan had an opportunity to claw back when both Ganguly (47) and Yuvraj Singh were dismissed in quick succession. India were 220 for 4 in the 29th over, and with no VVS Laxman – a knee injury in the nets had ruled him out – a couple of further wickets would have exposed the Indian tail rather early. Dravid and Kaif ensured it didn’t happen.Dravid played another gem, continuing the rich vein of form he showed in Australia. He seldom played unorthodox strokes, but kept the runs coming with clever nudges and deflections. He didn’t miss out on the boundaries either – a couple of straight-drives off Razzaq early in the innings were among the shots of the innings.Kaif was equally composed, cutting out the risky strokes early in his innings, but putting pressure on the fielders with some blistering running between the wickets. Their vital 118-run stand ensured that India got up to 349. In the end, that turned out to be just enough.

The Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva and Steve Davis of Australia have been promoted to ICC’s Elite Panel, following the body’s decision to expand the pool from 10 to 12 umpires.de Silva, the former legspinner who played 10 Tests and 28 ODIs between 1985 and 1992, was one of eight full-time umpires selected for the ICC’s Elite Panel when it was first introduced in 2002. de Silva has stood in 33 Tests and 76 ODIs after making his debut in 1999 and has served previously on the Elite Panel between 2002 and 2004.Davis, 56, has stood in 11 Tests, 71 ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals having made his top-level debut in 1992.”Their promotions are a result of perseverance, hard work and commitment and I am sure these two umpires will serve as an inspiration to the other international umpires who are striving hard to break into the Elite Panel,” Dave Richardson, the ICC’s general manager, said. “For Asoka, it will be his second time in the Elite Panel and he has returned after performing outstandingly on the international panel over the past 12 months.”Asoka brings with him a combination of playing and umpiring skills and that combination is one that we believe will serve him well in the months and years to come.”Steve has served an apprenticeship on the fringes of the Elite Panel and his elevation reflects not only his consistency during recent years but also his excellence over the past year in particular.”I have no doubt that the elevation of these two quality umpires will strengthen the Elite Panel.”de Silva was understandably delighted in his promotion, adding: “It has required a lot of hard work leading to good decision-making on a consistent basis and I am glad my efforts have been recognised. I am now keen to ensure I maintain the high standards I have set myself.””I am thrilled to be appointed to the Elite Panel,” Davis said, “as it has to be the aim of every umpire to be appointed to this select group. I have worked hard for this and now I look forward to concentrating on umpiring on a full-time basis. I have always enjoyed the company of those umpires already on the Elite Panel and now I have the chance to work with them all on a more regular basis. I am really looking forward to the challenges ahead.”

Nadine George and Vivalyn Latty-Scott have been inducted into the University of the West Indies’s cricket Hall of Fame. While Latty-Scott has retired, George is a current player and recently toured Pakistan.The Hall of Fame inducts any cricketer with five wickets in an innings or a century to their name. George was included as she scored a century against Pakistan in Karachi. But Latty-Scott’s inclusion came 28 years after her achievement – her offspin got her a five-wicket haul against Australia in 1976. Even more surprisingly, she’s the only West Indian woman to have taken five wickets in an innings.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

It was a tough and tiring return from the summer break for South Africa, but it wasn’t a fruitless day. Their bowlers, led by the magnificent Shaun Pollock, restricted Sri Lanka to 279 for 7, rather better returns than they would have hoped for after losing the toss and being asked to field on a bare and grassless pitch. Sri Lanka’s batsmen were shown the way by Mahela Jayawardene, who played a polished, elegant knock to finish unbeaten on 116, but apart from useful contributions from Kumar Sangakkara (58) and Romesh Kaluwitharana (33), it was a largely uninspiring performance from the rest of the cast.Jayawardene made amends for his duck in the Asia Cup final, playing himselfin carefully in the morning and blossoming in the afternoon. Sharing usefulstands of 86 with Sangakkara, 37 with Thilan Samaraweera, 44 with Tillakaratne Dilshan and 85 with Kaluwitharana, he manoeuvred Sri Lanka into a comfortable position before South Africa struck twice, including a wicket off the last ball of the day. Jayawardene’s 249-ball innings included 15 fours – most of them sweetly timed drives and flicks – and one gorgeous straight six.Just how good Sri Lanka’s score is won’t be clear until their spinners are let loose some time on the second day. Worryingly for South Africa, Nicky Boje, a left-armer renowned for his allround skills but not for the power of hisspinning finger, turned the ball square at times on a pitch that the curator(the former Test offspinner Jayananda Warnaweera) predicted, with a glint in his eye, will not last the distance.It promised to be a long day in the field for South Africa after they lost the toss – the South Africa media sighed in unison as the TV cameras turned to Atapattu after the flip of the coin. But fortunately for them, the South Africans struck early. Sanath Jayasuriya, in one-day mode, flicked an innocuous leg-side delivery straight to Lance Klusener at square leg (13 for 1). Pollock then produced a far better delivery in the next over; it curved away gently from Atapattu’s off stump, took the outside edge, and nestled in the wicketkeeper’s gloves (22 for 2).But Sangakkara, relieved of the gloves in this game so that he could concentrate on his batting, started to flow. Meanwhile, Jayawardene gritted his teeth and played himself in, contributing just nine of the first 50 runs in their stand. At the other end, Sangakkara whizzed off at nearly a run a ball. A couple of his eight fours were streaky, flashed through an empty-looking slip cordon, but some were classics: his signature square-cut and checked cover-drive worked beautifully. They added 86 in 117 balls either side of an early rain-induced lunch.

It was a far cry from when South Africa and Sri Lanka last met at Galle,back in 2000 in the immediate aftermath of Cronjegate, when Jayasuriyabiffed 96 not out before lunch on the first day. South Africa’s bowlers weremurdered, Sri Lanka tucked into their chicken biryani on 146 for 0, and went on to win that game by an innings and 15 runs. For Pollock, the debut captain then, the memory hurt. But this time, thanks to his opening gambit, Sri Lanka were knocked to the canvas in the first round.Graeme Smith deployed his seamers in neat six-over bursts, protecting themon a day suited for air-conditioning and ice lollies, not for fast bowlingand fielding. But finally, after lunch, he tossed the ball to Boje, hissolitary spinner. Immediately, the ball turned so extravagantly that Smithmust have wondered why he hadn’t included Robin Peterson too. Boje brokethrough soon, as Sangakkara, who had scored his 58 from just 68 balls, wentback to cut and edged to Mark Boucher (108 for 3).Jayawardene, meanwhile, had long since settled and, apart from one missedpull off a low-bouncing short ball that left him doubled up in pain, lookedentirely comfortable. There was the occasional dangerous flirt – the dab tothird man and an airy swish or two – but also some fine strokes, includingone resplendent cover-drive off Klusener and a lofted drive for six off Boje that oozed quality.Klusener proved a little expensive, conceding 28 from his six overs after a flurry of fours, so Smith pressed Pollock into service again. With a 33-over-oldball, Pollock cut down his run-up and asked Boucher to stand up for a five-over spell of old-fashioned wobblers. It was a sensible strategy in the conditions and soon brought success, as Samaraweera (13) lost his balance and played all around an indipper (145 for 4).After tea, South Africa tossed the ball back to Nantie Hayward, their mostexpensive seamer. He was once again costly, conceding 27 runs in four overs,but he also conjured up a wicket as Dilshan, apparently in two minds as he prepared to punish a long-hop, dragged it onto his stumps (189 for 5). Then came the final twist to the day which tilted the scales in South Africa’s favour. First, Pollock produced a corker which pitched on middle and off, and straightened marginally, clipping Kaluwitharana’s off stump even as he attempted a flick (274 for 6). And finally Makhaya Ntini, wicketless until then, struck with the last ball of the day, bursting through Upul Chandana’s defences.Earlier, South Africa’s opening dilemma finally ended when Boeta Dippenaarwas named as Smith’s partner. Andrew Puttick, the opener called up after Herschelle Gibbs injured his ankle, was left out. Klusener made a comeback to the Test team after a two-and-a-half-year absence, while Hayward returned 18 months after turning his back on international cricket in frustration and packing his bags for Worcestershire.Sri Lanka, who seriously considered playing a solitary seamer, settled for a bowling attack with two fast bowlers, Chaminda Vaas and the allrounder Farveez Maharoof, plus two spinners, Chandana and Muttiah Muralitharan.

If Zimbabwe had any reason to think that the list of Australian injuries might make their job in tomorrow’s second Test a little easier, then they should think again. Newcomers in any side want to make an impression, and so rarely do opportunities come in the Australian side that Brad Williams, Simon Katich and Brad Hogg have everything to play for at Sydney.Stuart MacGill’s calf strain was the latest in a line of injuries for the Australians, who have been forced to make three changes to the previous side which walloped Zimbabwe by an innings and 175 runs at Perth. MacGill aggravated his calf while bowling in the first Test but had hoped to be fit in time. However, he failed to pass a fitness test and Hogg steps in to take his place.Williams makes his debut in place of the injured Jason Gillespie, while Katich, set to play only his second Test after a two-year gap, replaces Darren Lehmann, out with a sore achilles tendon. Katich has played 100 first-class games and averages 49.02, including 21 centuries, while Williams has taken 181 wickets at 30.34 in 51 matches. It can be a long wait for international recognition in Australia.Steve Waugh, in his 53rd Test in charge, gave Katich the thumbs up before the match. “He’s ready made for Test match cricket. He’s got a great temperament, a very determined cricketer. I thought he batted very well towards the end of last season. He’s had a good season for Hampshire too.”On Williams, Waugh said: “He’s come back from serious back injuries. He was a tearaway four or five years ago, probably the quickest in Australia, he’s still pretty quick now, but he knows his game better now. He’s worked hard, he’s been 12th man a number of occasions. He’s looking forward to it so it’s a great opportunity for him.”Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s aim will be to improve their top-order batting and be more competitive in this Test, their first at Sydney. They are expected to name an unchanged team, but were encouraged by Douglas Hondo getting through a full training session yesterday. However, he is still woefully short of match practice. There was also a slight concern over a knee strain to Sean Ervine, but it is not bad enough to prevent him from playing tomorrow.If, as expected, Australia secure another innings victory, it will be their fourth in succession. But one of the most interesting features of the match will be how the Zimbabwe bowlers shape up, how much hunger Matthew Hayden has after his record-breaking innings at Perth, and who, among the other Australian batsmen, can cash in on their opportunity.TeamsAustralia 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Justin Langer, 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Damien Martyn, 5 Simon Katich, 6 Steve Waugh (capt), 7 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 8 Andy Bichel, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Brad Hogg, 11 Brad Williams.Zimbabwe (probable) 1 Dion Ebrahim, 2 Trevor Gripper, 3 Mark Vermeulen, 4 Stuart Carlisle, 5 Craig Wishart, 6 Craig Evans, 7 Heath Streak (capt), 8 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 9 Sean Ervine, 10 Andy Blignaut, 11 Ray Price.

The Indian women’s team has pooh-poohed suggestions that poor umpiring played a part in the drawn one-off Test against New Zealand at Vapi. A senior member of the Indian think-tank said: “There was one decision that went against them, but that means nothing. When they were bowling, they were appealing for everything. Even when there was no chance of a dismissal they would go up, especially their keeper.”There has been a suggestion that the New Zealand team were upset with the decision that went against Kate Pulford, their opening bat. In the second innings, a sharp delivery from Neetu David, the left-arm spinner, turned across the face of the bat as Pulford shaped to play. A loud shout for caught behind was upheld. Slow-motion replays showed that the ball may not have hit the bat – but anyone who saw the replay would have to admit that there was enough doubt for the decision to go either way.”To complain about the standard of umpiring simply based on one dismissal is silly,” said an official. “The New Zealand team appealed so much that the umpires got wise. Beyond a point, they were appealing for everything, and became frustrated that things were not going their way. That, more than anything, was the cause of complaints.”The slow, low-scoring Test ended in a draw. The teams now play a five-match one-day series, which starts in Mumbai on Thursday (Dec 4).

In the same week that the England & Wales Cricket Board is likely to announce that it is happy with security arrangements surrounding its tour of Zimbabwe, a protester who was beaten by police after waving an anti-government banner during a World Cup match last year said that he was planning another demonstration during England’s trip.The Sunday Telegraph reported how 19-year-old Kindness Moto was arrested and tortured after protesting against Robert Mugabe during Zimbabwe’s match against Netherlands at Bulawayo in March, 2003. The newspaper said that he was held by the police for four days and “raped by officers, starved, electrocuted and beaten on the soles of his feet before being thrown from a moving car.” He has subsequently been arrested and beaten on three more occasions.Moto’s story reflects that of Edsion Mukwasi, the 29-year-old former official of the Movement for Democratic Change, who was arrested outside the Harare Sports Club – where England will play three ODIs – during Zimbabwe’s match against Pakistan in November 2002 for distributing leaflets highlighting human rights abuses. While in custody it is claimed he was repeatedly tortured, and he died three months later from lung and liver injuries resulting from those beatings.Moto claimed that potential protesters are already being rounded up ahead of England’s visit, although he insisted that the demonstrations would still go ahead. With no free media inside Zimbabwe, and with foreign journalists subjected to considerable restrictions, opponents say that this rare exposure to the international community has to be seized on.And, Moto added, with few locals likely to attend – recent one- day internationals have been played out in front of dozens rather than even hundreds of spectators – the ruling Zanu-PF are planning to fill the stands with schoolchildren to give the impression that all is well.

Should the ICC take action or is it right to stand aside? Send us your views

Despite coming under pressure from the governments of Australia, New Zealand and Britain, the ICC is expected to ignore requests to take action against Zimbabwe when it meets this week in Dubai.The three governments have called on the ICC to ban Zimbabwe because of the country’s dreadful human-rights record which culminated in the controversial slum clearance programme Operation Murambatsvina – which translates as “drive out rubbish” – which has left 700,000 people homeless.Last week, Jack Straw, Britain’s foreign secretary, wrote to Ehsan Mani and Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s president and chief executive, urging them to take action, but yesterday Speed hinted that nothing was likely to change.”For the past three years at least, we’ve been asked that players be allowed not to comply with their agreements with Zimbabwe, or that cricket not be played in Zimbabwe,” Speed said. “The ICC position has been consistent: we say to governments that we don’t take decisions based on political judgments. We expect governments to do that.””We do respect their views, but we don’t make decisions on political grounds and neither are our decisions on playing cricket based on the human rights record of a country. I haven’t had a chance to speak with our president [Ehsan Mani] but our stand on such matters is pretty clear. It’s up to the teams to decide whether they honour the commitments. If the countries want to play it’s fine and if they don’t we don’t interfere in the foreign policy of any government.”Speed added that the 10 ICC members – which include Zimbabwe – were “comfortable” with play proceeding in the absence of an outright government ban.Such bans, however, are not likely because the three countries who have raised concerns would have to change their laws to enable them to prevent their own nationals from traveling to Zimbabwe. New Zealand, however, have indicated that they will refuse Zimbabwe’s players entry to the country should they try to fulfill their scheduled tour in December. Despite New Zealand Cricket announcing that the tour had been cancelled, as recently as the weekend, Zimbabwe Cricket officials claimed to know nothing about that.The ICC’s position is unlikely to be changed on cricket grounds either, even though Zimbabwe’s on-field performances of late have verged on the embarrassing. Yesterday’s humiliating defeat against New Zealand was the latest in a long line of drubbings which many have claimed is tarnishing the integrity of the international game.