John Wright, the former Indian coach, whose comments on India’s selection system have elicited strong responses from former national selectors, has clarified his stance, saying that he had nothing against any of the individuals involved but blamed the system on the whole. Wright also recommended that people read his recently-released book, , where these statements were made, before forming any sort of judgement.”Selection is something I deal with in a chapter,” he said speaking exclusively to Cricinfo, “and I’ve never been a great fan of that system. I think it’s hard on the selectors. I enjoyed a lot of selectors. Chandu Borde and the lot were good. I’ve met some very fine selectors and some good men and made some good friends in the selection group that I’ve worked with. They were doing their best but there was a lot of pressure on them because of the system and I’ve always maintained that. I’m not saying my view is correct but I would have thought that it would be better to have someone who was fully paid, professional, covering the national team, the A team, the Under 19s etc. That’s just my view – whether people agree with me or not is their prerogative.”Surprised that the comments had created such a stir, Wright stressed that he had always maintained that the selection process needed to be scrutinised. “If you go back to an interview I did just after the English series (in Wisden Asia Cricket), you’ll see my opinion there,” he continued. “I think selection is an issue, I’ve always thought it needs scrutiny because my opinion as a coach is that selection is more critical than coaching. Picking the right people is more important than coaching. And that will never change. By and large, the selectors that I worked with did a good job. The more you can get better in that area, the better it is. It’s not about this guy or that guy, it’s about the system. I always felt that we needed a selector on tour, it would make the whole job a lot easier. But that’s just my opinion. The BCCI can make its own judgements and have its own system. It’s a tough job, such a big country.”But did Wright ever feel things would have changed if he had been more outspoken? “I’ve always told the various presidents – Dalmiya, Muttiah – Raj Singh, convenors of the various selection panels about exactly what I felt. And it thought it was their business. Those conversations weren’t public and neither are any of them recorded in the book but I certainly gave my views. My style is different. I suppose some people may be shocked to read my views in this publication.”

Cricket Australia has cancelled 1300 Ashes tickets after an investigation into internet auction sales.James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, told reporters in Melbourne that people risked being turned away from match venues if they turned up with tickets bought off the web. “Where people purchase tickets from a scalper at a premium, they’re in breach of the terms and conditions,” he said. “We will, where appropriate, cancel those tickets.”Sutherland also took a swipe at online auction company eBay. “I’m disappointed. We had a number of discussions before tickets went on sale with eBay, unfortunately they have come to nothing. The position that we’ve taken all along with them is that they shouldn’t be assisting people to sell tickets in breach of our terms and conditions. What we’re trying to do is protect the Australian public here.”But an eBay spokesman told The Age that CA was also to blame. “Cricket Australia dumped hundreds of thousands of tickets in one day using computer and telephone systems that couldn’t keep up with demand,” he said, adding that eBay had requested details of the cancelled tickets so it could offer any affected customers compensation. He pointed out that CA had not done this.Sutherland went on to say that more tickets would in all likelihood be cancelled as the series neared. “We’ve still got an investigation agency out there that’s doing various checks and I would imagine that over the next few months that there will be more that are uncovered.”Demand for tickets has been unprecedented and the board was slammed for the way it handled sales on the first day they went on general release.The tickets were only made available to Australian residents but thousands of English supporters used contacts in Australia to bypass the system.

Dennis Lillee says Mitchell Johnson, the Queensland fast bowler, could be in the running for an Ashes berth if he performs strongly in the early part of the Australian domestic season. Johnson is currently in India for the Champions Trophy and the injury to Stuart Clark will give him more opportunities to perform during the tournament.”If he bowls well early in the season he has to be in contention [for the Ashes],” Lillee told . “If he comes out in the first couple of games and takes some bags – and remember he got 10-for in the Pura Cup final on a flat, flat, flat wicket up at the Gabba [against Victoria last summer]. He’s looked all right since he was 16 years of age.”He has had a few problems along the way with injuries. Last year when they were playing Western Australia he told me that he had had a change of attitude and that he was now leaving no stone unturned. He said he felt much better for it and was bowling better for it. It seems like everything is falling into place for him now.”In his last international appearance, Johnson wrecked India by taking 4 for 11 in the DLF Cup in Kuala Lumpur. He has now trained his sights on performing during Champions Trophy, a tournament in which success has eluded Australia. “I’m just concentrating on the Champions Trophy and seeing what happens there,” Johnson said. “I still do pinch myself a little bit. I’ve got guys like Brett Lee telling me how eager he is to go out and bowl with me. It’s just a great feeling to play for Australia.”

Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, has been summoned by the tribunal investigating doping charges against Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif. Darryn Lifsun, the team physiotherapist, and Murray Stevenson, the trainer, have also been summoned.Shahid Hamid, a renowned barrister who is chairing the three-man tribunal which includes Intikhab Alam and medical expert Dr Waqar Ahmed, told Cricinfo that the three are most likely to appear on Wednesday.”They are part of the team management and we would like to know their thoughts on this very important matter. They work with the players closely so speaking to them is important. Without hearing their views, it would be tough to reach a conclusion.”The idea for holding internal dope tests was Woolmer’s, and the tests were held soon after the team returned from the tour to England.Shoaib and Asif, who were pulled out of Pakistan’s squad for the Champions Trophy on the eve of their opening game, were cross-examined by medical experts on Saturday. Both bowlers have said they will not challenge the results of their positive tests for nandrolone carried out in a WADA (World Anti-doping Agency) laboratory in Malaysia, and declined to have their B samples examined.It emerged, in the immediate aftermath of the scandal, that the PCB had suspected Shoaib of substance abuse. Shaharyar Khan, the ex-chairman, told an Indian TV channel that he had suspected this was the case for several months. Additionally, rumours had circulated among journalists of this very problem.But Hamid was adamant that media reports and such speculation would have no influence on the inquiry. “We will rely entirely on the basis of the evidence presented before us and nothing else. Newspaper or TV reports, rumours and speculation will play no part in this.”Though reluctant to put a precise date on when a verdict is likely, Hamid revealed that it would be soon after Woolmer and his team appeared. “I cannot give an exact date but I imagine it would be very shortly after they have appeared.” That raises the possibility of a verdict by the end of next week.Both bowlers face, potentially, a two-year ban, the minimum for a first offence under ICC doping rules. However, the PCB said it will make its own decision on any punishment since the tests were conducted internally.

The role of PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf in the inquiry in to the doping scandal that rocked Pakistan cricket has come under scrutiny with the publication of a letter written by him to the first anti-doping commission, which banned Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, and allegations from the head of the commission that attempts were made to influence their decision. Ashraf has termed the allegation as “absolute hogwash.”The letter, addressed to Shahid Hamid, the head of the commission, was obtained by , a leading English language daily based in Lahore. In the letter, sent three days before the final verdict was given, Ashraf asks the commission to consider a set of points before reaching a final verdict.As well as asking the commission to make sure players have the opportunity for full legal representation and that independent experts are appointed to evaluate analytical material, the chairman suggests that “the concentration of Nandrolone found in the two samples is quite consistent with the use of contaminated food supplements.”Hamid confirmed to Cricinfo that he had received the letter and that he found it “totally unacceptable and out of order,” adding that it amounted to an attempt to put undue pressure on the judgment of the commission.The decision to ban Shoaib and Asif for two years and a year respectively was eventually overturned by a subsequent appeals committee, headed by Justice Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, earlier this week. But Hamid stood firm in the belief that the initial judgment was correct. “I fully stand by our verdict and am absolutely sure that we made the right decision at the end of it all.”Ashraf, however, rubbished suggestions that he had tried to influence the commission in any way. Speaking to Cricinfo from Dubai where he was attending an ICC meeting, Ashraf said, “The suggestion that I tried to influence any of the decisions is absolute hogwash. The full contents of the letter actually prove that this was indeed a totally independent commission. The letter actually contradicts the story that any influence was exerted.”Ashraf insisted that both processes had been fair and transparent. “Both tribunals were completely independent and a due process was followed throughout to reach the respective verdicts.”Below are the six points the chairman asked the commission to consider:1. Players must have full opportunity to be legally represented.
2. Notes to be taken of their evidence and these notes should be sent in written form to the legal counsel of the players so that they can give comments hereby avoiding any misunderstanding of their testimony.
3. The analytical material must be evaluated by independent expert appointed by the disciplinary commission.
4. The PCB team doctor, PCB coach and any other coaches and doctors involved officially or unofficially must be asked to give testimony. This is particularly important in this light of the fact that the concentration of Nandrolone found in the two samples is quite consistent with the use of contaminated food supplements.
5. Independent experts in the field must be asked to testify before the Commission before a final decision is reached.
6. A final meeting should be held with the players to give them opportunity to make final representations if they so wish with the aid of their legal counsel.

India are set to play a two-day practice game against a Kwazulu Natal Invitation XI ahead of the second Test against South Africa on Durban, starting on December 26. The match will be held at Northwood Crusaders Cricket Club, starting on December 22.Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, had talked about the considerable gap between the first and second Tests and how important it was for the players to keep themselves match-fit. “A lot of our guys have been sitting on bench and they could easily lose form, so it’s important to keep them in loop,” Vengsarkar had said. He’d stressed that such a game would benefit a player like Munaf Patel, the fast bowler who’d missed the first Test owing to a sore ankle.KZN Invitation XI Rivash Gobind (captain), Imraan Khan, Ross McMillan, Martin Bekker, Cedric Mabuya, Michael van Vuuren, Darren Smit, Robert Frylinck, T Pillay, Saidi Mhlongo, Ugasen Govender, M. Serame, Coach: Y. Ebrahim

Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan’s record-breaking middle order lynchpin, is a definite non-starter for the first Test against South Africa at Centurion Park, due to begin from January 11, and may end up missing the entire Test series.Yousuf was due to leave for South Africa today, joining his team-mates late after returning from performing in Saudi Arabia, but is unable to do so now as his wife is due to give birth some time between January 12 and 19.”Yousuf’s wife has undergone some complications in her pregnancy and is due to undergo surgery either on 12 or 19 January. Therefore he is unlikely to be available for the first Test,” a PCB spokesman told Cricinfo. A board statement was later released after discussions with the batsman, confirming that he will miss the first Test and possibly the second.”Mohammad Yousuf requested that he needs to be with his wife at the time of her surgery which is expected to take place either on the 12th or 19th of this month depending on her condition. In case the surgery takes place on 12th, the batsman will leave on 14th January to join the team in South Africa whereas he will leave on 21st January in case the surgery takes place on 19th.”If he doesn’t make it for the second Test (beginning Janauary 19), it is unlikely that he will play the third either. A source close to the team told Cricinfo, “If he misses those two then expecting him to come back without practice for the third is unreasonable and he may find it tough going.” Yousuf also missed two ODIs in the series against the West Indies in December due to his wife’s condition.The development is a considerable setback to Pakistan’s chances in South Africa, where his presence in a relatively weak batting line-up was thought to be crucial. Yousuf was Pakistan’s best batsman by some distance last year, and among the best in the world. Statistically, he had no equal, scoring a record 1788 Test runs with nine hundreds in 11 Tests, another record.It also compounds a mildly worrying start to the tour for Pakistan. Umar Gul, Pakistan’s best bowler in the last six months, only bowled three overs in the warm-up game against the Rest of South Africa, before being pulled off with an ankle strain. Bob Woolmer told Cricinfo though that he should be fit to play the first Test.”He has seen a doctor who does not think it is anything more than strained ligaments. We will have a further scan to eliminate the chances of bruising to the bone but he should be fine for the first Test,” said Woolmer.The news isn’t so bright for Shoaib Malik who has sustained a “grade one ankle injury” and will be out for a minimum of two weeks. Abdul Razzaq, Pakistan’s all-rounder, has already been ruled out of the Test series. Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s captain, didn’t bat on day two of the warm-up game, as he was suffering from a chest infection but the problem, according to Woolmer, is not a serious one.

Rahul Dravid and Brian Lara wore distinctly different expressions at the end of India’s 3-1 series win at Baroda. Lara, usually eloquent and warm, seemed hurried and just about ready to leave as soon as he arrived. Dravid, normally cagey and defensive, was relaxed and cracking jokes. But both sang from the same hymn sheet when asked about Sachin Tendulkar’s innings.”We were not unduly worried about Sachin. Maybe everyone else can stop worrying now so we can have a bit of peace around. But what will we discuss then?” said Dravid, eliciting laughter from the press corps. “It was a great innings. Sachin showed why he is a great player, why he can play in different conditions, why he can adapt. Not many people in the world can do this. If you have players who can do this sort of thing, you’re going to win a lot of games, no doubt about it. Sachin’s innings was truly special and one of the best I’ve seen from him.” Lara was no different. “Another very good innings. We all know what he’s capable of. I am not surprised, maybe you are,” he said. “He’s capable of producing innings like that every now and then.”But from there on, there was little similarity in what the two captains had to say. Lara acknowledged that his team had been comprehensively outplayed on the day. “It was complete domination but I wouldn’t say it was a lack of fight from West Indies,” he said. “I thought the Indians just played much better. They deserve the win. Their performance was outstanding with the bat and in the field as well.”Lara also stood by his decision to put India in, explaining it by saying, “There was nothing wrong with the decision to field. It was the same decision as the one in Madras [Chennai]. There was nothing very different about this pitch. We gave away too many runs and when it was our turn lost too many wickets. India batted pretty well and things didn’t work out for us in the first half. After they had a good foundation the likes of Dhoni and Tendulkar could accelerate in the end. We started poorly and didn’t put the ball in the right areas. Uthappa got India off to a flier, scoring at 6-7 an over and this meant that there was no pressure on the guys who came after.”Dravid was just happy with the way the series had ended. “It’s a really good way to win the series. It was a must-win game for us, to win the series,” he said. “We were under a bit of pressure. That’s good. We’re going to play some pressure games that are must-win in the future. To come out and put in a performance like this was a tribute to the whole squad.”

When asked if any players would be rested in the forthcoming matches against Sri Lanka, Dravid said, “Now we’re coming to a stage where we have to pick our squad and play our best fifteen with an eye to the World Cup. Who plays in specific games depends on the conditions.”Before the start of this match there was plenty of interest in how Irfan Pathan would fare in his comeback. Seven overs for 43 runs was not exactly ideal, but Dravid was comfortable with the start that had been made. “I thought Pathan bowled quite well. He bowled in some good areas,” said Dravid. “When he pitched it right he created a few problems for the batsmen. He has to get some more international bowling under his belt before we can make any judgments but the start was a good one.”Dravid was also happy with the way Yuvraj Singh was finding his feet on return from injury, and the manner in which he fielded. “He was exceptional, wasn’t he? That’s exactly what we wanted to see,” said Dravid. “One of the goals in playing Yuvraj – who feels fit and fine – was to see this. What he needed was the confidence in a match to do the things he knows he can do and has done in the past. Under pressure of a game when a catch is there your instincts take over. He was brilliant.”

The results of Bob Woolmer’s post-mortem, conducted on Tuesday morning at a Kingston hospital nearly 48 hours after his passing away, were inconclusive. The pathologists have asked for further tests to be conducted.Earlier, it was decided that once the autopsy results were given to the police in the afternoon, the body will be handed over to the Pakistan team, who will then keep it in a funeral parlourbefore the long journey to Cape Town. The casket will go with the team toLondon, with Murray Stevenson, the Pakistan trainer, then accompanying it to Cape Town, whereWoolmer lived with his wife, Gill, and two sons.”The deputy commissioner, Mark Shields, and the superintendent, explainedthe police procedure to us,” said Pervez Mir, the Pakistan team’s mediamanager. “Gill Woolmer authorised Murray Stevenson and the team managementto officially identify the body. The autopsy would have started at 9:30this morning, and the body will be released to us later this afternoonprovided everything’s fine. A [death] certificate will then be asked for.”In view of the sensitivity of the circumstances surrounding the death,the police have sealed his room. The forensics have been in there, and thefingerprinting has been done. We won’t know till afternoon what thefindings are.”Nasim Ashraf, the board chairman, has also instructed Mir and Talat Ali,the manager, to journey to South Africa for the funeral service. The teamleaves for Montego Bay on Thursday, and will then fly to London beforeheading home.Woolmer, 58, was found unconscious in his hotel room in Jamaica yesterday morning and later pronounced dead. Reports have alleged Woolmer suffered from diabetes and had recently experienced breathing difficulties.”It was about 10:45 Jamaica time yesterday morning when a housekeeper let herself into the room and found Bob unconscious. A nurse was called and a doctor very soon after that and he was rushed to the University of West Indies Hospital, which is about 10 minutes away, where he was pronounced dead at around 12 noon.”Shields’ understanding is that at no stage did Woolmer regain consciousness. “As far as I know, he didn’t. He was unconscious and may even have been dead when he was found but that’s yet to be confirmed. That’ll be part of the post-mortem, to discover exactly what time he died.”I do know they treated it as though he was still unconscious and did everything they could to get him to hospital for resuscitation. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.”Shields assuaged claims of the death being treated as suspicious. “We would always treat any sudden death – even in the UK – as suspicious until we can prove otherwise. We’ve had maximum co-operation from international cricket, the Pakistan team and everybody else involved at the hotel. I’m hoping we can wrap this up as soon as possible.”

Jason Gillespie could become a victim of South Australia’s woeful season and salary-cap problems, revealing he does not have a contract for next season. Gillespie said he would be keen to continue his career interstate if the Redbacks failed to secure his services.Gillespie has been far from South Australia’s worst performer in 2006-07, with 26 Pura Cup wickets at 29.34. The Redbacks have had trouble with their veterans this season, dumping Greg Blewett from the one-day side in December and axing Matthew Elliott from the Pura Cup team for their most recent match.”I don’t know where I stand with South Australia, whether I’m required for next year,” Gillespie told Adelaide’s . “I guess I’ll find out pretty soon. I’m still off contract so I guess I’m a free agent. You never know, maybe there’s a state keen on me and I’ll weigh up that option.”Obviously the Redbacks are my first option and I’d like to sign a two-year deal with them, but if that doesn’t happen then I’ll have to look elsewhere. In recent years, South Australia have signed some guys to long contracts and they haven’t performed, so maybe they are a bit concerned about my longevity.”Gillespie was dropped from the Australia Test team after the 2005 Ashes loss but returned for two Tests in Bangladesh last April. He earned the Man-of-the-Series award with eight wickets and a stunning 201 as night-watchman.However, he was ditched straight afterwards and believes he has virtually no chance of earning another recall. “I can’t see myself getting another Cricket Australia contract,” he said. “I believe they only gave me one last year because of what happened in Bangladesh.”My chance of playing for Australia again is about as remote as you can get. The selectors have played their card, they have lost faith in me, they don’t want me around and that’s their call. I’m not saying I deserved to be in the World Cup but it’s a bitter pill to swallow when you get man of the match in your last two Tests and you aren’t in the picture.”