On Harmison’s injury
Harmison’s position is that he won’t be playing in the Test match, that’sthe one thing I can let you know. From our point of view, we are going to look at him for a week, we are going to review him after the Test match, see if he can be available for those two one-dayers and then assess whether he goes back, but he definitely won’t be playing in the Test match.On the pitch
Interesting. It is very difficult to say at the moment. You just have to wait and see how it plays once the Test starts. But we have played on it before. The previous wicket did bounce a little bit and hopefully we can get some of that bounce off this wicket in the first couple of days.Losing five players who were key members of the Ashes triumph
We’ve just got to live with it. I don’t know, I wouldn’t like to say it’s a curse. At times these coincidences do happen and we just got to live with it. From our point of view, they are huge losses, such experienced players, but we just have to get on with it. I wouldn’t say it is a curse.Four bowlers or five?
We have definitely got to go in with five bowlers, it has definitely got to be five bowlers because we don’t want Andrew Flintoff to be overworked. He is a major player and if we go in with just four bowlers, it would put enormous pressure on him and we don’t want that.On playing two spinners
We have got to have a look at it, I am not going to rule it out. Just havea look at it and see what our thoughts are tonight. We have sort of madeup our mind where we are going but we want to make sure we don’t missanything out when we have our final discussion tonight.Lack of partnerships in this series
It is an area of concern. But it sometimes happens and it sometimesdoesn’t. They are not machines, they can’t go out there and just keepperforming at the highest level. Sometimes players’ form does dip a bit.From our point of view, it is crucial that some of the experienced playersgo out there and develop partnerships, get big scores. But I am sure theywill rise to the occasion tomorrow.On Monty Panesar
It’s always been a little bit of a problem for us, spinners, because they don’treally play on spinning wickets over there and it has been a concern. Butfrom our point of view, we just hope that Monty develops into a good spinbowler. He still has a long way to go, he is very, very inexperienced. Whoknows how good he will be if he gets that experience.

Jason Gillespie has become the first Australian nightwatchman to score a century in almost 30 years and was in a state of shock after reaching the landmark.”I never expected it, never,” Gillespie told AAP. “Not in my wildest dreams, so it’s pretty surreal, pretty bizarre actually. I came off and there was [television commentators] Wasim Akram and Harsha [Bhogle] having a chat about my batting, and they had my wagon wheel up. That was very weird.”Gillespie punched Abdur Razzak through cover for four to reach his century. His previous best score at any level was 90 playing E grade for Adelaide in 1992-1993. “I’ve not even got a hundred in the backyard,” he said. “So it’s a bit surreal at the moment. I wasn’t nervous because I never expected to get in that position. I was loving it.”He was delighted that he had the highest score among his bowling team-mates. “Someone mentioned it yesterday and I thought they were on drugs,” he said. “I looked up at the dressing-room as soon as I passed [Glenn] McGrath’s score, 61. He’s been giving me grief about that for a while now so I was very relieved to pass that.”Then I had Merv [Hughes], he was up there and he had 70-odd, and Flemo [Damien Fleming] 70-odd and Pistol [Paul Reiffel] so ticked them all off. I managed to even tick off Warney [Shane Warne] today, too, which was cool. The bowlers, we all love talking about our batting, and I’ve got a few bragging rights there now.”Gillespie and Michael Hussey, who is on 93, added 154 runs for the third wicket before rain washed out the last session’s play on the third day. However, Gillespie admitted that it was his fault that Ricky Ponting was run out on 52. “He [Ponting] called me through and I was in my own little fog … I felt pretty ordinary for a while, I still do but these things happen in cricket,” said Gillespie. “It was my fault. I thought ‘Shit I better do alright here’. I felt shithouse.”So far, Gillespie has eight wickets in the series to go with his hundred but said that he wasn’t thinking about the Ashes later this year. “There are guys coming back. You know you’ve got Taity [Shaun Tait], Kasper [Michael Kasprowicz], Pigeon [Glenn McGrath] to all come back, so I’ll probably slide down the greasy pole again and bide my time. I haven’t really thought about it.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Muttiah Muralitharan wanted to make what might be his final Test in England one to remember. He achieved that in stunning fashion at Trent Bridge with a haul of 8 for 70 as Sri Lanka stormed to a 134-run victory to level the series, ripping through England with a mesmerising spell which brought back memories of his first Test in this country – when he took nine at The Oval in 1998.Muralitharan was on for all ten – having previously twice fallen one short in Tests – but that feat disappeared when Matthew Hoggard was run out. His third nine-for also went begging when the last wicket fell to Sanath Jayasuriya, but that will be of little consequence to Muralitharan who just beamed with pride having steered his team to a stunning result. Once he’d got started on England, breaking the encouraging opening partnership of 84 between Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss, there was no stopping him. He claimed six during the afternoon session as England went from hopeful to hapless.The target of 325 always left England a mountain to climb, although they started positively with Strauss and Trescothick making steady progress either side of lunch. Jayawardene went into a holding pattern for all his bowlers, apart from Muralitharan and it was surprising to see relatively defensive fielding settings. But Sri Lanka have had a gameplan and stuck to it during this match.The tactic of keeping England quiet worked in the first innings and Jayawardene was banking on the same method second time around. The plan came together in fine style. Muralitharan duly made the breakthrough when Trescothick played back to another perfect doosra that skidded through and clattered the offstump. He was unsure at first, appealing for lbw, but quickly joined his team-mates in celebration.Sri Lanka should have had another moment to enjoy when Alastair Cook, on 1, thin-edged Jayasuriya but Kumar Sangakkara couldn’t hold on. However, they didn’t have to wait long before Muralitharan created mayhem. Before the clatter, Strauss registered his first half-century of the series from 88 balls; but you sensed that something was about to give.

In a very similar manner to his first-innings dismissal at Edgbaston, Cook was trapped by the doosra then Strauss departed as his edge bounced off Sangakkara’s glove in the direction of slip. While England had Kevin Pietersen at the crease – damaged hamstring and all – there was still hope. Not for long. Pietersen won his battle with Muralitharan hands down in the first two Tests; here it has gone convincingly the other way.Pietersen sashayed down the pitch but only succeeded in getting a faint glove – via pad – to short-leg. It was the strike Sri Lanka wanted but more was to come when Andrew Flintoff fell to a thick inside-edge to complete a miserable match with the bat. Tillakaratne Dilshan made it a hat-trick of catches with the best of the bunch when Paul Collingwood jabbed down on the ball, got the bottom of the bat, and it bounced up from the toe of his boot. Dilshan lunged forward and to his right to get his hand underneath the ball to take a sharp catch. The wickets came in such a rush that each celebration hardly had chance to die down.Geraint Jones became No. 7 for Muralitharan and all eyes were turning to the magic complete set – achieved only twice before in Test cricket by Jim Laker and Anil Kumble. But it wasn’t to be when Hoggard was brilliantly run out by Chamara Kapugedera from midwicket with only a single stump to aim at. Jon Lewis quickly joined the procession back to the pavilion and it appeared that Muralitharan would finish how he started in England – with a nine-wicket haul.However, after some defiant and loudly cheered blows from Monty Panesar, Jayasuriya capped his comeback Test with the final wicket and Sri Lanka could celebrate one of their greatest triumphs. Panesar’s late boundaries – including a swept six off Muralitharan – completed an encouraging performance on a personal note after he’d earlier secured his first five-wicket haul. But the day was all about one man – who never knows when he is beaten – and a team that carries the same fighting qualities.

Marcus Trescothick b Muralitharan 31 (84 for 1)
Alastair Cook lbw b Muralitharan 5 (104 for 2)
Andrew Strauss c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 55 (111 for 3)
Kevin Pietersen c Dilshan b Muralitharan 6 (120 for 4)
Andrew Flintoff c Dilshan b Muralitharan 0 (120 for 5)
Paul Collingwood c Dilshan b Muralitharan (125 for 6)
Geraint Jones b Muralitharan 6 (132 for 7)
Matthew Hoggard run out – Kapugedera (136 for 8)
Jon Lewis lbw b Muralitharan 7 (153 for 9)
Monty Panesar lbw b Jayasuriya 26 (190 all out)

Chamara Kapugedera c Cook b Plunkett 50 (287 for 8)
Lasith Malinga b Panesar 22 (320 for 9)
Muttiah Muralitharan c Strauss b Panesar 2 (322 all out)

Justin Langer is not the only one being tested after he was concussed while batting in his 100th match against South Africa last month. Langer’s helmet, which was struck as the batsman turned on a Makhaya Ntini bouncer, has also been sent to the manufacturer for investigation in a bid to make future models safer.Langer, who was unable to continue in his milestone match after being hit from the first ball of the innings at Johannesburg, gave the helmet to Cricket Australia to pass on to Albion Sports. “Hopefully they can find out why, when I was hit flush on the head, it split the skin through the helmet and I needed stitches,” Langer, 35, told . “I was so severely concussed that I think it is important they have a look at it. I missed basically three Tests as a result. I’m not sure if they can add any further protection.”Despite regular examinations, Langer is still waiting for a full health clearance, which should take another two weeks. He suffered headaches for two days after the incident and considered retiring, but decided he wanted to try to reclaim the Ashes before walking away from the game.Langer has received many blows in the head while batting and fielding, and he said the Ntini bouncer was the worst of his career. “Obviously it hit me absolutely in the wrong spot,” he told the paper. “I think the protection is excellent. It’s very unusual these days to be hit in the helmet and to end up with concussion. It was a freakish incident. [The helmet] might have saved my life and saved my career. It could have been a lot worse.”Ross Barrat, the Albion sales and marketing manager, has spoken to Langer about the impact and said the helmets went through rigorous testing. “We did discuss a few things, a few options, he was very good,” Barrat said. “The development of helmets can be a timely process simply because of the testing they have to go through. At the end of the day we are making a safety device.”

Virender Sehwag said that his goal for the series in the West Indies was a one-day century and two Test centuries. With a 180 in the second Test at St Lucia, Sehwag will now be looking to score a similar big hundred in the next two Tests. “If I have to be a great player, I will have to make big hundreds,” Sehwag told . “If you get out before a century, then it is okay. But once you cross the three figures, it’s your best chance to make an even bigger score for the bowling side is looking to contain you rather than get you out. It becomes easy for batsmen.””One of the things which distinguishes the greats from the ordinary ones is that they don’t give up after posting a century,” Sehwag added, though refusing to be compared to Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Merchant at this stage of his career.With only two centuries in the last 16 innings, Sehwag has come under some criticism and even his position in the side has been questioned. “You have your moments of doubt when you struggle. But I always get motivated by criticism. You actually improve when there is criticism. Your dedication also gets a leg up.”Sehwag did receive advice on his batting from Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, though he said that he only pays heed to advice that fits his batting. “Gavaskar told me early during the one-day series against England that if I stood on my off stump, incoming deliveries would not trouble me as much. It really helped even though there wasn’t a big score in Goa.”When I speak to Tendulkar, he does not speak on technical issues. He says if only I spent time at the wicket, without worrying about runs, wickets or balls, if I concentrate on playing 50 or 100 balls, then my body will start reacting to deliveries on its own.”Sehwag himself advised youngsters in the team to try and stay on till the end of the innings and not throw their wickets away. “I take delight in their good performances. Team is like a family. If you are not happy with a fellow player’s success, then you are not a family member. Then even your performance will start going down. Young players should get as much credit as some other players get it.”India lost the one-day series against West Indies 4-1 and Sehwag said that now his strategy in one-day cricket is to stay on for 30 to 40 overs, so that the run-rate will hover around five runs an over, putting the team in a position of advantage.Against the short ball, Sehwag admitted he had a problem. “Sometimes you can’t do anything when a ball comes on to your body but it doesn’t happen everyday. On good bouncy tracks, the ball bounces and goes above your head. But in India, or on a track such as St. Lucia’s, you can’t decide whether to face it or leave it. By then the ball hits your bat and spoons up for a catch.”But when facing fast bowlers, Sehwag tries to “put fear in their hearts.” “If he knows that this batsman can hit me for a four or six, your task becomes easier. If you can’t do that to a great bowler, he would soon be all over you,” he said.

Sri Lanka will celebrate 25 years of their admittance as a full member to the International Cricket Council (ICC) by honouring the cricketers who played in the inaugural Test match against England in February 1982.The felicitation ceremony will take place at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium, venue of the second Test in the on-going series between Sri Lanka and South Africa. Coincidentally it was also the venue where Sri Lanka played their inaugural Test match against England 24 years ago.The celebrations will take place prior to the commencement of the second Test with the handing of memorabilia to the 12 players and officials who were part of the inaugural Test. The event is sponsored by Hatton National Bank who also sponsored the inaugural Test which England won by seven wickets.The players and officials who will be honoured at the occasion are: Bandula Warnapura (capt), Duleep Mendis (vice-capt), Sidath Wettimuny, Roy Dias, Ranjan Madugalle, Arjuna Ranatunga, Somachandra de Silva, Ashantha de Mel, Lalith Kaluperuma, Mahesh Goonatillake, Ajith de Silva and the late Anura Ranasinghe, Herbie Felsinger and K.T. Francis (umpire) and M Rajasingham (manager).

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Two contrasting half-centuries put Michael Hussey’s maiden one-day century in the shade as West Indies scampered to a nervy three-wicket win in the fourth match of the DLF Cup and secured a place in the final. Brian Lara’s artistry was complemented by Chris Gayle’s fury and their whirlwind partnership, rattling off 151 at a rate of close to 7.8 runs per over, set the stage for the chase, which was eventually achieved after several heart-stopping moments.The West Indian bowlers played their part as well, turning in an improved performance to reduce Australia to 104 for 5 at the halfway stage. They couldn’t finish the job off – Hussey, leading the side in Ricky Ponting’s absence, and Brad Haddin, the wicketkeeper, engineered a comeback with a record sixth-wicket stand – but their batsmen, after threatening to collapse yet again, reached the finish line with close to three overs to spare. The result means West Indies are through to the final with Australia’s game against India on Friday turning into a virtual semi-final.It was by no means a walk in the park. Chasing 273 under lights is never easy and it was imperative that West Indies reprised the scorching starts they’ve got in the tournament so far. For ten overs they were patient, laboured to 30 for 1, preserved wickets and waited for the opening. Then, like a giant awakening from a slumber, they blitzed their way to 139 for 2 after 25 overs. Ramnaresh Sarwan triggered the acceleration before Gayle instigated mayhem.A Gayle innings has no set pattern – absolutely anything is possible. At the end of the 12th over, he had 13 off 31 balls with just one four. A clattered six over midwicket, in the 13th over, whet the appetite before Stuart Clark began his third over, on a day that will probably remain his most forgettable one. The first ball was swung over mid-on; ditto the second except it nearly decapitated Clark on the way to the fence; the third was steered for a double, almost a calm interlude; the fourth, a no-ball, was upper-cut for a fantastic six over third man; and the next screamed past mid-off, with the fielder having absolutely no chance. Clark’s two overs had gone for 38 and he eventually finished with none for 87 off seven overs.At the other end Lara was in a mood that was nothing short of majestic. The gorgeous straight-drives and samurai-like whiplashes were out in full force. There was also a masterclass in ‘how to toy with spin’ as Dan Cullen, all of five ODIs old, watched some good bowling being treated as if it was tripe. It must be quite unnerving to watch a batsman stand a good foot outside leg stump – moving forward and diagonally towards midwicket – watching the ball onto his bat and steering it past the keeper to the third man fence.When Lara was beaten in the flight after waltzing down the pitch, he still managed to crash the ball into the sight-screen. The faster bowlers did all they could to keep it full and on off, but when a batsman walks across the crease and whips you through midwicket, there is nothing they can do. He was out in a curious manner – the ball ricocheting off the back of the bat as he got too early on a pull – and it was only after his dismissal that Australia had any chance. Four wickets fell for 13 runs, raising visions of another “calypso collapse”, but Dwayne Bravo held his nerve, lofted a six in the dying stages and steered them home.

It was a victory to savour, especially after the two Hs – Hussey and Haddin – had threatened to undo all the good work the West Indian bowlers had done in the opening stages. Hussey went about rebuilding the innings in a manner that has made him an ODI master over the last year – eliminating the dots, running the fielders ragged, picking off the odd boundary and setting them up for the slog. Amid all this were reverse-paddles, slog sweeps, short-arm jabs and crisp swats. To rip a controlled 109 in just 90 deliveries, with the team stuttering, was a magnificent effort.At the other end, there was Haddin, continuing a long tradition of Australian wicketkeeper-batsmen who’ve more often than not thwarted the opposition’s plans just when everything seems to be going their way. Merging some of Ian Healy’s combativeness with a tinge of Adam Gilchrist’s aggressiveness, Haddin drilled four fantastic sixes enroute to his highest ODI score. It was the partnership of the day until Gayle and Lara combined.

AustraliaSimon Katich run-out 22 (41 for 1)
Shane Watson c Lara b Taylor 0 (42 for 2)
Andrew Symonds c Smith b Bradshaw 8 (57 for 2)
Michael Clarke c Gayle b Bradshaw 1 (64 for 4)
Matthew Hayden c Taylor b Bravo 49 (104 for 5)
Brad Haddin c Taylor b Bravo 70 (270 for 6)
West Indies
Shivnarine Chanderpaul c Haddin b Lee 0 (12 for 1)
Ramnaresh Sarwan c Haddin b Bracken 25 (44 for 2)
Chris Gayle c Hussey b Watson 79 (195 for 3)
Brian Lara c Hussey b Lee 88 (242 for 4)
Wavell Hinds c Haddin b Lee 1 (249 for 5)
Marlon Samuels run out 0 (249 for 6)
Dwayne Smith b Symonds 4 (255 for 7)

Just over five weeks after The Oval was at the centre of one of cricket’s most fractious days, ending with Pakistan forfeiting the final Test against England, the main protagonists return to the scene of the row today to start a two-day hearing into Code of Conduct charges brought against Inzamam-ul-Haq by the ICC.The centre of the imbroglio is the 56th over of England’s second innings on the fourth day. Umpires Billy Doctrove and Darrell Hair, believing that the ball had been tampered with, changed it and awarded England a five-run penalty. Soon after, during tea, Pakistan decided to stage a protest against the decision. Ultimately, the umpires decided that Pakistan’s refusal to play amounted to the Test being forfeited. Cue chaos.Crime and Punishment
Inzamam is facing two charges, of ball-tampering and of bringing the game into disrepute. The former is on behalf of the team; no individual or specific incident of tampering has been highlighted so as captain, Inzamam faces the heat. If found guilty, he faces a fine of between 50 and 100% of his match fee and/or a ban of one Test or two ODIs.The latter charge, of bringing the game into disrepute as a result of not leading his team out to play, is potentially more serious. Again, as captain of a side that refused to play, Inzamam is in the dock and if found guilty, he faces a ban of between two and four Tests or four to eight ODIs.Who’s who
Pakistan: Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shaharyar Khan (chairman PCB) and Bob Woolmer (Pakistan coach). Danish Kaneria, Umar Gul and Zaheer Abbas (team manager) have all provided written statements as witnesses.ICC: Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove, Peter Hartley (third umpire), Trevor Jesty (fourth umpire), Mike Procter (match referee), Doug Cowie (ICC umpires and referees manager).Judge: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lankan ICC chief match referee)Support cast: Both sides are also backed up be legal representation. The PCB hired a UK-based legal firm, DL Piper, to represent them. Madugalle will be assisted throughout the hearing by the ICC’s lawyer David Pannick QC.Evidence m’lord
The PCB has claimed from the very beginning that there is no proof that ball-tampering occurred, that nothing has been captured on video and no single person caught. This, of course, overlooks conveniently that no evidence other than the ball itself and the umpires’ words is needed. Forensic tests on the ball to determine tampering has been suggested while those who have seen the ball – journalists and Pakistan officials – claim that there isn’t sufficient evidence to conclusively say tampering has occurred. The ball was 56 overs old and The Oval historically provides a dry, rough surface. Further, a fair few boundaries – and thus advertising hoardings around the ground – had been tonked.The disrepute charge seems more straightforward. Everyone knows Pakistan didn’t come out to play; though the PCB claimed the protest was meant to last only a few minutes, it lasted nearer 50. Both umpires even went to the Pakistan dressing room to ask Inzamam whether he would come out to resume the Test, to which they received no satisfactory answer and thus decided to forfeit. Mike Procter’s testimony will be of particular interest here, if only to establish whether he knew that the Test had been forfeited when he convinced Pakistan to come out and play eventually.

Anything else I should know?
Quite a lot as it happens. The ICC leaked emails from Darrell Hair in the aftermath of the incident in which he offered to resign for US$500,000. Zaheer Abbas has been replaced as manager of Pakistan since the Oval Test. An initial difference in opinion has emerged between the two umpires on when the ball should have been changed. Pakistan were reported in places to be calling up expert witnesses in the form of Geoffrey Boycott, John Hampshire and Simon Hughes. There is history between Hair and Pakistan; Pakistan have rumbled for some time now about Hair’s officious attitude and claim they complained officially about him last year. Ehsan Mani, ICC president at the time, denies the claim.Decision time
The hearing is to be held over two days, behind closed doors and Madugalle has a maximum of 24 hours after it is over to adjudicate on both charges, which means a decision by Friday. However, the PCB can appeal on behalf of Inzamam and Malcolm Speed, ICC CEO, can do likewise on behalf of the ICC if either party is unhappy with the decision.Exactly what that decision will be of course is difficult to know. That hasn’t prevented though some speculation. Most, including PCB officials, believe that Inzamam might escape punishment for ball-tampering and face a ban for bringing the game into disrepute. Pakistan sees the ball-tampering charge as the more serious one in any case.Privately, ICC officials seem to have acknowledged they are in a no-win situation, especially over the disrepute charge. If Inzamam is found guilty – and it is hard to see, even with mitigating circumstances, how he cannot be – then he has to be banned and the options are for one of between two and four Test matches or four to eight one-day internationals.If Madugalle is lenient, then the ICC will be slammed by many for undermining the tenant that the umpire is the sole arbiter of the laws during a game. If the ban is lengthy – and it is worth recalling that Arjuna Ranatunga was initially slapped with a six-match ban in 1998-99 when he took his side off the field at Adelaide, although that game did resume – then Pakistan are sure to appeal, and the whole affair rumbles on.Any scenario still leaves the question of what to do with Darrell Hair, particularly for the Champions Trophy, unanswered. He seems to think he is officiating there, the ICC is delaying announcing officials for the tournament, India and Pakistan have officially objected to his presence there and the latter, some reports suggest, have threatened greater action – including a possible pull-out – if Hair stands. In other words, this two-day hearing is unlikely to be the last word on the situation.

“But how allyuh could advantage the people so?” The query on Wednesday night from someone who really isn’t a fan of West Indies was intended to be provocative and I was only too happy to take the bait.”When you have a side to mash up, you mash them up!” I responded. “These days we take what we could get, and by the way, how come nobody does feel sorry for we when we getting licks all over the place?” It was like an early goal silencing a hostile crowd.It is only Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, but it’s good to revel in performances that emphasise the gap between the Champions Trophy holders and, believe it or not, the two teams immediately behind them in the international rankings. Those one-sided matches on Sunday and Wednesday were really just a tune-up for the real business of defending the title, and the Caribbean side will have to be firing on all cylinders tomorrow because Sri Lanka, who also brushed aside the same two opponents in the qualifying phase, are equally as keen to emphasise that they must by no means be considered among the ranks of the underdogs in India just because they had to play preliminary matches.Both sides are assured of places in the main tournament, which begins on Sunday with the hosts taking on England. However, there are several reasons why this encounter in Mumbai will be fought with the intensity befitting the final itself in three weeks’ time. For the victors will be placed in the group comprising South Africa, Pakistan and New Zealand, while the losers move into the pool for which favourites Australia, India and 2004 beaten finalists England were already drawn into.In other words, there is no easy group and finishing in the top two to earn a place in the semi-finals will involve considerably more intense competition than in any of the opening round groups of next year’s World Cup. For the team that would be on a roll with three consecutive wins after tomorrow’s encounter, Group A offers the chance to maintain that momentum as their three matches against the Pakistanis, New Zealanders and South Africans (in that order) will all be played in an eight-day period beginning next Tuesday.In contrast, the losers will take on the might of the Aussies next Wednesday and are not in competitive action again until October 26, when they take on the Indians, before rounding out the schedule against England two days later. More than that, especially for a team so inconsistent as West Indies, maintaining a winning momentum is almost essential to the quest to retain the title that was won so memorably at The Oval in London 25 months ago.Lara has restated the point (he really didn’t need to after what happened in his team’s last preliminary match of the DLF Cup in Malaysia) that there will be no fooling around against the Sri Lankans. The only concern, it seems, revolves around the health of the players. On a personal level, success tomorrow will present an opportunity to put New Zealand in their place next Friday. The Black Caps are a well-drilled, disciplined unit led by one of the finest captains in contemporary cricket, Stephen Fleming. But even if the players aren’t too concerned about it, some of the comments that West Indies endured on the tour of New Zealand earlier this year bordered on insulting and demeaning.From writers sounding the death knell of West Indies cricket to allrounder Scott Styris accusing the visitors of a lack of compassion when New Zealand batsmen were hit by short-pitched deliveries, you would have thought that the game was only now being mastered in the island territories.Almost everyone, not just in New Zealand, have had their chance to bemoan the decline of West Indies cricket on the global stage while also offering their own solutions, although, by their utterings, it is clear that very few understand the complexities of this place we call home. Such sanctimonious sermonising really rankles with those who experienced the days of near-invincibility by the West Indian juggernaut, yet were never so presumptuous as to pass judgement or prescribe solutions to the teams that they were hammering into submission.I suppose it is a matter of different attitudes: one conditioned by historical experiences and self-appointed privileges to determine what is good and bad or right and wrong about the other. One day, boy, one day. It may not be at this Champions’ Trophy or the World Cup next year or for another 10-15 years still, but one day those global pundits will regret ever directing their condescending tone towards the West Indies and wish for the return of the days when the visit of the Caribbean cricketers was an eagerly awaited opportunity to beat-up on a fallen giant.In the meantime, we will live in hope, not so much for the turnaround (that is still a long, long way off, especially in Tests) but for the reawakening of the consciousness and awareness of all who wear the burgundy cap of their responsibilities as representatives of their people on the world stage. Then again, maybe the turnaround has begun, at least off the field.”I always know you was the blight on the fellas,” my verbal combatant shot back. “The longer you stay here, the better their chances out there!” Final score: 1-1.

Next week’s first Test at Brisbane could be played on a greentop, according to the Gabba’s groundsman, Kevin Mitchell, after a torrential downpour interrupted pitch preparations on Wednesday.Groundsmen rushed to cover the centre wicket as the clouds rolled in and, with eight days to go until the start of the Ashes, Mitchell warned that more bad weather would have a big impact on the wicket.”It always is a factor in south-east Queensland when you are preparing wickets,” he told ABC Sport. “Hopefully we’ll get them out of the way before the weekend when most of the intense preparation comes into play.”