As its inaugural season draws towards a close in early September, US ProCricket can look back on having achieved several firsts in US cricket — and a future that, while still uncertain, is decidedly more promising than first assumed.This was the first time that an independent national cricket league has established itself in the USA. It has been tried several times in the last decade, but most of those efforts ran out of steam almost before they started. That US ProCricket was able to do so in spite of efforts to derail it from inside and outside the US makes the achievement especially notable.The opposition to US ProCricket was especially fierce and unrelenting from the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) and, rather surprisingly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The USACA always viewed ProCricket with a jaundiced eye, seeing it as an encroachment on its sacrosanct turf. It did its best to prevent any cricketers with aspirations of representing the USA in internationals from playing for ProCricket. The attempt to blackball the new league was also energetically supported by the BCCI, which threatened Indian internationals with unspecified sanctions if they so much as touched bat or ball on American soil. The International Cricket Council tiptoed around these positions, first declaring it had nothing against ProCricket and then saying that what ICC member countries did with players under contract to them was their own business. This was a remarkable position considering that neither India nor the USACA had signed contracts with their players, but ICC’s calculated ambiguity seems to be more and more its style these days.How ProCricket was able to deal with this triple threat to its existence — what corners had to be cut, what plans drastically altered — is a saga all its own. ProCricket managed to survive these vicissitudes, and even introduced some innovations as it strained to complete its inaugural season. It put American cricketers on the same teams as its first-class overseas players, experimenting with a synergy that had never been tried in US cricket before. Its five-ball over compressed the 20-over format into 100 balls per innings, and "decimalised" scoring formulas. ProCricket was the first domestic cricket ever to be broadcast live on US television, as the DISH satellite network picked up its league schedule. And ProCricket was reported on in England, Pakistan, India and the West Indies, the first time that any cricket played within the USA has ever been seriously examined outside North America.This is not to say that ProCricket did not have problems. It did — and some of these were of its own making. Its public communications were often inconsistent, and sometimes abysmal, and its website was confusing. Facilities in some of the eight ProCricket team sites were poor, and management was lackadaisical. The recruitment process for both the overseas and local players was mystifying, and kept changing. Some of ProCricket’s innovations, like rotating international players between teams but keeping local players at their own league sites, seemed not to have been thought out in advance. It seemed at times that ProCricket was tripping over itself in its haste to be too many things to too many people, and this was producing an unnecessary angst in many of its ardent supporters. The last thing ProCricket needs is a US cricketing public that is turned off by an ill-conceived and badly executed programme. Yet this is precisely what might happen if ProCricket does not get its own house in order before its next season.On the whole, however, the portents for the future were hopeful for US ProCricket, and there is every reason to believe it will be become a permanent feature of the American cricket landscape if it can get its act together.ProCricket has already accomplished far more than its detractors had ever assumed. Next year, 2005, may be the season when it is able to fully come into its own.

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A superb opening spell from Tinashe Panyangara raised visions of an upset, but Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan rallied to inspire a three-wicket victory for Pakistan in the second match of the Paktel Cup at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar. Panyangara’s medium-paced swing bowling had reduced Pakistan to 48 for 3, but the lack of quality back-up meant that Pakistan were never seriously under pressure to keep up with the asking rate. A late cameo from Shahid Afridi, the hometown hero, was the icing on the cake for a crowd that had sportingly cheered Zimbabwe’s gutsy effort.Brendan Taylor and Stuart Matsikenyeri gave Zimbabwe the perfect start, and Dion Ebrahim (71*) and Tatenda Taibu (46*) provided the final flourish as Zimbabwe tallied 252. With Pakistan struggling in reply, the much-maligned Younis came in and played a superb innings, taking singles at will and smashing the loose deliveries into the gaps. A huge six off Mluleki Nkala in the 46th over effectively ended the contest, even though Douglas Hondo had the consolation of yorking Yousuf Youhana, the stand-in captain, for just 14 (240 for 6).Afridi came in to bat with a runner, but that didn’t cramp his style, and a huge six over midwicket off Hondo sent the crowd into raptures. Pakistan eventually eased past the target with 11 deliveries to spare, but not before Younis, who had batted brilliantly for his 77, was needlessly run out after tapping the ball to Elton Chigumbura at mid-on.Panyangara had struck in the very first over, inducing Yasir Hameed to go after a perfectly pitched outswinger. Taibu pouched the edge, and Pakistan could reflect on another opening partnership gone wrong. Salman Butt, though, was soon into the groove, stroking a glorious straight drive off Hondo, and then creaming him through the covers thrice.Bazid Khan couldn’t match his fluency, and after pottering around for nine balls, he shuffled across to be hit high on the pad. Panyangara and the Zimbabweans went up, and Asad Rauf, the umpire, lifted his finger, though Hawk-Eye might have taken a more charitable view.Butt was in fine form, and had cruised to 30 at a run-a-ball when he played too early at a Panyangara delivery. The leading edge flew to Chigumbura at mid-on, and Pakistan were in real trouble. Fortunately for them, it didn’t get worse, with Mark Vermeulen grassing a chance low to his left at second slip after Malik had poked at one from Panyangara.Misbah-ul-Haq and Malik then took a heavy toll on Hondo, whose line was all over the place. A couple of powerful cuts, and flicks through the onside, increased the run rate, but Hondo persevered until Misbah (23) played back to one that took the edge through to Taibu (89 for 4).Younis, who had kept wicket instead of the rested Moin Khan, came in and provided the ideal foil for the more belligerent Malik. Both treated Prosper Utseya, who bowled another tidy spell, with respect, but pinched easy runs off the likes of Taylor and Matsikenyeri.Malik smashed Matsikenyeri for a six over midwicket, and with Younis also finding the gaps with ease, victory appeared a formality. The partnership had swelled to 114 when Malik (80) lofted one from Nkala in the direction of long-on where Matsikenyeri, who had fumbled on two previous occasions, took a stunning catch diving to his right (203 for 5).Zimbabwe had found runs hard to come by early on after being sent in by Youhana, and both Taylor and Matsikenyeri did well to survive a hostile spell from Mohammad Sami. While Iftikhar Anjum at the other end was tidy without being unduly threatening, Sami got steep bounce and consistently pushed the batsmen on to the back foot.Matsikenyeri got going with a powerful cut and a superb off-drive off Sami, and a deft flick over square leg off Anjum. Taylor, just 18, was circumspect in the initial exchanges, but once Sami was replaced by the gentler pace of Naved-ul-Hasan, he got into his stride with two gorgeous cover-drives.

Naved wasn’t spared by Matsikenyeri either, with 15 coming off one over. Having conceded just 36 in the first 12 overs, Pakistan had suddenly bled 30 from the next three. Malik and Afridi stemmed the tide somewhat, but after a hesitant start, the batsmen were brimming with confidence.That was to be Matsikenyeri’s undoing. Largely untroubled on his way to 41, he gave Afridi the charge and spanked one straight to Sami at long-on. Vusi Sibanda, who came in next, didn’t even face a ball, stranded up the pitch after Afridi had dived full length at short fine leg to stop a sweep from Taylor, and throw the ball to Malik at the bowler’s end (87 for 2).Taylor and Ebrahim batted with great discipline in the middle overs, picking up singles, and setting the stage for the final onslaught. Taylor’s assured 73 ended only when he smashed Naved straight to Youhana at mid-off (159 for 3). When Vermeulen was completely deceived by a Naved delivery that swung in to take out the off stump, it appeared that Pakistan might restored some sanity to proceedings.But Taibu and Ebrahim took charge with some brisk running between wickets and some innovative strokeplay. Taibu showcased his intent from the outset, pulling Anjum for six over square leg. The return of Sami into the attack didn’t deter him, with a hoick over midwicket adding to Pakistan’s frustration.Ebrahim was no slouch either, flicking Sami over square leg for four and then driving Naved – who went for a whopping 82 from 10 overs – through cover. But it was Taibu, with powerful shots emanating from that pint-sized frame, who applied the finishing touches, with a mighty six onto the roof of the temporary stand at square leg after Naved had persisted in dropping the ball short.For more than two-thirds of the reply, it looked like 252 might be enough. But Pakistan dug deep to ensure that Cinderella wouldn’t reach the ball.

Graeme Smith, the South African captain, will be given until the last possible moment to prove his fitness after suffering an injury scare on the eve of the second Test at Kolkata when a car ran over his left foot outside the team hotel in Kolkata.Smith, 24, had just got down from his car and was still standing close to the vehicle when the driver took off, running over Smith’s foot in the process. The South African team revealed that scans showed only soft tissue damage and no breaks, and they have refused to rule out Smith for the Test starting tomorrow. A decision will be made just before the toss.However, sources indicated that Smith was unlikely to take the field on the first day, and if South Africa bat, he would come in lower down the order.Smith’s absence through injury would weaken the South African batting line-up and balance considerably, although it would open a window of opportunity to Hashim Amla or Justin Ontong, who are on the fringes of selection. And, should Smith be ruled out of action, the vice-captain Boeta Dippenaar would take over the reins as captain.

Australian cricket can celebrate a couple of Aus$2 million men according to Business Review Weekly’s annual sporting rich-list. The captain Ricky Ponting may have missed matches because of injury and family illness in 2004, but it didn’t limit his earning as he pulled in an estimated $2.24m (US$1.69m) in contracts, match payments and sponsorship.Adam Gilchrist, the vice-captain, was second with Aus$2m (US$1.51m) while Shane Warne ($1.45m, US$1.09m), Matthew Hayden ($1.11m, US$840,000) and Glenn McGrath ($1.11m) also reached seven figures. Brett Lee has played only five days of Test cricket this year, but his marketing power pushed him to a reported $1.3m (US$1m), making him the game’s highest paid 12th man.The release of the list is poorly timed for the players as they begin a pay battle with Cricket Australia over the distribution of the board’s income. CA, who has paid them 25% of revenue since the first memorandum of understanding in 1997, want to reduce national contracts from 25 to 20 and convince the players to accept a standard annual fee so more money can be spent on the grassroots.Tim May, the Australian Cricketers Association chief executive, has presented the players’ view to CA and the issue needs to be settled by June. Current national contracts range from $140,000 to $500,000 and do not include match payments. Cricketers are well down the pay-list of Australian sports stars with Greg Norman (Aus$18m), Harry Kewell (Aus$15m) and Lleyton Hewitt (Aus$13.7m) filling the top three places.

It’s now almost certain that Gagandeep Singh and Shib Sankar Paul have to wait for another day to play Test cricket. Sourav Ganguly made it clear that India, despite a thumping innings-and-140-run win in the first Test at Dhaka, will play a full-strength team in the second Test starting at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong on Thursday. At the end of the first Test Ganguly had hinted that India might experiment a bit but things have obviously changed since then. “It’s difficult [to experiment], we hardly play about 10-12 Test matches a year,” said Ganguly. “Most of the guys who have been doing well for the team don’t want to sit out. At the end of the day, you miss Test matches and you don’t get to play too much during the year. On that point of view, it is very difficult to give rest to people if they don’t want it.”With two records being chalked up, Irfan Pathan taking his first Test ten-for, and Zaheer Khan racking up a joyous 75, it’s easy to see why none of the Indian cricketers want to miss out on a chance to put in a strong showing. For Bangladesh, though, the goals remain the same. Barring the loss of large chunks of time to bad weather, it is impossible to envision them staving off defeat against a strong opposition like India. Dav Whatmore, the Bangladesh coach, when asked for seemingly the 1000th time, whether Bangladesh were worried about the bad results they were notching up, said, “Whether you lose by an innings defeat or a bigger margin, that’s not our concern. We have got processes, little targets to achieve and that’s what we are going on. Things that we think we can achieve; I’m not interested in the result. You should know that by now.”In 33 Tests so far, Bangladesh have lost 30, and 19 of these by an innings. Whatmore revealed earlier that the team had different targets to other sides, and that these private goals had been written up and tacked onto a board in the dressing-room for the players to constantly remind themselves of the task on hand. The problem for them has been the lack of resistance, and giving the advantage away to the opposition early. But there’s still enough to play for to motivate the players, though that is not always the easiest task. “It’s not that easy sometimes, because the results haven’t been going our way,” said Whatmore. “We need to look outside of that and try and achieve other little goals. That’s really what we have been focusing on rather than result-orientated goals.”Bangladesh too may have to abandon earlier plans of resting a player. Tapash Baisya has been struggling with a back injury and may have to sit out the Chittagong Test. If Baisya, who underwent a fitness Test, is found to be unfit on Thursday morning, then either Talha Jubair or Mashrafe Mortaza, whom Bangladesh hoped to give a breather as he has just returned to international cricket after a gap of over a year, will have to play. Rajin Saleh, who bagged a pair at Dhaka, and Mushfiqur Rahman, whose military medium hardly troubled India’s batsmen, have been left out.Habibul Bashar, the Bangladesh captain, echoed Whatmore’s view that putting up a better fight was the key. “We couldn’t put up a fight in the last match,” he said. “Doing that will be our aim. Putting up a resistance will be our aim too. We couldn’t handle the new ball in the last match and doing that will be the key.”The pitch at the Bangabandhu Stadium, where the first Test was played, offered help to fast bowlers, spinners and batsmen, and won praise from all quarters. The two camps suggested that the pitch for the second Test would be a similar one, though it was impossible to verify this as the heightened security arrangements in Chittagong meant that journalists were not allowed onto the field even the day before the Test. A host of commandos, Kalashnikov sub-machine guns slung casually on their shoulders, ensured that the press were kept well at bay, barricaded into a section of the stands. “The wicket looks good, a bit damp,” said Ganguly. “The ball will seam around a bit. Obviously this place is hotter than Dhaka, so it may dry up a bit quicker.”But the way the pitch plays is not especially relevant. India hold all the aces – two world-class spinners, Pathan on fire, Zaheer in search of his 100th Test wicket, and a host of batsmen eager to make tall scores. Bangladesh, celebrating Victory Day on December 16, marking the liberation of their country from the occupation by Pakistani forces, are staring yet another defeat in the face.India (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 6 VVS Laxman, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Anil Kumble, 11 Zaheer Khan.Bangladesh (from) 1 Javed Omar, Nafis Iqbal, 3 Habibul Bashar (capt), 4 Mohammad Ashraful, 5 Khaled Mashud (wk), 6 Manjarul Islam Rana, 7 Mohammad Rafique, 8 Tapash Baisya, 9 Mashafe Mortaza, 10 Talha Jubair, 11 Nazmul Hossain, 12 Aftab Ahmed.

Craig Spearman has been added to the FICA World XI squad which will play three one-day matches against New Zealand later this month. Spearman replaces Andy Flower, who was named in the original squad but has since withdrawn. Spearman has played Tests and one-day internationals for New Zealand, but is now based in England and will become eligible to play for them at the end of 2005.Meanwhile, Michael Bevan, who was scheduled to play the last match of the series, has also been forced to withdraw after being named captain of the Prime Minister’s XI, which will take on the West Indians on January 25, a day before the game in New Zealand.Commenting on Bevan’s appointment as captain, Tim May, the chief executive of FICA, said: “Although we are disappointed to lose Michael’s services for game three in the series versus the Black Caps, we congratulate him on his selection to captain the Prime Minister’s XI. We have made a decision not to replace him as he was only appearing in the final match and Justin Langer’s arrival for that game will sufficiently bolster the squad.”The three matches will be played on January 22, 24 and 26, and proceeds from the games will go towards providing relief to the victims of the tsunami disaster which hit south Asia on December 26.

Sir Garfield Sobers, the West Indies legend, intends to assist the Scotland team for the 2007 World Cup, and help them make an impact on the tournament to be held in the Caribbean. Scotland participated in the 1999 World Cup in England and lost all five encounters against some of the best teams in the world.Sobers has invited Craig Wright’s side to participate in a new tournament, the Sir Garry Sobers Barbados League Championship, which will take place in September. And the Scots will be invited again the following year if they manage to qualify for the World Cup.Don Gooding, Sobers’s agent, said: “Garry really wants Scotland to come out to Barbados for his new tournament. He feels it would give the Scottish lads good exposure. The Scottish lads need to get used to the conditions in the Caribbean if they are to compete in the World Cup.”

Shane Warne’s successful return from a one-year drugs ban and England’s 2004 unbeaten streak have earned nominations for the 2005 Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award. The Laureus Awards are dubbed the “Oscars of Sport”, and the cricket representatives will line up alongside a cast including the golfer John Daly, England’s long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe, and the Italian Alessandro Zanardi, who returned to motor racing after losing both legs in a crash.Ian Botham, a Laureus World Sports Academy member, said Warne and England deserved the recognition. “Shane is simply the best legspinner in the world, he is an exceptional talent, a genuine matchwinner,” he said. “England were the only side in Test cricket to be unbeaten for the whole calendar year. That was a remarkable performance.”Warne was banned in February 2003 for taking a diuretic he claimed was given to him by his mother, but immediately made an impact once the suspension ended. Warne passed Muttiah Muralitharan’s world record in India, and finished 2004 with 75 wickets in 13 Tests.England, whose past results were a regular source of jokes for the rest of the cricket world, produced a stunning run of 11 wins in 12 Tests, including eight in a row, and registered series victories over West Indies (twice), New Zealand and South Africa. The winner of the 2005 award, which is voted for by sports journalists, will be announced in Portugal on May 16.

Amjad Khan, a former first-class cricketer from Kashmir, has represented the New York Region and USA National teams, and holds the record for the highest individual score in North America – In 1999, Khan scored 304 not out in a team total of 436 for 7 in a quarter-final game in the Northern California Cricket Association. He also won Man-of-the-Match awards playing for the USA against Barbados and Bermuda. This is his personal report on his recent tour of Hyderabad, India as captain of the USA Invitational XIAs I led the US Invitational XI onto the lush green Gymkhana Cricket ground in Hyderabad for pre-match warm up against the Hyderabad Under-25 team, on one side of the ground, I could see a bunch of young and energetic cricketers lined up and responding to the instructions of, "Golay kay neechay aao, golay kay neechay aao" (get underneath the ball, get underneath the ball).As I approached a familiar looking figure, I immediately recognised Mr Kaleemudin, who happened to be my coach some 20 years ago in Kashmir. Kaleemudin is a well-respected coach in Hyderabad and has helped the budding cricket nursery in the historic city over the last couple of decades After meeting with him, I felt right at home and proceeded to get down to the business of playing cricket against some quality sides in Hyderabad.The tour was organized by the Central East Zone of the United States Cricket Association (USACA) led by Khurram Syed and Syed Masood Chik from the American Cricket Conference. These two gentlemen, at the invitation of Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) vice-president, Ranga Reddy, and the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), put together a USA Invitational XI team composed of established and younger players from across the USA to tour Hyderabad.The team was originally supposed to be led by current USA vice-captain, Nasir Javed (Charlie), but he could not make the trip and I was given the honor of leading the side.The tour began with a royal welcome at the Hyderabad airport, where several officials from HCA were ready to garland each member of the squad. Several pressmen were ready with their cameras and microphones. As I saw this grand reception, my thoughts at once went to the expectations that must have been associated with our team’s performances and the quality of players we would be pitted against.Our first game was against the Hyderabad Under-25 team, led by Ranji Trophy player Quadri, at the Gymkhana ground. Quadri, a small man with supple wrists, reminded me of Azharuddin, as he dispatched balls over midwicket boundary with consummate ease. He top scored with 88 not out in a team total of 199 for 4. US Invitational XI responded well through contributions from young Duane Nathaniel, Rashid Afzal, Weekes and myself only to see us fall short by 20 runs in the end. Hitesh Patel bowled well taking two wickets.The opposition in the next six games included premier division teams such as the Water Works Division (led by former Indian left-arm spinner, Venkatpathy Raju), India Cements, Telangana, Combined District Association as well as Hyderabad Veterans, who had just won the South Zone veterans trophy.The overall record of the USA Invitational XI was as follows; played seven, won three, lost three and tied one (against Hyderabad Veterans)This was probably not a true reflection of our efforts. In hindsight, we could have won all the matches only if we had held on to the chances that came our way. Almost all the games went down to the wire, and our inexperience in tight finishes showed in the outcome. But far from the results, I feel that the team members had a tremendous experience of playing on good turf wickets against quality opposition.Overall, the performance was good, with few individuals showing their full capabilities. Allround performances from myself (241 runs and 6 wickets) and Jignesh Desai (209 runs and 8 wickets) led the way for our team. Also, Roy Weekes (183 runs), Amer Afzaludin (126 runs), Hitesh Patel (10 wickets) and young Duane Nathaniel (103 runs and 5 wickets) also chipped in with useful contributions. The younger players on the team, such as Amer Afzaluddin and Duane Nathaniel, turned in especially gratifying performances on their first international tour, and show promise of solid contributions to US cricket in the future.This was the first time that a USA team has ever toured India. We were all interested in knowing how we were going to be received. From the beginning, there were few doubts on this score. The media coverage and hospitality in Hyderabad was just tremendous.As a signal honour for the visitors, the USA Invitational XI became the first international team to play at the brand new state-of-the-art stadium at Uppal. The uniqueness of the event led a reporter from Aaj Tak, a premier news channel in India, to come to the new stadium at Uppal to cover our tour. Her first reaction was, "How come there are no whites on the US team"? I had to explain to her that a majority of the roughly 10,000 active players in the US were immigrants from the Caribbean islands and South Asia.Wherever the team went, during press conferences at the historic Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium, the correspondents from leading Indian dailies, such as the Times of India and The Hindu wanted to know about cricket in America. They wanted to know who the players were, who ran it, and how many leagues and players there were in the USA. We were overwhelmed by their friendly curiosity, and did our best to answer the millions of queries that were thrown at us.Due to the success of the tour and generous hospitality by the Hyderabad Cricket Association, it was decided on all sides that the tour of the USA Invitational XI would become an annual event. Thee next trip is already in the works for January 2006.At the same time, the Hyderabad Cricket Association will be sending a team to participate in the highly popular prize-money tournament, the Los Angeles Open, during the first week of July 2005.The top performers on the tour were as follows:Batting
1. Amjad Khan – 9, 27, 37, 31, 56, 32, 49 – Total 241 runs @ 34.42 runs
2. Jignesh Desai – 1, 59*, 1, 36, 7, 43, 62 – Total 209 runs @ 34.83 runs
3. Roy Weekes – 29, 38, 8, 66, 42, 0, 0 – Total 183 runs @ 26.14 runs
Bowling
1. Hitendra Patel – 2/38, 1/39, 1/35, 1/42, 1/37, 4 for 26 – Total 10 wickets
2. Jignesh Desai – 2/23, 1/32, 1/26, 1/14, 3 for 36 – Total 8 wickets
3. Amjad Khan – 1/1, 2/31, 1/17, 2/13 – Total 6 wickets

Zander de Bruyn is set to play his first match for Worcestershire when they face Middlesex at Lord’s next week.De Bruyn, the South African allrounder, will fly to England this week after competing for Titans in the final of the South African domestic 20-over competition. Titans’ match against the Warriors is on April 27, and de Bruyn will link up with Worcestershire two days later in time for their National League match on May 1 (Sunday).He has played three Tests for South Africa after earning his call-up at the age of 28 against India last year, where he stroked 83, his highest Test score to date. de Bruyn heads to New Road with a healthy first-class batting average of 44.18, while his medium-pacers are often effective in breaking partnerships or constricting batsmen.