For Pakistan, this time last year things could only get better. They were about to go to Australia where they were widely expected to be – and eventually were – brusquely walloped. But redemption dangled teasingly – and was tentatively snatched – thereafter, through a series against a stuttering India and the only other side in cricket with as spectacular an aptitude for implosion, fraction and in-fighting, the West Indies.Additionally, the home series against England, at the time, presented Pakistan with a legitimate opportunity to claim a rare home series win against worthy opponents. The claim acquired credibility due, in main, to the expected mauling England were to receive in the Ashes; after which, the theory was, they would crumble to a rejuvenated Pakistan.It says, then, as much about cricket as it does about its commentators that Pakistan now faces for the second time in a year the best team in the world. The only difference, of course, is although it was unarguable last year, there is some room for contention to that claim this time round.Not that it makes much difference to Inzamam-ul-Haq. At the pre-match press conference in his hometown, Inzamam was, as he is always, inscrutable and miserly with his thoughts. How big a challenge does England present? “It’s a very big challenge for us considering how well England have played in the last two years and how young our team is.”What of key players such as Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, men who, you imagine, induce significant queasiness in opposition? Both players were described as “exciting” and “had performed very well recently.” Ashley Giles, whose contribution five years ago became as vital as it went sly and unnoticed, was acknowledged as a very good bowler but, Inzamam added nonchalantly “if you are playing international cricket, you have to face good bowlers everywhere.” Michael Vaughan’s absence, which most people would reasonably claim to be potentially pivotal, was greeted without expression or feeling. “We have a little advantage because Vaughan is a very good batsman and captain. But we feel that the England team as a whole is very strong.”

Inzamam’s indifference to the opposition is, in a sense, not only admirable but sagacious. As ever, there is enough within his squad to suggest that as long as players perform as they can, a proper challenge can be posed. After first furnishing a query about key Pakistani players, predictably, by labeling them all equally important, he agreed that Danish Kaneria’s contribution might be more equal than others (intuitively, Woolmer pointed to Inzamam when the query about key players was put to the captain).”I think Danish will play a key role in the series. He has done really well for us over the last two years and I expect him to play a major part in this series.” In truth, he has done more than that, as 61 wickets in ten Tests against opposition good, great and clueless and, in eight instances, on foreign pitches, testifies. Certainly, from the last time England faced him, he will be unrecognisable, both in his bowling and importantly, his attitude, which has since purchased enviable poise and belief.Given the nature of the pitch – it looks as dry and grassless as it did when Virender Sehwag unveiled arguably the most raucously modern triple century – and Kaneria’s evolved role as shock and stock bowler, few would argue Inzamam’s assertion.But if spin has traditionally formed such an evocative and incendiary strand in the history between the two countries, then pace, particularly in the last decade has never been far behind. Here too there is good news for Pakistan as, for the first time since the departures of Wasim and Waqar, Pakistan have a full complement of first-choice fast bowlers to choose from.

Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s coach, said: “I hope it will be a big factor for us. Whatever combination we go in with we’re looking for the bowlers to work as a team and having all four fast bowlers fit, firing and at full throttle augurs well for Pakistan cricket.”Barring drama, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami are certain to open the bowling – only the fourth time they have done so together in over two years – and one of Shabbir Ahmed or Rana Naved-ul-Hasan will play. Given the former’s impressive Test credentials – and murky action – and the latter’s undoubted commitment – and poor Test record – neither choice will be easy or fair.It is at the other end of the line-up, however, where problems arise. As if nine opening combinations in their last ten Tests weren’t enough, they are likely to take on England’s pace attack with their tenth – Shoaib Malik and Salman Butt. Although Woolmer wouldn’t reveal the identity of the pair, he said, “What we’d like to do is to try out our two best young players up front and give them an opportunity to do well. I have every faith and confidence in them.” With 15 Tests between them – and Malik has only played one of them as an opener – that faith will be sternly tested.Undoubtedly, Pakistan have changed under Woolmer; many might argue they have progressed. Woolmer said, “I think the team has improved tremendously but our Test cricket still needs to improve. In the next three months we play six Tests and that will be good for us.” But they are yet to win a Test series and are still, as Woolmer acknowledges, slow starters.As a flimsy omen, the last time England won the Ashes and faced Pakistan, they were beaten home and away within six months. Pakistan travel to England next summer for a return series, and given England’s poor early tour form, expectations will be higher than they were in the immediate aftermath of the Ashes. But in a contest genuinely difficult to gauge, the last word should belong to Inzamam the phlegmatic: “Despite their poor start, both sides start on an even footing before the first Test.”

The ICC has launched a spirited defence of its handling of the Zimbabwe crisis in the light of recent criticism.In a joint statement made exclusively to Cricinfo, Ehsan Mani, the ICC’s president, and Malcolm Speed, the chief executive, said that it was understandable that there was disquiet over issues in Zimbabwe, adding: “These are concerns that are shared by the ICC.”They continued: “Strong opinions from many stakeholders have been expressed in opposition to the stance the ICC has taken on Zimbabwe. No doubt the ICC could become more popular with many more people if it adopted a more strident position against Zimbabwe but such a role would do little to find a solution to this complex issue.”The simplistic view expressed by some is that it is time for the ICC to roll up its sleeves, flex its muscles and get in and ‘fix it’ – although how this is to be achieved is left, not surprisingly, vague. In reality, if Zimbabwe is to reunite its fractured cricket community, the only lasting solution will come from within the Zimbabwe cricket community.”Speed and Mani went on to say that the ICC had repeatedly offered Zimbabwe’s stakeholders assistance but that its powers were limited. “The idea that the ICC can simply walk in and ‘take over’ one of our members is quite simply a nonsense.”In recent times, there have been threats of a players’ strike in Australia; complicated television issues that have cost the game millions of dollars and disputed Board elections in India; a players’ strike in New Zealand and the sacking and replacement of Boards by governments in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but no-one has seriously suggested that the ICC should unilaterally intervene to “fix it” in these cases and rightly so.”The ICC is well aware of the arguments against its stance and respects the rights of its stakeholders to take and express other opinions on the best way to resolve these difficult issues affecting Zimbabwe cricket.”What is more difficult to respect are the attempts by some people to link issues that are not joined, to use rhetoric ahead of reason, and to advance extreme positions at the expense of striking a balanced view. This may play well to their audience, attract media attention and perhaps give some people the public profile they crave but populism doesn’t equal progress.”The truth is that what is happening is Zimbabwe is of great concern to the ICC but those who are arguing for the unilateral intervention of the ICC without the support of all the stakeholders in the game are failing to properly understand the process that is needed to make progress or the challenges that cricket faces in Zimbabwe.”The statement concluded by saying that the ICC was monitoring developments inside Zimbabwe and “has made its concerns clear to the sport’s stakeholders in Zimbabwe as well as the risks that are being run if they fail to find a solution.”No doubt the ICC’s policy on this issue will continue to attract much criticism, but it is a policy which in the ICC’s judgment provides the greatest opportunity for cricket in Zimbabwe to survive the crisis it currently faces.”Click here to send us your feedback on this statement

A few things have changed in Pakistan since India toured last: the national coach, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi. The PCB will hope, however, that one more feature which dominated the last contest – that of the pitifully sparse crowds that pockmarked Test match venues in March and April 2004 – will also undergo a transformation.India’s euphoric 2-1 series triumphtwo years ago was accompanied bizarrely by near-vacant stadiums in Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi. At the time, the trend sparked debate about dwindling Test match attendances in Pakistan and how it can be combated. The PCB responded by making a large percentage of the entire seating in stadiums for Test matches absolutely free, a policy that paid dividends against England and one set to continue against India.Pakistan’s series win against England, for the first time since 1996, attracted decent-sized crowds for Test matches. Multan and Lahore, where Pakistan won, averaged between nine and ten thousand spectators daily – by recent standards almost a stampede – while Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad was packed to a capacity of nearly 15,000 every day. The PCB made 70% of all tickets free and they are set to continue the policy through the India series.A PCB official told Cricinfo: “Approximately 50% of all seating is free in this series. Upon showing their ID cards people can pick up tickets for Tests from various outlets. The response from people has been really good so far. Already about 10,000 tickets have been distributed.”He added: “The last time India visited several factors worked against it. One, holding the ODIs before the Tests backfired. People were exhausted by the time the Tests came along. Also, the weather conditions didn’t help – it was very hot then and I think people would still prefer to come when it is cooler rather than the other way round. Finally security was so tight at the time and so much had been made out of it that a lot of people were just put off by coming to grounds.”Suhael Ahmed, a ticket marketer handling the PCB’s online ticket sales for the series, is also expecting bigger crowds this time round for the Tests. He said: “In only three days we have sold 2000 tickets online and a significant number are for the Lahore Test so in that sense sales have been fantastic. There should be better crowds this time primarily because of the tickets and also because of the timing of the series. The first Test starts at the end of a holiday season for schools but coincides with Eid and a weekend so there should be more people present at the ground than last time.”Pricing for the remaining enclosures remain the same as in the England series, ranging from a daily Rs 50 ticket (Rs 200 for all five days) to Rs 100 (Rs 400 for all five days). Prices for the ODIs, however, have been increased, in anticipation no doubt of even greater demand than against England. If crowds do turn up, then we might even have a more memorable series on our hands than two years ago.

Half-centuries by Devon Smith and Craig Emmanuel led a strong reply by the Windward Islands as they ended the third day on 180 for 3 in reply to Barbados’s 365.Resuming on 14 for no loss, Smith and Romel Currency added another 47 runs before Ryan Austin took the first wicket, that off Currency for 25 (61 for 1). Emmanuel and Smith added 60 runs as Windward Islands made steady progress towards gaining first-innings points. Both Smith and Emmanuel were lucky as Barbados grassed several chances. Austin once again provided the breakthrough, bowling Smith for 55.Several overs were lost to rain but Emmanuel remained unbeaten on 51 and had added useful runs with Hyron Shallow, who was run out for 18, and Sergio Fedee (16 not out). Windwards need 186 runs to claim first-innings points and have seven wickets in hand.

ScorecardMatch packageBulletin – Yuvraj and Dhoni clinch the win
Ind view – Chasing perfection
Pak view – The thin red line
On the Ball – Conquering the conditions
Stats – Razzaq’s double and Yousuf’s struggle
Quotes – ‘Special’ Tendulkar a treat to watch, says Dravid
Quotes – ‘Dhoni’s innings was the turning point’ – Inzamam
News – Sami to join Pakistan squad
Gallery – India canter to five-wicket win
Match previewPreview – Pakistan dented by Shoaib’s absence
News – Sehwag and Harbhajan to return home
Javagal Srinath – Sreesanth passes with flying colours
News – Three injured in crowd stampede

Australia are still unsure whether they will have the services of Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds for the third one-day international against South Africa, at Port Elizabeth, on Sunday. The pair have undergone a vigorous workout in the nets, but a decision on their availability won’t be made until the morning as Australia aim for a win to keep themselves in the series.Ponting is recovering from the stomach muscle injury he sustained before the opening match, while Symonds has been troubled by a hip problem since arriving in South Africa. However, according to Errol Alcott, the Australia physio, both are making encouraging progress.The absence of the star pair has given Australia a number of problems in the opening two matches, both of which have been lost convincingly. Filling the No. 3 position is proving tough, with Phil Jaques falling for a duck at Cape Town on Friday night.Meanwhile, Symonds is leaving a hole in both the batting and bowling departments, while the team has missed the buzz he creates in the field. Adam Gilchrist has found filling gap as the fifth and sixth bowler a difficult task, especially with the back-up seamers not providing control.

As exclusively reported by Cricinfo last week, Matabeleland’s major club sides have confirmed that they have pulled out of the provincial association in a direct protest against the way that Zimbabwe Cricket is being run by Peter Chingoka, the chairman, and Ozias Bvute, the managing director.Matabeleland is the major province in Zimbabwe and has been responsible for producing many of their major players, including Heath Streak, their former captain who quit international cricket last autumn.”This is in response to the continual mismanagement of cricket administered in Zimbabwe by Chingoka and Bvute and the present interim SRC committee,” read the statement signed by Collin Williams, a former Matabeleland player and father of Sean, the Under-19 captain.It was also reported that the clubs were holding discussions with a number of clubs sides in Harare who last year split from their own association, Mashonaland. They withdrew their support for ZC some time ago.The next step will be for the Matabeleland clubs to write to their players and inform them of the decision. Those individuals under contract to ZC will probably have to move to clubs affiliated to the board, but the standard of cricket in those is likely to be poor as ZImbabwe’s player base is so eroded.

Bermuda 143 for 5 (Romaine 59, Cann 35*) beat England 138 for 5 (Lloyd 46*) by five runsBermuda sent a sizable crowd into raptures with a five-run win over England that sent the hosts into the final of the 20-20 World Cricket Classic after they had seemed to be on course for defeat.Bermuda won the toss but soon struggled as they were reduced to 21 for 3 after five overs as Phil Defreitas and Chris Lewis put a stranglehold on the top order.But Irvine Romaine flayed the attack with 59, including four sixes, and supported by Lionel Cann, out on a vital 47 for the sixth wicket. Cann was caught at third man off a no-ball early on, and was then bowled by Lewis off the free hit which follows every no-ball.England looked well set, and raced to 37 for 0 off three overs before the introduction of Dwayne Leverock and Hasan Durham stemmed the flow. With five overs remaining, England needed 46, and Graham Lloyd improvised with skill to keep them in the chase. They required 14 off the final over, and when Lloyd smashed Cann’s first ball for six, the 4000-strong crowd feared the worst. But Cann stayed calm, and Lloyd failed to hit the last ball for the six by then needed, triggered a pitch invasion by jubilant supporters.Bermuda will play either New Zealand or South Africa in the final.West Indies 136 for 3 (Williams 66) beat India 135 for 9 (Chauhan 60, Garner 3-17) by seven wicketsWest Indies did all they could to throw away a place in the final after seemingly choking within sight of victory, but in the end they stumbled over the finishing line.When Stuart Williams was run out for 66, West Indies only needed 19 off 18 balls with wickets to spare. But India stifled Thelston Payne and Carlisle Best so well that they took 12 runs off the next 12 balls, and then lost Payne to the first delivery of the final over. When Best failed to score off the third and fourth balls, India sensed a remarkable win, but Best came good to smack the last two balls for fours to put his side through to the Plate final and send India out of the tournament.India failed to score enough runs, losing five wickets for 50 midway through the innings as Hendy Bryan, Colin Croft and Joel Garner held sway. Only Rajesh Chauhan made any major contribution, slamming four fours and three sixes off only 48 balls while Kuruvilla Abey hit a brisk 22 off 18 balls at the death.Garner, making his first appearance, was the pick of the West Indies bowling with impressive figures of 3 for 17 off four overs, while Croft and Bryan picked up two apiece.

Martin Suji, the Kenya all-rounder, has undergone knee surgery as he fights to regain fitness for the World Cup in the West Indies in 2007.Suji, 35, has played in the last three World Cups but has spent four months on the sidelines after tearing ligaments in his knee. He missed Kenya’s tour of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in February and March but, after rehabilitation, is expected to resume training with the Kenya squad in a month’s time”I expect to be make a quick recovery,” said Suji. “I will know my exact position whether to resume full training in the next four weeks.”

Samir Inamdar, the Cricket Kenya chairman, has announced that a tournament involving Kenya A, Uganda, Tanzania and a Coast XI will be held in Mombasa in June.The week-long event, called the Atul Shah Memorial Cup is named after the former Uganda and East Africa wicketkeeper who died last November and is being sponsored by his family.The four teams will play each other on a round-robin basis and then the top two play off in a final and the third and fourth-placed sides in a plate final. All games will be played on turf at the excellent Mombasa Sports Club and Coast Gymkhana grounds.Itinerary
Tue Jun 6 – Teams arrive in MombasaWed Jun 7 – First round Thu Jun 8 – Second roundSat Jun 10 – Third round Sun Jun 11 – Finals and Plate eventMon Jun 12 – Teams depart