Millennium Sport

Dhyan Chand (India) 1905-79

Dhyan Chand brought oriental wizardry and astonishing goal-scoring ability to field hockey, a sport ideally suited to quick reflexes and supple wrists of sportsmen on the Indian subcontinent. Lightly-built and quick on his feet, Chand was the greatest player of his era and nobody has subsequently matched his scoring feats. From the centre-forward position Chand scored 133 goals on India's 1932 world tour and 201 in 43 games during a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1935. He led India to successive Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936, scoring six goals in India's 8-1 win over Germany in the 1936 Berlin final. Four years earlier at the 1932 Los Angeles Games, Chand and his brother Roop Singh scored 18 goals between them as India defeated the United States 24-1. Denied further glory by World War II, Chand later enjoyed a distinguished career as an administrator and coach.

Katarina Witt (E.Germany) 1965

Glamour, artistry and the photogenic good looks of a film star made Katarina Witt a most uncharacteristic representative of the dour East German sporting machine of the 1980s. Witt dazzled the crowds and charmed the judges en route to successive figure skating gold medals at the 1984 Sarajevo and 1988 Calgary Olympics. She also picked up four world and six European titles. In 1984 Witt, then 18, edged American Roz Summers for the Olympic title and won again against another American Debi Thomas in Calgary in a memorable competition at which both women skated to the fiery music of Bizet's "Carmen". Witt turned professional before returning to compete for a united Germany at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. She finished seventh but provided indelible memories with a routine set to the anti-war song "Where have all the flowers gone?", a tribute to the war-torn city of Sarajevo where she had triumphed 10 years earlier.

The real steal

By Hugh McIlvanney

We all know that scoring fights is a subjective exercise but awarding Evander Holyfield points for landing with his face was surely carrying independence of opinion a little too far. It was only by applying that principle that Eugenia (Jean) Williams, who is bidding to become the most notorious judge in boxing's long history of malodorous decisions, could have justified making Holyfield the winner of the fifth round in his heavy-weight title showdown with Lennox Lewis at Madison Square Garden. She has since claimed that she was handicapped by an obscured view of the action over those three minutes but if she had been obliged to rely on photographs from a spy satellite her interpretation would still be unforgivable.

Amid the flurry of investigations launched by United States legal authorities after the championship contest was ludicrously scored as a draw, Williams knows that, at best, she is suspected of going to ringside with the mental equivalent of a blindfold and at worst of qualifying for a robber's mask. Presenting herself as a pillar of integrity is not made easier by the fact that a Grand Jury is already probing allegations of corruption involving Bobby Lee, president of the International Boxing Federation, the New Jersey-based organization that nominated her for judging duties. Should the rematch that has been ordered become a reality, even Don King would not have the nerve to invite her to pencil the date into her employment schedule.

The miracle of distortion that caused Williams to complete her night's work with Holyfield in front by 115 points to 113 was obviously a heinous and crucial contribution to the injustice inflicted on Lewis but the card handed in by the experienced and respected British judge, Larry O'Connell, was only marginally less astonishing. apart from the fifth round, in which Holyfield was battered so significantly that many criticised Lewis for failing to terminate the American's resistance there and then, O'Connell's assessment of the exchanges corresponded with that of Williams, which is anything but an endorsement of its rationality .

He scored the other 11 rounds 106-105 in favour of Holyfield, while her figures were 105-104. The inevitable implication of that nonsense is that, if Lewis had merely shared the final round on O'Connell's reckoning, instead of winning it in the eyes of all three judges, he would have been declared the loser of a fight that the overwhelming majority of witnesses felt he had won by a wide margin. Since the draw was enough to provoke an unprecedented furore of protest right across America, it is impossible to imagine the scale of the reaction that would have been created by the ultimate lunacy (or criminality) of giving the verdict to Holyfield

Larry Merchant, boxing analyst for HBO, the US cable television company who put up more than $ 20m for the pay-per-view rights in the promotion, was still marvelling at the depth of indignation stirred among his fellow countrymen by the abuse of a foreign fighter who previously evoked a barely lukewarm response from the American public. "I have never known anything like this nationwide antagonism towards a decision that benefited one of our own guys," he told me. "From all over the country there are reports of people who gathered at parties held to watch the fight, or in bars that were showing it, and then walked out in disgust when the result was announced.

I must have done 50 interviews with radio stations everywhere from the southeastern states to Seattle and the unanimity of the reaction is amazing. Even in Atlanta, Evander's home town, there had been wholesale condemnation of the result.

"For me there is something heartwarming about the national attitude because there is no question that Lewis was robbed, I had him winning the fight by nine rounds to three. So did Ed Schuyler of Associated Press, who has probably covered as many major fights as any reporter in the past couple of decades. On ESPN, the television sports channel here, they had Lewis ahead by 11 to one. I can only think that Larry O'Connell got himself in a mess by leaning over backwards to be fair. Jean William's card was ridiculous and her explanation of her marking of the fifth round wasn't convincing. Nobody could complain about the third judge, Stanley Christodoulou from South Africa. He wasn't overgenerous to Lewis when he had him in front by seven rounds to four, with one even".

My own scorecard showed 8-4 in favour of Lewis, with a note against the sixth indicating that a sharing of the points would have been acceptable. The tiny minority of unofficial judges who agreed with O'Connell that a draw was the proper outcome would make interesting companions at a viewing of the videotape of the fight.

I seriously doubt if they could sit through a replay of the 12 rounds and insist at the end that Holyfield deserved to hold on to his WBA and IBF titles - or, even more bizarrely, that it made sense for him to be poised to grab Lewis's WBC championship as the fighters entered the last three minutes of the conflict.

For once, talk about the subjectivity of the scoring process has little relevance because Lewis-Holyfield was a remarkably easy fight to score. Its defining characteristic was the ability of Lewis to use his advantages in height, reach and bodily strength to keep his opponent at long range. When two men spend most of a contest locked in a hectic close quarters struggle, monitoring the comparative volume and effectiveness of their punching can be nightmarishly difficult. The problem is considerably reduced when they operate sporadically and mainly at distance, which was the pattern imposed by Lewis's successful strategy at the Garden. Most of the time, Holyfield was a figure of abject frustration, held at bay by Lewis's left jab and by his unusually varied application of his right hand. The 36-year-old double champion had intended to move swiftly inside the younger man's long arms to release bursts of blasting hooks. But only once during the first half of the fight did he enjoy any worthwhile success of that kind, and although the surge of attacking won him the third round it never threatened to fulfill his prediction of finishing the argument in that session.

Soon Lewis was picking him off again with judicious and punishing blows, leaving Holyfield circling impotently like an old lion subdued by the chair and the whip. Those who scored for him in such phases must have been granting him points for facial expression. It is sensible to put scant reliance on a purely statistical analysis of a fight. Totals of punches thrown and landed provide an always inadequate, and sometimes downright misleading impression of what went on in the ring. They cannot possibly convey an accurate sense of the quality of the punches delivered, and generally are best ignored. But Lewis-Holyfield was that rare occasion when the stats sheet was of some interest, simply because it emphasised just how often and for how long Holyfield was frustrated into a condition of absorbent passivity. There were six of the 12 rounds in which he landed fewer than 10 blows and no amount of skepticism about punch-counts can obscure the importance of that paucity of aggression.

The sums confirmed what spectators who accepted the testimony of their eyes already knew, that for substantial stretches of the fight Lewis was thoroughly in control, shaping the rounds with an authority that may have been rather passionless and professorial for many tastes but was none the less unquestionable. His approach was not conducive to heart-stopping excitement but it did a job on Holyfield. Perhaps the hero of the large British contingent among the crowd of more than 21,000 that brought an electric atmosphere to the Garden was excessively cautious once he had pounded Holyfield close to helplessness in the fifth. But Lewis's subsequent instance that he saw no virtue in taking risks against an adversary famous for explosive revivals was entirely understandable. On the biggest night of his life, his game plan was working smoothly, he was coasting clear and he was entitled to expect less spectacular perversity than two of the judges were to produce.

A partial recurrence of the languor that has often flawed Lewis's performances in the past allowed Holyfield to reassert himself sufficiently to edge three of the four rounds between the eighth and the 11th but there was no hint of dangerous conviction about the way he did it. In fact, Holyfield was looking increasingly decrepit by the minute, as if all the wars he has been through were settling a terminal weariness on his shoulders, and when Lewis went up a gear in the 12th the re-establishing of superiority was effortless.

As the last bell sounded, nobody could blame him for behaving like a man who had just unified the heavyweight championship. Maybe, as the scores were tallied, someone should have reminded him of Mark Antony's line: "O judgement, thou art fled to brutish beasts. And men have lost their reason!" In this case, the woman was even worse.

Cricket booms in Afghanistan

Mohammad Shafiq Masood dances from his crease and slams the ball back over the head of Jalalabad strike bowler Jalal Hussein for six.

Shafiq, 21, who bats at number three for Kabul, throws his fist in the air. He says he wants to bat like the Australian and Pakistan greats, former captains Mark Taylor and Imran Khan.

In perhaps the most unlikely of countries - Afghanistan - cricket is booming. Local authorities say there are now more than 150 teams, and plans are under way to push Afghan cricketers into the international arena.

Taliban Sports Minister Abdul Shokour Mutmaen said the 28 provinces now under the militia's control have initiated a league, each fielding up to 10 teams.

There are seven in Kabul, where an unlikely mix of Islamic zeal and weekend games played in the backyard has recruited Afghan baby boomers to the sport.

Cricket has always been played in Afghanistan, but recent growth was due largely to the four million Afghan refugees who fled to neighbouring Pakistan during the 1978-89 occupation by the former Soviet Union, and the civil war which followed.

Beyond the border posts at the Kyber Pass it is a short ride to Peshawar, where Taylor etched his name in the history books with a test triple century against Pakistan last year.

"They learnt the game there as refugees. Many were then repatriated and they imported the game," Mutmaen said.

Locals say the game's popularity has also been helped by a deliberate baby-boom in the 1980s and 1990s.

According to Nancy Dupree of the Afghanistan resource and information centre, the birth rate among Afghan woman was 9.3 children by 1978, and rose to 13.6 for each woman in the refugee camps over the next 20 years.

"So many men were begin killed in battle... that women wanted to have as many children as possible. This was considered an appropriate way for women to contribute to the Jihad (holy war)," Dupree says.

The baby boom has translated into thousands of young cricketers, who compete with soccer players for space on Kabul's few sports fields.

Decent bats and basic pads are rare, and helmets are a ridiculously expensive indulgence, but this does not stop Jalalabad's Hussein from pitching a short delivery that bounces head-high off a dry, dirt pitch.

Shafiq fends off the short delivery before complaining about a lack of equipment.

"We are desperate for equipment. The right bats and pads cost a lot of money and we simply haven't got it," he says.

Mutmaen is plotting a strategy designed to resolve such problems and incorporate Afghan cricket with the rest of the world.

The Afghanistan National Cricket Federation has been established, and Mutmaen says he wants the body registered with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

This would enable Afghanistan to play friendly international - England, Pakistan and Australia are touted as priorities.

"We have already organised a national squad, we are currently going through the selection process, and we want to be registered with the right international authorities," Mutaen says.

"The ICC have a reputation of heavily promoting the game in other countries and we have approached them, but so far we have not heard back.

"After six years of civil war, the ruling Taliban has gained control of about 80 percent of Afghanistan, while the opposition holds four provinces in the remote north east.

But analysts say that, until the war is over, Afghan sport officials will have difficulty gaining acceptance from the international community.

In the meantime, Shafiq's side is attempting to organise a series against Embassy XIs in diplomatic circles in Islamabad next year.

"We're looking at Pakistan, Australia, Britain, India, and the West Indies," he said. "And I think we will do okay."

(Reuter)

Laker the destroyer

By Simon Wilde

Shortly after 5.30pm on Tuesday, July 31, 1956, a crowd gath- ered beneath the England balcony at Old Trafford, Manchester, waiting for a glimpse of the man of the hour. For a day of history-making, it was a small gathering, but weatherwise this was a benighted summer. Inside the dressing room the champagne, primed for the moment the Ashes were retained, was being uncorked.

Not for the first time that day, Jim Laker judged the situation to perfection. Passing on the champagne, he filled his glass with Lucozade, who were sponsoring him that year. Only then did he go on to the balcony to salute the public. He had turned a nation's thoughts, however briefly, from the crisis in Suez that had broken five days earlier.

Laker came late to sporting immortality. He was 34 and had spent years chafing at life as a downtrodden professional. Some said it sullied his character. Certainly it instilled a sense of his own worth. His fee for playing in this Test match was just £75. He would now make another £1,000 from newspaper articles and other spin-offs; and the greatest bowling performance in history would swell his benefit fund to £11,000.

The celebrations were brief, for the players had fixtures to fulfil, but one of his teammates had changed and left in the time it took Laker to wave from the balcony, pose for photographs and return. Of the 20 Australian wickets to fall, Tony Lock had taken only one to Laker's 19. ''Nobody felt more humiliated than he did,'' Sir Colin Cowdrey recalled. Laker and Lock had to get back to London that night. Surrey were to play the Australians the next day, but there was no question of them travelling together.

Of all the contributory factors to Laker's extraordinary feat, the failure of temperament by his spinning partner was the most significant. Ian Johnson's Australians were not a vintage outfit, nor were they versed in dealing with high-class off-spin, and they rightly suspected that the pitch was tailored to beggar their chances. Lock should have capitalized on these things.

This was no ordinary pair of spinners. Except in their fierce desire for wickets, Laker and Lock were different characters. Laker was self-effacing but self-assured, proud and highly gifted. Born in Yorkshire but rootless after the war, he cultivated his talents with Surrey at The Oval. He spun the ball like a top (Richie Benaud said it could be heard buzzing through the air), possessed wonderful control and had a cool brain.

Lock, his junior by seven years, was as rough at the edges as Laker was smooth. A country boy from Limpsfield, he was eager to make his presence felt among the sharp metropolitans. First impressions were that he would not amount to much as a bowler. It was only after remodelling his action that he did more than roll his left-armers, but there were mutterings about legitimacy and Laker, seeing his ally turn the ball even more than himself, was among the sceptics. "He (Lock) projected himself definitely from his natural self, which cut across the grain with some people,'' Micky Stewart, a Surrey colleague, remembered. "Lockie tried to cultivate the social niceties but didn't have the ability. Jim made him ill at ease. He might have got up Lockie's nose at times."

Whatever their differences, Laker and Lock enjoyed great success together for county and country. Although Laker was not an automatic selection for England — off-spin had been out of fashion and he did not endear himself to the game's establishment — it was recognized that he posed a threat to the 1956 Australians and from the outset had smothered them with his science.

In Surrey's first match against them in May, he became the first English bowler for three-quarters of a century to take all 10 for 88 against an Australian side and in the three preceding Tests took 20 wickets, 11 of them on a dry, dusty surface in the previous game at Leeds, where England had levelled the series.

Lock also played his part. He was displeased that a catch was deliberately dropped off him to enable Laker to take all 10, but two days before the third Test Lock emulated this rare feat against Kent. His 10 for 54 left him well placed to collect a £100 prize for the season's best figures. On a turning pitch, the Australians looked nervous and impetuous and there was a feeling that England's spinners could expose them further.

The day before the game, Bert Flack, the Old Trafford groundsman, was tending to his square when he was approached by a group including Gubby Allen, the chairman of the England selectors. Rain played havoc with his preparations and the marl was not properly bound into the surface. Things were about to get worse.

For 40 years, until Allen and Laker were dead, Flack kept secret details of the conversation that followed. Allen, taking his first look at the pitch, asked for more grass to be removed. Flack was indignant: "That's stupid. The match won't last three days. The surface is not all that well-knit.'' But he did as requested, before hastily putting on the covers. Asked by England players why the pitch was covered, Flack curtly replied: ''We are expecting rain," before scurrying away. It was a bright afternoon.

With a subtly different account, Allen, who would have known that it was permissible only for the ground authority to involve itself in pitch preparation, always denied skullduggery. He claimed the idea of taking off more grass came from the chairman of the grounds committee. ''It wouldn't break my heart,'' was Allen's supposed reply, ''but ask the groundsman, not me.'' But the Australians were never in doubt: he had been up to mischief.

They were thus disillusioned from the outset, especially after Peter May won the toss. England spent four sessions amassing 459, with the Rev David Sheppard making a fine hundred in his first Test since his ordination. The pitch infuriatingly lifeless for Keith Miller and Ray Lindwall, turned on the first day, but Johnson, with his off-spin, and Benaud, bowling leg-breaks, failed to take advantage.

At first, Australia prospered. The roller had subdued the turf and Colin McDonald and Jimmy Burke saw off Brian Statham and Trevor Bailey with the new ball. Then, after 40 minutes, battle was engaged in earnest; Laker and Lock came on.

For half an hour nothing much happened, so May switched them around, Laker taking over the Stretford End from which he would claim all his wickets. Soon, Laker made the breach. Coming over the wicket, his flight unsettled McDonald, who feathered a catch to Lock in the leg trap. Better was to follow. Immediately, Laker added the prize wicket of the left-handed Neil Harvey, who had led the resistance at Leeds and had had the better of him in the past.

Laker was delighted: "I managed to bowl him a beauty first ball. From around the wicket, I held it back sufficiently for the ball to drift in and around the leg and middle stumps. It turned just enough to clip his off stump.'' Harvey gave the pitch a withering stare. Of all his wickets, Laker treasured this most.

He felt it marked a turning point, though Lock, understandably, made special claim for removing Bruce, who pushed the first ball after tea to slip. Bruce had coped well but, incredibly, Australia's innings would be over within eight overs. Unfortunately for Lock, the last seven wickets all fell to Laker in 22 balls.

This sensational collapse paved the way for the historic feat. The Australians tried to hit Laker off his length, with the result that they were in thrall to him thereafter. Lock, witnessing the carnage and knowing conditions could not be better, drew impatient to get in on the act. But if the Australians and Lock stopped using their brains, Laker, to his eternal glory, continued to use his.

Chillingly calm, he dropped ball after ball on the spot. Round the wicket to the right-hander, he looked to curve or float the ball, before turning it into the batsman and towards an array of close-up leg-side fielders. ''We could get in close,'' said Alan Oakman, who held five catches, ''because Jim was so accurate.'' What was the best response? The forward prod, bat tucked behind front pad, had yet to be invented; anyone looking to get down the pitch would be forced back as Laker quickened his pace.

Australia subsided from 48 for no wicket to 84 all out, and Laker took nine for 37, all nine in eight overs. His figures were the best in Ashes history but survived as such for four days. Before batting again, Johnson unconvincingly tried to persuade his side they could still save the game. Miller, momentarily detaching himself from the race form said: "Bet you 6-4 we can't.' The Australian captain did not believe it either. Asked by Flack which roller he wanted, he replied: "Please your effing self.''

For the second time that afternoon, McDonald and Bruce gave their side solid start, before luck again favoured England. McDonald retired with knee trouble and Harvey drove his first ball straight to Cowdrey at short mid wicket — Laker, trying too hard, had served him a full toss; Uttering a cry of despair, Harvey tossed his bat high: he had collected a pair in little more than an hour. Australia closed on 53 for one.

That Friday evening, Laker was joined by his wife Lilly. He met her at Warrington station, trailed by photographers. "Good lord,'' she said, unaware of events at Old Trafford, ''what on earth have you been up to?'' She stayed until Sunday evening; both could regret she did not remain another 48 hours.

Had the Manchester weather held, Mrs. Laker might have witnessed a conclusion, but that night a storm broke. Play was confined to 45 minutes on Saturday, during which Australia scored six and Burke provided Laker with his 11th wicket. The pitch, uncovered during scheduled hours, was now wet and altered in character but it remained a hot topic.

The shortage of play served only to fuel press debate. On Sunday, the rest day, Shepherd kept a preaching date at Northampton. After the service, several local cricketers came to the vicarage. ''How bad is the wicket?" they asked. ''Certainly not that bad," Shepherd replied. "An English county side would have struggled on and made 200 or 250." To Shepherd's embarrassment, he found the remark splashed over a national newspaper next morning.

The atrocious conditions threatened to deny England victory. It allowed less than an hour's play on Monday and deadened the pitch. Laker was even taken off, and although the weather improved on the last day McDonald, fit again, and Craig battled through the first session. They had been together for four hours and England were getting desperate.

Laker lunched alone in the dressing room and was reinvigorated. ''As I gazed out towards the Derbyshire hills," he said, ''the clouds began to disappear and the sun broke through." This was what England needed. As the turf dried, the ball began to spin.

It was on this final afternoon that Lock was most culpable. "Some said he was bowling so well that the Australians could not get a touch,'' said Laker.

"He wasn't bowling well; he was pushing them through too quick, tending to be a bit short." Bailey was more scathing: "Lock bowled badly and got upset. Laker was getting all the wickets. The more annoyed Lock got, the faster he bowled. It was a wicket which took spin if you did not bowl too fast.''

Oakman does not remember him having a catch dropped, a stumping missed, or a word to say, "He could sulk a bit."

Laker, meanwhile, had embarked on another devastating spell. In quick succession he removed the stubborn Craig, Mackay, Miller and Ron Archer in nine overs for three runs, to leave Australia 130 for six. But then Benaud stayed until tea and May was obliged to juggle his bowlers. Laker and Lock were restored to their favoured ends and, after tea, the ball turned more sharply.

With his second ball after the interval, Laker finally induced an error from McDonald, who, after five and a half hours of intense concentration, became another victim to the leg trap The tail indulged in every time wasting tactic in the book but, amid rising tension, Benaud, Lindwall and then, to a rousing cheer, Len Maddocks fell in turn to Laker. Johnson was the first to congratulate him.

Although England won with an hour to spare, it was a close-run thing. They were dependent on their spinners to finish the job and both were tiring. Lock sent down 69 overs in the match, Laker 68. Had there been less urgency, doubtless efforts would have been made to help Laker to complete Test cricket's first all-10 (the second was achieved by Anil Kumble of India, in February). But contrivance was out of the question. Laker walked off, sweater flung over shoulder, showing so little emotion that the enormity of what he had achieved cannot have sunk in.

John Arlott's BBC radio commentary captured the final scene: "Now, here's the avenue forming up for Laker there as May pushes him ahead to go in first into the pavilion. All the members standing, waving their score cards, standing up on the balcony, leaning down and applauding him, as he runs up the pavilion steps in through that crowd and is followed into the pavilion. And there's friends of mine who said they weren't going to come today, they thought it might rain. Well, I admit it did look as if it was going to rain. They missed a very great piece of bowling.''

It was Lindwall's wicket that provided the record: previously, nobody had taken more than 17 wickets in a first-class match. Again, there was little fuss. It fell to the unfortunate Lock to complete the catch, he just folded his arms. Sydney Barnes, the previous Test record-holder, was at the ground, his usual gruff self: ''No bugger ever got all 10 when I was at t'other end.''

"Well bowled, Tony,'' May said to Lock. ''Forget the scorebook. You played your part, too.'' But Lock found it hard to forget the scorebook. For one thing, Laker had taken 10 for 53, one run cheaper than Lock's return against Kent. On top of everything else, Laker had deprived him of £100..

Laker's name became famous overnight but, with television less pervasive, his face took longer to become familiar. On the drive home, he stopped to eat at a pub in Lichfield where in the crowded bar, a tiny black and white television set was showing highlights of the day's play. He went unrecognized. It was the small hours before he got home, but waiting up for him were his family — and photographers.

After little sleep, he must have been grateful that play was washed out at The Oval. Lancashire's groundsman was also thankful for a quiet day. "Thank God Nasser has taken over the Suez Canal,'' he reflected. "Otherwise, I'd be plastered over every front page like Marilyn Monroe." In fact, Laker's bowling was so stupendous the pitch controversy was forgotten by Englishmen, if not Australians.

World scene...

Australia wants fewer test matches, better refs

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) will push for fewer test matches and more consistent refereeing when the 84 members of the International Rugby Board (IRB) gather for their biannual meeting in Argentina next week.

Managing Director John O'Neill said the ARU ideally wanted to schedule 10 test matches a year, not the 13 to 15 to which the Wallabies were currently committed.

"One of the really important issues we have to map out is an international match schedule for a five-year period which is realistic," O'Neill told reporters on Wednesday.

"We've put a lot of work into trying to get a common view on how many test matches is the desired number. We're talking a minimum of seven and a maximum of 12, depending on the sophistication of the relevant union."

O'Neill left on Wednesday for a meeting in Dublin before moving on to the full board meeting in Buenos Aires. He also said the IRB must be convinced of the need to consider broadcasting rights when arranging internationals.

"You can't really organise an international match schedule in splendid isolation to what your obligations are to broadcasters," O'Neill said.

He said a five-year match schedule should be devised which included regional tournaments, such as the Five Nations and the Tri-Nations, World Cup qualifying tournaments and the World Cup itself.

"There must be certainly about the schedule at the moment people are wondering who they are playing one year to the next," O'Neill said.

The World Cup, held every four years, should be played at around the same time of the year. He said the 2003 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand would be played in October, the same month as this year's tournament in Britain and France.

O'Neil, who was speaking after the announcement of Wallaby coach Rod Macqueen's two-year contract extension, said refereeing standards had to be more consistent at this year's World Cup.

"We have to maintain the discipline of merit-based appointments, wth the best referees controlling the best matches," O'Neill said.

"We want to make sure the assessment processes, by which the assessor assesses the refs, is completely consistent from one assessor to another.

"That seems common-sensical, but there is obviously a suspicion that when a northern hemisphere referee is in the southern hemisphere he gets marked down, and vice versa.

"We want to ensure that having moved to a merit-based system, we don't undermine the system by having a flawed assessment process in place."

Other points to be raised at the meeting include maintaining complete transparency of the IRB's finances, tightening up player eligibility and ensuring countries have priority over provinces and clubs when test matches are played. (Reuter)

Bangladesh see little hope in World Cup

Bangladesh have little chance of winning any match in the cricket World Cup in England next month, players and officials said.

"We don't think we have any hope for winning a match. But, I expect the boys, with better batting and fielding abilities, could give a good fight," team manager Tanvir Mazharul Islam said.

He said even Scotland, which lost to Bangladesh in the International Cricket Council Trophy semi-final in Kuala Lumpur in 1997, were now a stronger team. Bangladesh won the trophy by beating Kenya which is also playing in the World Cup.

Bangladesh cricketers have disappointed the country's millions of fans with their disastrous performance after qualifying for the World Cup. They lost to Kenya twice in Nairobi in 1997, squared the ties in a triangular tournament in India in 1998 and finally lost twice again at home in March this year.

Islam said: "Even Scotland, at this moment, is much better than us as they have picked up most players who have club experience in Australia and New Zealand."

Bangladesh, placed in group "B" with Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, West Indies and Scotland, will take on the Kiwis in their first group encounter at Chelmsford on May 17.

"We will display our best in batting and fielding as we have nothing to lose against the strong opponents. Our main weakness is the bowling," Captain Aminul Islam said.

But he said there could be an upset result if two or three of the side's best batsmen played extremely well.Akram Khan, who led Bangladesh in the ICC Trophy victory, said the players had improved after playing internationals. "The matches have boosted their courage and experience," he said.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Saber Hossain Chowdhury said he was disappointed by the performance of Bangladesh in recent matches.

"We expected our boys to do better after they were given the required modern training facilities and chances to play more tournaments at home and abroad."

Former West Indian cricketer Gordon Greenidge is the coach of Bangladesh team.

The team: Aminul Islam (Captain), Khaled Mashud (wk), Akram Khan, Shariar Hossain, Mehrab Hossain, Khaled Mahmud, Faruque Ahamed, Naimur Rahman, Mohammad Rafique, Enamul Hoque, Hasibul Hussain, Shafiuddin Ahmed, Manjurul Islam, Jahangir Alam and Neeyamur Rashid. Reuter

South Africa rejects German deal

South Africa have refused to withdraw their bid to host the 2006 World Cup despite a German offer to back them for the 2010 tournament.

South African International Olympic Committee member Sam Ramsamy told German radio station Deutschland funk that there would be no deal between the two countries.

Waugh:How to beat South Africa

The first thing that must be said about the current South African team is that these guys are not easy to beat, a series against them invariably resulting in a victory margin of one Test. Having said that, it's imperative to gain the ascendancy from the very first Test as it is here that they have been caught napping in many of their recent Test series, much to their annoyance. Regularly they gain in strength and momentum as a series progresses. Ultimately they prove a tough side to topple in the last couple of Tests perhaps they take a while to adapt to opposition players and conditions, stemming from reluctance to let their natural instincts take over. They seem to have a safety valve and a lack of flexibility which when discarded makes them a dangerous unit.

The key for opposing teams is to attack them when they are regimented in their approach by setting attacking fields and being aggressive with the bat, in order to set the tone and tempo before they become comfortable with their suroundings. S. Africans' strength, in being solid and dependable can also be seen as a weakness. Without the presence of Shaun Pollock or Allan Donald they seem unable to take the game by the scruff of the neck and dominate proceedings. Conversely, though, this is why they are difficult to dominate, their bowlers afford batsmen few luxiuries and their batting down the order regularly scores as many if not more runs than the top. Their fielding is again sure and reliable, but without the reliance of Rhodes it is not as menacing as it once was, the genius of Jonty is a factor that is hugely underrated, and during our last encounters with South Africa the difference in intensity atmosphere and aura without him was very pronounced. He is a guy who sets the mood and tempo of the game as well as lifting the spirits of the players around him and I don't believe the South Africans realize how much less the pressure on opposing batsmen is without his infectious enthusiasm. The tour of England is crucial for players such as Kallis, Cronje, Kirsten, Cullinan and Pollock, all of whom are capable of taking that next step up in class alongside Allan Donald as players who can single-handedly influence a series, England must counteract Donald if they are to be successful, for he is the man Cronje turns to for the vital break - through and he is the one whom other bowlers feed off and look to for guidance. South Africans' problem - a common one - is the lack a genuine wicket taking spin bowler. Paul Adams and Pat Symcox are both unable to command a regular place in the side due to inconsistency and lack of confidence at test level. The player who shapes up as the crucial factor in South African batting is Gary Kirsten as it is he whom the other players like to bat around. He seems to have a calming influence on his partners and scores runs without too much fuss with a well organised game. Early inroads are essential for England, particularly as the top order has a propensity to falter under an early onslaught which will expose their strength, a solid and stubborn middle order. Many people believe South Africa to be the leading one-day team in the world at the present time and for good reason. They have been a model of consistency over the past two years baiting their opponents with displays of discipline-team work and commitment, not to mention skill. If anyone can point to a hint of a crack in their armoury it could be argued that they tend to lose some of their big matches when the stakes are at the highest. Having mentioned this it is tough to win every match, but it proves they can be beaten if enough pressure is exerted on them. They are a well organized, well drilled, disciplined, outfit who have been the most stable unit of any team in recent times with very few changes in personnel that is a huge part of their strength because it allows them the luxury of knowing each other's game how each player copes in certain situations. Their characters, what makes them tick, as well as having confidence in each other, Coach Bob Woolmer has analyzed his own team and opposing teams methodically and there is very little left to chance. This is in some ways a bonus for his own team as they feel secure in the knowledge that they have crossed all the 'T's' and dotted all the 'I's in their preparation.

On the other hand it provides the opposition with an opportunity to break down the system by way of springing surprises that haven't been envisaged and as such their equilibrium can be upset. It is here that England must be able to adapt and think on their feel in order to throw South Africa off balance. Moves such as opening the bowling with a spinner, having left and right handed batsmen together at the crease if possible, slowing down their spinners who like to hustle through their overs at an unrealistic pace and in general trying the 'gut instinct moves' that can turn a game your way. Undoubtedly, blunting their spearhead is also a major factor in ones quest for victory and it is here that Allan Donald holds the key. He is the one the South Africans use for inspiration and motivation, although Shaun Pollock continues to grow in stature with each outing and is also a danger man. The batting has revolved around the ever reliable Gary Kirsten, who along with Hansie Cronje forms the tough durable consistency.

Doesn't like to be tied down, like to feel bat on ball and to be hitting boundaries, can be frustrated and has a danger period in his innings, usually between 10 and 20 when he subconsciously relaxes. Daryll Cullinan - capable of dominating an attack with a full array of shots coupled with excellent timing. Particularly strong through the cover region with an excellent pull shot off the quickies. Can be a scratchy starter, especially when trying to force off the back foot. Hasn't quite made the impact he would have hoped for at Test level and as such the pressure is on him.

Hansie Cronje - bats very well with the lower half of the order and plays his best when the field tend to be spread out, hits spinners over the top and is a good runner between the wickets, tends to straddle the crease against the quicks, leaving him open to edge or become an lbw victim early on.

Shaun Pollock - excellent all round cricketer who could be the difference between the two sides. Can be a match-winner with bat and ball and has the potential to improve. Could value his wicket a little more highly as he is capable of scoring big hundreds. Not as comfortable against spin bowlers who take the ball away from the bat.

Allan Donald -very rarely gets injured and even rarer is poor spell. Great stamina and concentration whilst maintaining an excellent line and length that continually puts the batsman under pressure.

Lance Klusener - gives 100 percent and runs in all day with the ball, a very clean hitter of the ball who can turn a match his team way. A definite danger man. Wide stance restricts his movement back and forth leaving him stuck on the crease.

(By arrangement with The Cricketer)
-Thushara Kumarasinghe

Figures & statistics

By M.L. Fernando

World Cup 1999

The seventh cricket World Cup will commence on May 14 in England. Altogether 42 games are due to be played with the final scheduled for June 20. Twelve teams are billed to take part in this much awaited tournament which is being held in England for the fourth time. Sri Lanka led by Arjuna Ranatunga will defend the Cup. They won as co-hosts in 1996.

Although the World Cup is only 24 years old there have been two instances where both the father and son have taken part. D. Pringle played for E. Africa in 1975 while his son Derek Pringle played for England in 1987 and 1992. New Zealand's B.L. Cairns played in 1975 and in 1979, while his son Chris Cairns played in 1992 and in 1996.

Another interesting feature was witnessed during the first World Cup.

Three Hadlee brothers (Sir Richard, B.G. and D.R.) represented New Zealand and against England all three of them played. During the last World Cup four sets of brothers played for their respective countries. They were as follows:

(A) Steve and Mark Waugh - Australia; (B) A and G Flower - Zimbabwe; (C) P and B Strang - Zimbabwe; (D) S and D Tikolo - Kenya; (E) M and E Odumbe - Kenya.

Keppler Wessels is the only player to represent two countries. He represented Australia in 1983 and played for South Africa in 1992 as their captain.

Scores in brief of the six finals are given below:

1975 - West Indies 291/8 in 60 overs (C. Lloyd 102; R. Kanhai 55; G. Gilmour 5/48. Australia 274 in 58.4 overs (I. Chappell 62; A. Turner 40; K. Boyce 4/50).

West Indies won by 17 runs. Man of the Match: C. Lioyd.

1979 - West Indies 286/9 in 60 overs (V. Richards 138 n.o, C. King 86, P. Edmonds 2/40). England 194 in 51 overs (M. Brearley 64: G. Boycott 57; J. Garner 5/38).

West Indies won by 92 runs. Man of the Match, V. Richards.

1983 - India 183 in 54.4 overs (K. Srikanth 38; S.M. Patil 27; M. Amarnath 26: A. Roberts 3/32). West Indies 140 in 52 overs (V. Richards 33; J. Dujon 25; M. Amarnath 3/12; S. Madan Lal 3/31).

India won by 43 runs. Man of the Match M. Amarnath.

1987 - Australia 253/5 in 50 overs (D. Boon 75; M. Veletta 45 n.o.; J. Hemmings 2/48). England 246/8 in 50 overs (C.W. Athey 58; A. Lamb 45; S. Waugh 2/37: A. Border 2/38).

Australia won by 7 runs; Man of the Match D. Boon.

1992 - Pakistan 249/6 in 50 overs (I. Khan 70, J. Miandad 58, W. Akram 36, D. Pringle 3/22).

England 227 - 49.2 overs (N. Fairbrother 62; A. Lamb 31; W. Akram 3/49; M. Ahmed 3/41).

Pakistan won by 22 runs; Man of the Match W. Akram.

1996 - Australia 241/7 in 50 overs (M. Taylor 74; R. Ponting 45; P. A. De Silva 3/42).

Sri Lanka 245/3 in 46.2 overs (P.A. De Silva 107 n.o; A. Gurusinha (65).

Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets - Man of the Match P.A. De Silva (Next week Batting Records).

Isipatana out to redeem lost glory

By Saif Izzadeen

Sri Lanka schools rugby kings Isipatana led by that outstanding winger Nishantha Kumara will be sponsored by Rajasingham Industries for the third year in-a-row.

These details were revealed at a Press conference at the CR and FC pavilion last Saturday . This sponsorship is valid for five years. The vice captain of the side is prop forward Janaka de Silva.

Last year Isipatana rugger team led by Shamly Nawaz lost to Royal led by Shanaka Perera after nine years 10-14. They also lost to their traditional rivals Thurstan for the first time in the President's Trophy semi finals.

This sponsorship will cover the Isipatana college rugger team's jerseys, boots, nourishment, vitamins and the health drinks to the team at practices as well as matches.

"We are very glad to be associated with the Isipatana rugger team for an another year. We are hoping that our sponsorship will help them to complete a successful season. said Lion W.M Rajasingham speaking at the press conference.

"Although last year it was a little shaky, this year I hope the ruggerites will give good display which will enable them to sweep all the trophies on offer."

Lion Rajasingham finally said "I wish Isipatana all the best for this season. I hope under Nishantha Kumar they will able to complete a good season."

Critics say China clamping on drugs

The international Swimming Community toned down its rhetoric against China's record of doping scandals saying the Chinese may at last be mending their ways.

Ahead of this week's world short-course championships in Hong Kong, coaches and anti-doping experts said Beijing appeared to be clamping down on use of performance-enhancing drugs by their competitors, and calls to ban the Chinese team from events have waned.

"It appears that the Chinese government has involved itself very strongly in the last 12 months or longer to solve the problem. I think we're far better off now," said John Leonard, director of The American Swimming Coaches Association and a well-known China critic.

Leonard is part of a large international contingent at this meet, the last such global swimming meet before the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The four-day competition starts on Thursday.

Leonard told Reuters China's stance toward drug use was worlds apart from 1994, when he started a campaign to block Chinese swimmers from international meets.

"I felt then that there were no controls and individuals in China were abusing the system, with no penalty from their own federation or anyone else, " Leonard said.

Chinese swimmers dominated the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima but their success was thrown into doubt when seven team members failed steroid tests.

The drug busts continued at the world championships in Perth in 1998 when one Chinese swimmer was caught with growth hormones in her luggage and four others failed steroid tests.

But Shi Pianshu, executive vice president of the Chinese Swimming Association, said authorities now have stiff penalties for athletes, coaches and swimming clubs to combat doping.

"We have put in place serious measures to stop, test and punish drug use," Shi told Reuters. "The maximum punishment is to ban coaches for life."

He added that, China was testing some 600 of its registered swimmers each year, both during and outside of competitions.

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