Hampshire President and captain of the 1961 Championship Winning side, selects his All Time team. (Published in April 2003 Wisden Cricket Monthly and reproduced by kind permission of the editor)…

BUT FOR my own modesty I would pick the whole 1961 County Championship winning side, the first Hampshire team to win the Championship – winning 19 matches out of 32 with six drawn. I have not allowed myself complete freedom to include any player who has represented the county. I have left out CB Fry, due to his stronger Sussex connections, as well as Shane Warne, whom I would have loved to include, and David Gower.There are two ways of approaching the captain, both controversial. The Australians pick the best 11 players and then choose a captain from among them. Hampshire have always picked the best captain. There were many candidates: Lionel Tennyson, Edward Sprot, Dicky Moore, Desmond Eagar and Richard Gilliat to name but a few. But I have chosen Mark Nicholas without hesitation. He had all the qualities, with bat and even ball; he inspired a great team spirit; and he was full of enthusiasm, as well as always looking the part.The wicketkeeper sets a poser. I never played with George Brown, a remarkable allround cricketer, as was Walter Livsey. I played once with Neil McCorkell, in my first match, against Sussex in 1951, which was rained off and I made nought. I played many times with Leo Harrison, who was in charge when we won the Championship. Harrison was a brilliant fielder turned keeper and a very useful batsman. He is a close friend, so I cannot be accused of favouritism if I select Brown.Although Hampshire have played their home matches on good wickets at Southampton and Portsmouth, it was the seamers who generally bowled the opposition out. Hampshire have never been famous for their spinners, more for their seam partnerships like Kennedy and Newman or Shackleton and Vic Cannings.Jack Newman must be included and he was also handy with the bat, scoring almost 14,000 runs. Alec Kennedy was also a fine batsman; he scored nearly 15,000 runs and has to be in. In our Championship year Malcolm Heath played a great part, especially at Portsmouth with his prodigious height, and Butch White was superb throughout the year but Malcolm Marshall would have to be included in any side. I also have to choose Derek Shackleton as he was the finest opening bowler in Hampshire’s history. For sheer consistency, stamina and accuracy he was superb. I would dive under a bus for him. Andy Roberts only just misses out.Of the spinners Charlie Knott was a beautiful flighter of the ball but did not play as many matches as others because of World War II. I played with Peter Sainsbury throughout his career and he was a wonderful team man. Although not a big spinner of the ball he took many wickets on good pitches with his variation of pace and flight. He was also a gutsy batsman and a world-class fielder at short-leg. He just edges out Charles Llewellyn, a fine South African allrounder.Hampshire has always been a romantic county and this is partly due to their attractive batsmen. Names like Tennyson’s conjure up thrilling afternoons in the sun but sadly there is such fierce competition that he does not make my team. The first three in the batting order pick themselves: Gordon Greenidge, Barry Richards and Phil Mead.Mead made his debut in 1905 against the touring Australians and had a career record of almost 49,000 runs. It is always useful to have a left-hander up the order and it would be hard to separate Greenidge and Richards, probably the two finest openers in the world. Having played with Roy Marshall throughout my career there was no more exciting batsman, but I have already filled my quota of three overseas players, so Robin Smith comes in at No. 4, edging out his brother Chris by a whisker.Hampshire have always been brilliant in securing foreign imports and they have not only played wonderfully well but have fitted into the Hampshire culture. My side is a fine fielding side – and will have a great team spirit. Choosing it has been a great experience and I trust there are no hard feelings. The players whom I played with have given me the experience of a lifetime. I know this team would do the same.Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie’s All-time Hampshire XI

M     Runs    Avge:    100s  Wkts    Avge:    5w1  Barry Richards (1968-78)         204    15607    50.50     38     46    36.41     -2  Gordon Greenidge (1970-87)       275    19840    45.40     48     16    24.18     13  Phil Mead (1905-36)              700    48892    48.84    138    266    34.78     54  Robin Smith (1982-2002)          297    18462    42.25     49     14    66.57     -5  George Brown (wk, 1908-33)       539    22962    26.88     37    477 ct, 53 st6  Mark Nicholas (capt, 1978-95)    361    17401    33.98     34     72    45.06     27  Peter Sainsbury (1954-76)        593    19576    27.03      7   1245    24.14    358  Jack Newman (1906-30)            506    13904    20.90      7   1946    24.83   1289  Alec Kennedy (1907-36)           596    14925    18.51     10   2549    21.16   20510 Malcolm Marshall (1979-93)       210     5847    25.20      5    826    18.64    4511 Derek Shackleton (1948-69)       583     8602    14.43      –   2669    18.23   190

The West Indies Cricket Board and its selection panel have started the 2003 Cable & Wireless Series with a master stroke by appointing Brian Lara as team captain and Ramnaresh Sarwan as his deputy.It’s now up to Sir Vivian Richards and his fellow selectors to maintain the trend for the composition of their squad for the opening Test against Australia starting in Guyana next Thursday.While Carl Hooper remains a potential class act as a batsman, he was unable to produce the type of imaginative leadership qualities that were necessary and his ability as a tactician was only modest.It was immensely satisfying that Lara has decided to accept the job, which up until recently he indicated he had no interest in.It is even more pleasing that Sarwan, still only 22 in spite of seven years’ experience as a first-class player, is being groomed as a leader for the future.It was almost puzzling that Hooper’s deputy over the past two years was someone only a year younger than he.The million-dollar question now surrounds the immediate future of Hooper, who left us in the dark a few days ago.On one hand, he said he believed he still possessed the physical skill, desire and passion to continue at the international level. At the same time, he said he must be unselfish and ask himself if his presence in the team would not be unfair and block the development of young players.If he plays, it is almost certain that he will "block the development" of someone like Marlon Samuels.Having said that, I still have room for the enigmatic Guyanese. His overall record as a batsman is modest for someone of his talent, but his record as a batsman [1609 runs at an average of 45.97] since coming out of retirement is one that suggests he should not be dropped at this time.Bearing in mind the West Indies’ opponents are the all-conquering Australians, his presence and experience will be even more important. Had the opposition been weaker, I would have thanked him for his wonderful service to West Indies’ cricket.It means then that Samuels can only find a place if Sarwan is not fit enough to play.The remainder of the middle-order picks itself with Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul joining Hooper and Sarwanor Samuels.Chris Gayle has been the established first-choice opening batsman for some time and his partner at the top should be fellow Jamaican Wavell Hinds.Hinds, in particular, must know that the selectors cannot ignore the credentials of Devon Smith for much longer.The 21-year-old Grendadian has hardly put a foot wrong during the last two years. Last season he scored 750 runs(ave. 62.50) and followed up this year with 572 runs (ave. 40.85).The wicket-keeping slot should trigger some debate among the selectors. Ridley Jacobs has been a reliable servant for most of the last four years, but hardly anyone will dispute that he is on the decline.At 35, it is time the selectors identify a long-term replacement for Jacobs. Junior Murray and Courtney Browne still remain good enough to play at this level, but Carlton Baugh’s outstanding season for the West Indies "B" that brought him 486 runs (ave. 40.50) runs and 15 dismissals makes him a genuine contender.The slow, low nature of the Bourda pitch means it is almost certain the selectors will not opt for four fast bowlers.Mervyn Dillon is the spearhead, even if most believe his inconsistency suggests he should not carry that tag.Pedro Collins bowled disappointingly in the World Cup when he was bothered by injury. His performance against Trinidad and Tobago gave the impression that he was back to full fitness and form and should be pencilled in as Dillon’s new ball partner.When Vasbert Drakes returned to the international arena last September at the age of 33, the general feeling was that he would be a key member of the limited-overs team and would perhaps not go beyond the World Cup.That has changed. The experienced professional has proven he is also a wicket-taking bowler and his batting makes him the most qualified No. 8 in the Caribbean at the moment.For all his promise and pace, Jermaine Lawson should be among the reserves for the first Test, but his chance will definitely come sooner rather than later. The same can be said of Tino Best, the most successful bowler in the regionthis season.The choice of a spinner is likely to pose the most headaches. No one has come forward to demand automatic selection.Neil McGarrell was the most successful slow bowler this season, but both he and his fellow Guyanese Mahendra Nagamootoo are steady moreso than threatening.Had Sulieman Benn played the last two matches, he might very well have been thetop wicket-taker among the slow bowlersthis season.It is interesting to note that Lara, without being prompted, said it was unfortunate he didn’t geta chance to see Benn this season. Some are boundto ask why should he bein contention when he is not in his national team.It should not disqualify him for selection because we all know of his ability as an orthodox left-arm spinner and capablelower-order batsman.Dave Mohammed’s left-arm back-of-the-hand stuff presents something of a difference, but he has not done much since returning to the first-class game in mid-season.My team: Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan [Marlon Samuels if Sarwan is not fit], Brian Lara, Carl Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Carlton Baugh, Vasbert Drakes, Mervyn Dillon, Sulieman Benn, Pedro Collins. Reserves: Samuels [Devon Smith if Sarwan is unfit], Jermaine Lawson

Humiliated former Pakistan captain, Waqar Younis, blasted the selection committee for axing him from the Sharjah-bound squad.Talking to Dawn, Waqar who led Pakistan in the disastrous World Cup-2003, agreed that he may have not led the side according to expectations, but as a player his performance was certainly better than most of the squad members.”I am not responsible alone for the debacle, the other seniors are equally responsible but surprisingly they are ‘rested’ and I am dropped,” Waqar said.The chief selector, Aamir Sohail, while announcing the team for Sharjah Cup categorically mentioned that Waqar was dropped while Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq and Saeed Anwar were rested.Aamir also indicated that the senior players could be considered in the near future and that too would depend on the performance of the young guns included in the 16-man squad.Waqar said that the national selection committee had no need to wait for his retirement from cricket.”I played cricket for 15 years without taking any advice fromany quarter and will decide on my own when to call it a day,” he said.He demanded an explanation from the selectors for the discriminatory treatment meted out to him.

The History of Logan Park, edited by John Heslop. Published by the University Oval Development Committee. Price $29.95.It is interesting that books on two sports grounds in New Zealand should be published around the same time, especially when the subject matter is not entirely top of the pops.The Basin Reserve’s history is much more international in shape.But in the case of John Heslop’s effort of editing “The History of Logan Park”, for the University Oval development committee, anyone who has ever been associated with the ground of significance in Dunedin and the home of Otago University’s sport, will appreciate an enduring record of the Park’s development from the tidal lake to the international standard sporting complex that will be presented when the latest ground renovations are complete.It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Logan Park’s University Oval will be the next Test cricket venue to be listed in New Zealand.An extensive development has taken place at the ground, largely as the result of the continuing encroachment of rugby into traditional cricket time at the main sports ground in the city of Carisbrook.Heslop provides an in-depth record of the characters and times that resulted in the development of the ground, largely pushed through after years of debate as the venue for Dunedin’s Exhibition of 1925-26.The arguments are well documented as is the life story of the man after whom the Park is named, John Logan.An interesting style has been used in the book, to break up the material into more easily identifiable sections. And at the end of each section, an index is provided.The second part of the book records the history of the Otago University Cricket Club which was based at the Park. Compiled originally in 1978 by esteemed Dunedin historian George Griffiths, the story is completed with an addendum by Heslop and it is sad to note a touch of concern about the future viability of the amalgamated clubs of University and Grange.But Griffiths’ work provides an indelible record of the club’s place in Otago cricket history and recalls the strength of the club in the 1960s when it was able to call on a squad of outstanding strength, built around the fast bowling skill of Murray Webb and the abilities of players who had, or would, play first-class cricket in: Ray Hutchison, Murray Parker (who toured Pakistan and India with New Zealand in 1976), Richard Ellis, Graham Henry, Rudi Webster, Russell Stewart, Stewart Edward, John Mitchell and Ata Matatumua.The Albion Cricket Club also featured at the ground for a significant period of its history, shifting to its home at Culling Park in 1958. The background of this club is provided by Iain Gallaway, and he recounts a fascinating tale of a run out at the bowler’s end orchestrated by Albion’s captain of the day, Walter Hadlee. The season was 1945/46 and Hadlee was the New Zealand captain at the time.He attempted to run out former Otago fast bowler Ron Silver. The umpire said he wasn’t out but Hadlee then proceeded to tell the umpire that Silver was out.”The umpire stood his ground and so did Ron and we all waited apprehensively as the argument developed and tensions grew. Finally our skipper stated that if the umpire did not give Ron out the game would not continue so Ron was given out! Some 20 metres from the huts he threw his bat away and it crashed through one of the hut windows. He let everyone on Logan Park know in stentorian tones that he would never play another game of cricket – and he was true to his word!” Gallaway related.A similar record of the most prolific provider of All Blacks for New Zealand’s rugby teams, Otago University is also included in the book with the contribution provided by Hugh Tohill.Each section has its own collection of timeless photographs.The hope has to be that the burgeoning interest in New Zealand’s history will be the inspiration for more local sporting histories of the this type. Logan Park is certainly well prepared for the next stage of its history as a result of Heslop’s methodical work in this publication.

As if the prospect of playing two Tests against Australia wasn’t daunting enough for Bangladesh, John Buchanan, Australia’s coach, has warned that his side won’t be easing off during next month’s two-Test series.”Our game will always be to be as aggressive as we can be, and to try and put our opposition under as much pressure as we can, right from the word go, so that won’t change,” he said. As for fatigue on the part of his players, he said, “Those players who played both the one-day and the Test matches were certainly feeling the pinch through the West Indies tour.”He explained that the prospect of playing at new venues – the Tests will be held at Cairns and Darwin – would offset any weariness in a side who have been on the road almost continuously for 18 months. “With four or five weeks off, coming to a new venue, playing a new team, in something that will begin a tradition, I think really excites them.”But Buchanan did have some encouraging words for Bangladesh, particularly with regard to Dav Whatmore, their new coach. “I think what he’ll do is bring them direction, I think he will bring them some discipline and give them some shape,” he explained. “Whether that happens immediately, time will tell. But I think that’s a very good move for them, and something that will improve their cricket a little bit quicker than maybe what it has done in the past.”

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will send a development officer to Afghanistan next month for an orientation tour. According to a report by Reuters, Iqbal Sikander, the development officer, will visit Kabul to study the infrastructure there.”The ACC has approved my visit to Kabul next month," Iqbal said. "The basic purpose being to initially inspect the cricket infrastructure, facilities and standards there. I have been asked to inform the ACC what can be done to help out the Afghanistan cricket association.”Afghanistan has been an affiliate member of the ICC, but was included as an associate member of the ACC only last month. Since then, officials from the Afghanistan Cricket Association (ACA) have visited India, seeking help to develop the game in a country which has been ravaged by war for many years.Despite the war, cricket has deep roots in Afghanistan. Iqbal stated that according to feedback from the ACA, there were regular matches played between the locals from Kabul and the British troops posted there. Earlier ACC reports had indicated that more than 50 cricket clubs existed in the country, but most of them were in need of funds to buy equipment.Afghanistan played in Pakistan’s domestic season two years ago, but did not approach the Pakistan board for an appearance this season. According to Zakir Khan, the PCB cricket operations manager: “They didn’t come to us with any request to play in our domestic cricket or we would have been happy to accommodate them.”

Stumps Day Three
Scorecard

All three Australian batsmen who took guard at Cairns’ Bundaberg Rum Stadium today walked off with milestones that became millstones around Bangladesh’s neck as the tourists chased 261 to merely avoid an innings defeat.That chase started well enough, and Bangladesh at one stage were 87 for 1. But then one of the collapses that have so marred their time in Test cricket occurred, and Bangladesh lost three wickets for three runs. Hannan Sarkar scored another half-century to go with his 76 in the first innings, while Habibul Bashar made 25, those two knocks just about summing up all that was positive in the Bangladesh innings.It was, not surprisingly given their expected dominance of the series, the Australians who hammered their way into the record books. Steve Waugh, Darren Lehmann and Martin Love – Australia’s latest Test centurion – enjoyed their share of the action, as well as the spoils. Waugh, despite his longevity in the game, still finds records to challenge, and today he became the first batsman to register a score of 150 or more against all Test nations.Waugh’s unbeaten 156 – his 14th 150 – places him closer to the 18 scored by Don Bradman. Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar are behind him on 12, and while Gary Sobers and Brian Lara have 11, Javed Miandad, Len Hutton and Walter Hammond have 10. Waugh also moved closer to the highest run-scorer in Tests, Allan Border, and is now only 653 runs behind him.Lehmann came out in attacking vein from the outset and soon surpassed his previous highest score of 160, made against the West Indies earlier this year. He took four successive fours off Anwar Hossain Monir early in the day but, on 177, he spooned an easy catch in the direction of Alok Kapali and was on his way after he and Waugh had added 250 for the fourth wicket.Love then joined Waugh and got off the dreaded nought, building a fine innings as he and Waugh took full toll of a tiring Bangladesh attack. Given his first-ball duck in the first Test in Darwin, there was plenty of incentive for Love to do well, and he thrived on the opportunity. Australia went to lunch at 455 for 4, with Waugh having scored his 32nd Test century and his second in two innings in this series. Love was into his stride in the second session, advancing from his lunch score of 36 to get his second Test 50 off 96 balls and carrying on to his maiden Test century in 152 balls.Waugh was unbeaten on 156 and, as soon as Love reached three figures, he declared the innings closed. Bangladesh’s bowlers faced a tough time of it in the field, with Sanwar Hossain bearing most of the brunt of the Australian assault, taking 2 for 128 from his 30 overs.Bangladesh lost Javed Omar, trapped lbw by Jason Gillespie, for eight when 12 runs were on the board. But Sarkar and Bashar then applied some pressure of their own, scoring at a good clip to add 75. Sarkar, however, attempted to blast a ball from Stuart MacGill over square leg and only found that Matthew Hayden was able to run back and take the catch, sparking off a collapse Bangladesh could ill afford.Four balls later, Mohammad Ashraful became the second Bangladeshi player to secure a pair in the series at MacGill’s hand as he was hit leg-before. Then Brett Lee snapped up Bashar, an intended pull easily pouched at square leg, for 25.It was a miserable end to a demanding day for the tourists, who must now sleep on the fact that yet another loss looms when the Australian attack closes in for the kill tomorrow.Click here for the Day Two bulletin

The death of Hansie Cronje, South Africa’s disgraced former captain who was killed in a plane crash in the Western Cape in June 2002, may have been no accident, according to a report in the latest edition of Observer Sport Monthly. The report alleges that Cronje, who had been banned for life from cricket for his part in the match-fixing scandal, may have been murdered to ensure that the full extent of the corruption never reached the light of day.Cronje, who had been forging a new career as a businessman, was killed along with two pilots when his chartered plane crashed in mountains near his estate in George, a small town on South Africa’s Garden Route. It later transpired that Cronje had missed an earlier flight and had arranged a lift in a cargo plane, but at the time no suspicious circumstances were reported. Given that Cronje was a devout Christian, it struck many as being the ultimate act of divine retribution.But Gavin Branson, the chief executive of AirQuarius, the owners of the crashed plane, is one of many people who remains troubled by the circumstances. “There are a lot of unknowns about what happened,” Branson is reported as saying. “I think it will be a long time before the [Civil Aviation Authority] report comes out. I have a million questions that I haven’t even started asking yet. We’d been flying that route daily and in far worse weather without experiencing even a hint of trouble.”The investigation is destined to take a long time, especially as there are unconfirmed rumours that the ground landing system at George Airport had been tampered with. “I understand that police have found evidence of sabotage,” one investigator is reported as saying. “But they’re reluctant to go public on this. The full cost of a follow-up investigation would be too great in a country that is already riven by crime. It suits the police to have a closed case.””A lot of people wanted Cronje dead,” adds the source. “They feared that he would one day tell the full truth, and then many more would be implicated. I know people who have looked closely into what happened but who were warned off by threatening phone calls. They’re scared of getting a bullet in the head.”Cronje, who first stood in as South Africa’s captain at the age of 24, finished his career with a record of 27 victories in 53 Tests, making him South Africa’s most successful captain in Test history. He scored 3,714 runs at an average of 36.4, including six centuries, and to this day remains revered by many of his former team-mates, despite his spectacular fall from grace.At the King Commission in 2000-01, which investigated the extent to which match-fixing had permeated the game, Cronje confessed to what he called “an unfortunate love of money”. He claimed to have accepted at least $130,000 from illegal bookmakers, although recent revelations suggest that he possessed as many as 72 bank accounts in the Cayman Islands. His death, one way or another, has ensured that the full story may never be told.Click here to read the full Observer Sport Monthly article

Close Bangladesh 240 for 2 (Bashar 97, Omar 96*)
Scorecard

Bangladesh gave further evidence of their new-found maturity at Test level with a fine batting display on the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan at Peshawar. Once again, Habibul Bashar led the way with a magnificent innings, which ended three short of a second consecutive hundred. With Javed Omar – who batted all day and 286 balls for his 96 – obdurate in defence, and showing the adhesive qualities of a limpet, Pakistan’s bowlers were made to toil in oppressive conditions. At the close, Bangladesh had advanced to 240 for 2, with Omar and Mohammad Ashraful having forged another useful alliance.The day belonged to Bashar and Omar, who added a record 167 for the second wicket before Bashar was trapped in front by one from Shabbir Ahmed. It was a close call – the ball was angling down middle and leg – but Russell Tiffin lifted the finger after giving it some thought (180 for 2). In their former guise, that might have been the excuse for Bangladesh to go to pieces, but Omar and Ashraful ensured that nothing of the sort happened with some assured batting. Ashraful, who was dropped for the opening Test after some indifferent performances in Australia, was in the mood to impress and he did so with some sweetly struck drives on either side of the wicket.In stifling conditions that forced more than one Pakistani to go off the field, Bashar and Omar combined caution with some superb strokes to ram home the advantage established in the opening session. Pakistan’s bowling, on a featherbed of a pitch, was distinctly pedestrian, with the notable exception of Umar Gul who strove manfully in appalling heat. Danish Kaneria, so often Bangladesh’s nemesis in the past, persisted in bowling frequent full-tosses, and the batsmen duly took him to the cleaners.As for Shoaib Akhtar, self-declared destroyer, he must have been wishing he was back in the cool climes of Chester-le-Street, playing for Durham. He tried everything … yorkers, bouncers, snarls, but had no joy against two batsmen who were absolutely resolute in defence. His final over of the afternoon, a seven-minute exercise in frustration, ended with him going off with a suspected hip injury. When he came back after tea, he bowled at considerably less than full throttle, before going off again.Shoaib Malik, who had bowled a tidy spell of offspin earlier, also suffered, going off with cramps late in the session. By then, Bangladesh were in complete control. Omar was occasionally troubled by deliveries that angled into his pads, but he played a couple of delicate late cuts off the slow bowlers. On the one occasion that he got it wrong, the edge evaded the somnolent Taufeeq Umar at first slip.Bashar, who likes to have a go, was restrained in the extreme, though he played some gorgeous shots through the off side when the bowlers erred in line or length. It was a great toss for Khaled Mahmud to win, and his batsman made sure that it didn’t go waste.It was a sobering day for Pakistan, after Gul had given them the perfect start by enticing a thin outside-edge from Hannan Sarkar (13 for 1). Rashid Latif and his boys whooped that up, but the smiles were quickly replaced by grimaces of pain as Bashar and Omar took charge. Up in the pavilion, Bangladesh’s coach Dav Whatmore watched intently, smile carefully concealed under walrus moustache.

Rumours about Sourav Ganguly signing up with a new marketing agency have gained ground, with a rediff.com report suggesting that Nimbus, a sports production company, have clinched the deal with a Rs 60-crore offer (US$12.5 million approx) over a five-year period. Ganguly’s current contract, with Percept D’Mark, expires on September 22, and according to the report, Nimbus is likely to announce its deal with Ganguly on the same day. The report also states that Ganguly would be guaranteed the entire amount even if he does not remain captain of the Indian team over the five-year period.Rumours about Ganguly signing up with Nimbus have persisted for more than a month, even though Harish Thawani, co-chairman of World Sports Nimbus, had denied them in early August. The had quoted him as saying: “We have given no such proposal to Ganguly, nor are we contemplating to. There is no resolution even in the company board of taking cricketers on board for celebrity management.”