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In the wake of the most serious drugs scandal to hit cricket, Shoaib Akhtar, the man at the centre of it, has called for greater awareness to be created among cricketers, especially in Pakistan, about doping issues. Shoaib, along with fellow fast bowler Mohammad Asif, was handed a ban by a drugs tribunal after tests conducted by the PCB found traces of the banned anabolic steroid Nandrolone in his body. The bans were subsequently overturned by an appeals committee, clearing the way for both bowlers to return to cricket.Speaking to a few reporters at the National Bank of Pakistan ground in Karachi, where he was playing his first competitive game since the ban for his club side KRL, Shoaib said, “Many players are poorly educated about supplements, medication and doping issues. I’ve requested the chairman (PCB) to educate youngsters. Teach them now about these things. In 2002, the team attended a lecture where we were told only how to give urine samples.”Lectures are fine but there is no education. We weren’t told that you can and can’t take this. There are so many vitamins, so many different remedies, syrups that can carry steroids but we don’t know about them, we never learnt about them. I’ve had so many injuries in my career and taken so many medicines for them. But players are not doctors so they don’t always know.”Shoaib and Asif’s plea through the two hearings they underwent was that neither of them had taken steroids deliberately and that they weren’t properly informed or educated by the board. One possibility their lawyers had raised was that legal supplements, allowed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have been found in the past to be contaminated steroids. “Supplements are often contaminated and these are legal supplements,” argued Shoaib.”So WADA should be looking at the problem of contamination as well and maybe banning some of those. We haven’t had a team doctor for the last four years and no nutritionist. Thankfully, the chairman is thinking of bringing in doctors and nutritionists now so youngsters will definitely benefit. I never took any such substances knowingly.”In light of WADA’s recent statement, that they were considering challenging the decision to overturn the ban at the International Court of Arbitration, it is unlikely that this is the last we have heard on this issue. But Shoaib, understandably, was eager to look to the future. “I want to thank my family and the nation for supporting me. It’s been a tough time for me obviously but it’s over now. A lot has been said about it but it is behind me now. I want to concentrate on cricket now only and not look at the past.”

As it happens, there is a fair amount to look forward to, beginning with the tour to South Africa in January. Though he was suffering from a slight fever, he managed to ping down 12 overs in the first innings against WAPDA in the ongoing Patron’s Trophy match. Despite a duck in the second innings – he was greeted by a bouncer first ball – he came out to bowl a swift opening over in WAPDA’s second innings. “I’m fully fit. There was a little bit of stiffness obviously but the last spell I bowled was a quick one, even though the wicket is a little flat. But it’s good practice for me.”None of this is particularly good news for South Africa. After crashing to 84 all out on a pacy, bouncy track designed with their opponent’s frailties in mind, rather than their own, they are unlikely to do so against a Pakistan side with arguably as strong a pace attack as their own. “I’m not sure the wickets will be so fast there,” Shoaib said. “But they’re always sporting tracks, especially at Cape Town. Lets see what type of pitches they make especially if we have a full attack and they do as well.”We have excellent fast bowling resources. Umar Gul has bowled really well, Rana is back in form. And Sami is still an asset. I am hoping to get some more practice. But ultimately, it isn’t about me or any other one bowler, it is about the whole side performing. That is vital.”Beyond the tour awaits the World Cup in the Caribbean and Pakistan, says Shoaib, have as good a shot at glory as any. “We have the most balanced team in the world after Australia. The wickets there will be slow but the conditions are good for reverse swing and that should be an advantage for our bowlers. I am very keen to play but it won’t be about individuals. This is about the whole team doing well.”

VVS Laxman, the Indian middle-order batsman, has responded to his recall to the ODI side by citing his experience of playing on juicy South African pitches. Laxman, who was recalled after Rahul Dravid fractured his finger, remained diplomatic over whether he would be on trial during the remaining two matches of the best-of-five series.”It is a great feeling to be included in the one-day series and I would try to give my best,” he told reporters in Hyderabad. “It is sad that Rahul should be injured so badly in the series and miss out the rest of the one-day matches.”I would only work on the opportunities that come my way. I do not want to think of things that are beyond my control,” he added. “I do not think too much about the future and use each opportunity to give my best and play to my potential. I have played Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy matches and I am fully fit to take up the assignment.”Laxman, scheduled to represent Hyderabad in a Ranji Trophy match in Jaipur later this week, said he was willing to bat anywhere in the line-up, but preferred the middle order.India, down 2-0 with two to play, take on South Africa in Port Elizabeth tomorrow, but as Laxman put it, “My travel plans are not yet confirmed, the Board will inform whenever things fall in place”.

Simon Jones will undergo an MRI scan on his injured left knee, and is also set to meet with a specialist, after limping off the field during Glamorgan’s C&G Trophy match against Ireland on Monday.Jones had bowled an impressive first spell, claiming two wickets, but felt a twinge in his knee when he return for a second stint and left the field after one more delivery. The seriousness of the setback is not yet known, but the ECB chief medical officer, Dr Peter Gregory, did not envisage him being fit in time for Lord’s.”Simon is currently rated very doubtful for next week’s first Test match,” said Gregory, after liaising with the Glamorgan physiotherapist, Chris Towers. “We will need to re-assess his injury after consultations with the specialist on Thursday.”Jones has made a careful return to action after leaving England’s tour of India after twisting his knee in the nets before the first Test. He bowled 28 overs during Glamorgan’s Championship match against Essex and, despite reporting some slight stiffness, came through unscathed.England name their Test squad next Sunday with Ashley Giles and Michael Vaughan already ruled out and Steve Harmison unlikely to make it.

Worcestershire have given the go-ahead for New Road to host their next Championship game, against Lancashire starting on Friday, in spite of the recent flooding that caused the complete abandonment of their last home fixture against Kent.Following a meeting at New Road involving representatives from both Worcestershire and Lancashire, as well as the ECB’s Alan Fordham and Chris Wood, it was decided that the ground would be fit for an 11am start on Friday morning.The decision is something of a surprise given the controversy that was caused by last week’s washout against Kent. Although the ECB acted with leniency in what they described as “exceptional circumstances”, the decision to allow Worcestershire to replay the abandoned fixture was vehemently opposed by Yorkshire, who feared that a dangerous precedent had been set.Lancashire and Hampshire also backed Yorkshire’s stance on the decision. “It was a flawed decision and creates a precedent,” said a Lancashire statement, “opening the floodgates for future situations deemed ‘extreme circumstances’. We therefore urge the ECB to reconsider this decision.”However, Lancashire’s chief executive, Jim Cumbes, was more conciliatory after Monday’s inspection. “On arriving at New Road this morning I was surprised at how well everything looked,” he said. “It’s obvious that the staff at Worcestershire County Cricket Club have worked very hard over the last few days to get this ground and its facilities up to the standard they are.”There were one or two minor issues I had with the outfield,” added Cumbes, “but nothing a couple of days of drying weather won’t fix.”Worcestershire did have alternative venues on standby – at Kidderminster, Himley and Worcester Royal Grammar School, where a game against Sri Lanka A was played on Saturday. The forecast for Friday is more heavy rain.

Cricinfo.com, the world’s largest single sport website, is venturing into print with the launch of . The monthly title will hit the newsstands in the first week of January.Though the magazine will be primarily aimed at an Indian readership – both in India and overseas – it will have a strong international flavour and will feature some of the world’s finest cricket writers. It will be be published by Infomedia India, an established publisher of special-interest magazines and business directories, under a license agreement with the Wisden Group.The first issue will comprise 124-pages, with a 32-page preview supplement on the eagerly-anticipated India-Pakistan series. In the cover features, Rahul Dravid, the India captain, shares his vision for Indian cricket, while Greg Chappell, the national coach, talks about his innovative coaching methods.Other key features include an in-depth look at fast bowling down the years, an examination of Pakistan’s growth as a team, interviews with Ian Healy and Chaminda Vaas, and Virender Sehwag’s flashback to one of his classic innings.The new magazine will be edited by Sambit Bal and compiled by the same experienced editorial team that produced . While retaining the core values of its acclaimed predecessor, will contain more pages and additional features. Regular contributors will include Harsha Bhogle and Sanjay Manjrekar and the first issue also features articles by Peter Roebuck, Mukul Kesavan and Gideon Haigh.Tom Gleeson, the CEO of the Wisden Group, said the magazine was a logical extension of the Cricinfo brand. “Cricinfo.com is the world’s largest publisher of cricket news, scores and analysis on the Internet. It makes perfect sense for us, in partnership with Infomedia, to bring the brand to the magazine stand.” will share the values that have made the website so successful, but it will also enable us to showcase the finest cricket writing and photography in the best possible format.”Prakash Iyer, the CEO of Infomedia India, said: “Cricket is India’s number one passion, and given that there is no specialist magazine of real quality in India catering for cricket lovers, we are looking to fill the void with .”The world’s largest and most passionate cricket audience deserves a truly world-class magazine. We will ensure that becomes the Indian fan’s can’t-put-down-companion.”The new title will be available on annual subscription to fans of the Indian game around the world. Full details of global subscription rates will be available on Cricinfo.com from the beginning of January.

Michael Vaughan has highlighted the need for his team to acclimatise quickly to the testing conditions of the subcontinent. England’s tour of Pakistan begins with a warm-up match on October 31, and one further practice game before the first Test gets underway on November 12 at Multan.”We’ve got players who haven’t played in the subcontinent and it does take a while to get used to the surreal conditions out there,” Vaughan told the BBC. “It’s a different type of cricket and we’re going to have to be at our best to get used to the conditions quickly.”Following this week’s news that the Pakistani team will lend hands-on support to areas devastated by last week’s earthquake, Vaughan is acutely aware of the trauma engulfing the region. “Going to Pakistan now for me is just a chance to hopefully put a few smiles on some of their faces,” he added. “We’ve played some great cricket and we know how passionate they are about their cricket. It’s going to be difficult but hopefully we’ll get the chance to do a bit of fundraising while we’re there, play some good cricket and bring some joy to some of them.”Any doubts about England suffering an Ashes hangover in Pakistan were quashed by the captain. While obviously delighted with his team’s performance against Australia, he conceded that Pakistan remain formidable opponents on their home territory: “It was great to play in [the Ashes] and win but we have to move on now and try and play well in Pakistan. Pakistan are a very talented team, Bob Woolmer has done a good job with them, got them playing well as a team, so it’s going to be a tough challenge.”Vaughan also said he was happy to continue as the England captain for as long as the ECB wanted him to. “I’m sure there will come a stage where the players would like to hear a different voice and like to have a different direction,” he added. “When that is I’m not too sure but it is up to the players and the ECB to decide how long they want me to carry on. I would love to carry on for a while but it is not my decision. I’ll stay for as long as they want me.”

Muttiah Muralitharan’s enforced layoff after shoulder surgery has prompted him to focus his attention on a global fundraising mission for a charitable trust designed to help disadvantaged rural communities in Sri Lanka.Muralitharan first travelled to England to wrap up his deal with Lancashire and participate in a charity evening at the Shenley Cricket Centre. He has now arrived in Canada to attend two felicitation-cum-fundraiser events in Ottawa and Toronto on October 8 and 9. Money will be raised through the auction of personal cricket memorabilia.Muralitharan will return to Sri Lanka next week, and will then visit Jaffna in early November as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the World Food Programme, before flying to Australia in mid-November for a check-up with Dr David Young, the surgeon who operated on his bowling shoulder in August.His focus on charity work – which provides a glimpse of his life after cricket – follows the setting up of the Muralidaran & Gunasekera Foundation two years ago. The foundation is currently involved in 90 humanitarian community projects in Sri Lanka, with many more in the pipeline.Muralitharan remains hopeful of being fit in time for Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand in December, contrary to some media reports which suggested that his comeback has been delayed, and has stepped up his rehabilitation programme. He will not resume bowling again, though, until after his meeting with Dr Young.

Durham have signed the former New Zealand offspinner Paul Wiseman for the 2007 season.Wiseman’s last match for New Zealand was their steamrollering of Sri Lanka in April 2005, who they beat by an innings and 38 runs, but he was wicketless and faced the axe. Now 36, he has represented Durham A this summer and is keen to make the most of this new opportunity to pass on his experience to a younger generation.”Paul is a player who we believe can offer a great deal to our set up, giving us good performances on the field and offering support to our younger players during their development,” Martyn Moxon, Durham’s head coach said. “Our aim has always been to compete at the highest possible level and by bringing in the likes of Dale Benkenstein last year and Paul this year we continue to provide our young cricketers support within the team as well as the opportunity to benefit from the experience of these guys.”Wiseman commented that he was “excited to be joining a club that is going places” and added: “The Academy and development set up at Durham has a proven track record of producing quality players and I am delighted to have the chance to lend my experience to the next generation.”

Cameron Green became the highest priced overseas player in IPL history, bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for INR 25.20 crore (AU$4.2 million approx).At Tuesday’s player auction for the 2026 season the Australia all-rounder was the subject of intense bidding between KKR and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) before being purchased by the three-time champions.Related

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Green became the ​third most expensive ‌IPL player overall, after India internationals Rishabh Pant (AU$4.46m) and Shreyas Iyer (AU$4.42m).His earnings are capped at just under AU$3 million under a new IPL regulation with the rest of the money paid by KKR going to the BCCI to support player welfare.Green received the news of his lucrative signing while preparing for the third Test against England starting on Wednesday.But Steven Smith headed a list of Australians who went unsold, in his case he did not even come up for offer with none of the teams requesting to bid on him.Unlike Green, whose deal was one of the first completed, Josh Inglis had to wait until approaching 2am Adelaide time to discover his fate. Smith’s fruitless wait was even longer.Cameron Green has earned a bumper deal•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty Images

“He adds lot to our team, especially with our new power coach Andre Russell, very nice to have a young allrounder,” said KKR’s CEO Venky Mysore of Green. “Him having had IPL experience, we know what he does with bat and ball. Couldn’t be happier.”Green previously played for Mumbai Indians (MI) and ​Royal ​Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) but ​missed the 2025 season ​after back surgery,In 29 IPL matches he has averaged 41.58 with the bat at a strike rate of 153.69, with a top score of 100 not out, while he’s taken 16 wickets at 41.50 and an economy rate of 9.07.Green’s price eclipsed Australia team-mate Mitchell Starc’s AU$4m figure for 2024, when also bought by KKR.Starc, now with Delhi Capitals (DC), was not in this year’s auction. He was one of 10 Australians already retained, along with Test team-mates Pat Cummins and Travis Head, both at Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).Josh Hazlewood, currently injured, has unsurprisingly been kept on by defending champions RCB.Four other Australians were also recruited. Ricky Ponting’s Punjab Kings added Ben Dwarshuis (AU$725,000) and Cooper Connolly (AU$500,000) to their coterie of Australians. Matthew Short (AU$250,000) joined CSK and SRH made New South Wales allrounder Jack Edwards (AU$500,000) the only uncapped overseas hire.That brought to 16 the number of Australian players involved in the 19th edition of the IPL, which begins on March 26, with several others among coaching staff, notably Ponting and Justin Langer.

John Bracewell, New Zealand’s coach, wants his batsmen to “start living above the line” of averaging above 40 on their tour of England and Scotland and beyond. He is counting on a young side, including the uncapped Aaron Redmond and Daniel Flynn, to flourish if New Zealand are to do well.”We’ve got to work above the line, and the line to be successful as an international batsman is 40-plus,” Bracewell told NZPA in Christchurch on Tuesday. “We’ve got to start moving in that direction. We’ve got to start living above the line.”Four New Zealand batsmen averaged above 40 in their latest Test series, against England earlier this year. Thirteen half-centuries were shared among seven batsmen, but only one – Ross Taylor – made a century.Redmond and Flynn now have their chance for debut. Redmond, 28, is almost guaranteed a start, as Bracewell has previously confirmed he will be the first-choice opener. 23-year-old Flynn made his ODI and Twenty20 debuts for New Zealand against England earlier this year but has yet to feature in a Test.Five players will join up with the squad in England on May 1, having been allowed to play in the IPL. Taylor, Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram and Kyle Mills will arrive in time for the first-class warm-ups against Essex and England A. The first Test, at Lord’s as is tradition, is one of three and begins on May 15. They will miss two practice matches: a one-dayer against MCC in Arundel on Sunday and a three-day fixture against Kent which starts on Monday.However, Bracewell was excited about the experience the IPL offered, denying that it wasn’t good preparation leading into a Test series. “It’s going to be great for us,” he said of the experience the players would gain playing alongside such players as Australia’s Ricky Ponting.”We go from Twenty20 stuff to one-dayers to Test matches at the drop of a hat on a travel-to-play basis now and these guys are our most experienced players. They’ll be comfortable with their return to the team and what they’ve gained from that. It’s a landscape we’re reasonably used to, but not necessarily at this hype.”Bracewell is excited by “the adventure” of playing in England, and hopes this will fire up his squad. “I loved that bonding culture that you get out of busing around the place,” said Bracewell, who toured there three times between 1983 and 1990. “Those sorts of grounds, so steeped in history… It’s something that scratches my itch and I hope that it scratches the itch of some of our young players.”New Zealand head to England having lost 2-1 at home in their recent Test series. Their last tour of England, in 2004, resulted in a 3-0 win for the home side.