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Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq, Australia’s Shane Watson, and Mohammad Ashraful, the Bangladesh captain, are among 18 players included in the second Indian Premier League (IPL) auction to be held in Mumbai on March 11. The list is made up of seven New Zealanders, four Australians, three Pakistanis, two Bangladeshis, one Sri Lankan and South African each but no English cricketers.The injury-prone Watson has not played for Australia since the ICC World Twenty20 in September 2007 and he has struggled during Queensland’s Pura Cup campaign. He earned a recall to the national side for the CB Series but nagging leg problems forced him out again. Misbah, who was not included for the initial auction, is a big draw given his Twenty20 success in the last season.Mohammad Yousuf and Ashwell Prince, who failed to be picked up by any of the eight franchises last month, will be auctioned again.Western Australia’s Luke Pomersbach, who joins fellow Australians Watson, Brad Hodge and James Hopes in the second auction, said he was willing to play in the IPL for free. “I am pretty excited about it, because I did not think I would have a chance, but I have, and it will be a chance to play with some serious cricketers,” he told . “I would be happy to go over for free and play that standard of cricket and cricketers,” he said. “I will be able to learn so much from them, but I will take anything I can get.”A top BCCI official, on condition of anonymity, told IANS: “There are 13 other foreign players who have shown keen interest to play in the first season”. These include Shaun Tait, on a self-imposed indefinite break from cricket, Brad Hogg, who recently retired, West Indies’ Dwayne Smith, and Yasir Hameed, the Pakistan batsman. Seven other Australians have also apparently expressed interest.The IPL permits each franchise to buy more foreign players outside the list of 18 if they inform the tournament officials about who they are interested in. The IPL organisers would then negotiate the players’ base prices and try and secure No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the respective country boards.This auction is expected to be relatively smaller than the first, which was worth US$42 million. The eight franchise owners still have unspent money, a factor which has necessitated a second auction. The amounts are: $374,000 (Bangalore), $23,750 (Chennai), $71,250 (Delhi), $262,500 (Hyderabad), $1,700,000 (Jaipur), $107,500 (Kolkata), $292,250 (Mohali) and $53,750 (Mumbai).”If a team exceeds $5 million [after spending] on players who were initially not available but become available later, the excess expenditure will be ignored,” said the official. “Also, player fees for Indian players who were not in the auction do not count against the $5m purse. There will be no more auctions this season.”All team owners have to finalise their squads 30 days before the start of the 2008 season. The IPL kicks off on April 18.Players for second auction:
Pakistan: Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez; South Africa: Ashwell Prince; New Zealand: Ross Taylor, Peter Fulton, Jamie How, Jeetan Patel, Chris Martin, Kyle Mills, James Franklin; Australia: Brad Hodge, Shane Watson, James Hopes, Luke Pomersbach; Sri Lanka: Prasanna Jayawardene; Bangladesh: Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza.Players who have expressed their interest:
Australia: Shaun Marsh, Brad Hogg, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, Mick Lewis, Darren Lehmann, Allan Wise, Aiden Blizzard, Adam Crosthwaite; South Africa: Goolam Bodi; Pakistan: Yasir Hameed; West Indies: Kieran Powell, Dwayne Smith.

1. Geoff Marsh – Mr. Nudist
A long-time room-mate of David Boon, Swampy lived and breathed cricket, mostly batting, as anyone who saw his bowling action would testify. He was so passionate that Boonie was often woken early in the morning to the site of Swampy – in his birthday suit – practising forward defences in front of the mirror! Never great at amusing himself, he would get annoyed if Boonie was reading a novel and not talking to him. On one occasion Boonie left the room, only to return to find his novel ripped to shreds by a smiling Swampy.2. Justin Langer – Mr. Sleepwalker
JL is known as a bit of a sleepwalker and also talks in his sleep. This alone might not seem like such a big problem, however Alfie is a black belt in martial arts, which adds some intrigue when you are woken by him screaming obscenities as he walks towards you throwing his kicks and punches. One of the major factors in the push for single rooms, not so much for solitude but for self-preservation.3. Steve Waugh – Mr. Messy
There is an old TV sitcom called The Odd Couple about Felix too neat, and Oscar too messy. When I roomed with Steve it was two Oscars and that meant trouble. I roomed with him once in Brisbane before the first Test against the Poms in 1994-95, and it was a disaster. We got along fine as blokes but we had a few problems with our domestication duties – shirts, shoes, socks, cricket gear and mini-bar wrappers were all sprawled around our room over the week-long stay. At the end of the Test, he left with half my gear and I left with half of his, although I didn’t get his cherished baggy green.4. Mark Waugh – Mr. Julio
I roomed a bit with Junior early in my career before I really got to know him. We didn’t have a lot in common in our touring life. I’m a massive Hawthorn fan in the AFL and his love was for the Bulldogs in the NRL. On a day off he loved nothing more than 18 holes of golf, while I was a non-golfer. He was one of the prominent members of the Julios, guys within the team who took a lot of pride in personal grooming. I was in the middle of the Nerd clan and very fashion-challenged. To motivate myself for big games I’d listen to Metallica, ACDC and Kiss, while Junior preferred the sounds of The Little River Band!

5. Michael Bevan – Mr. Mission Impossible
Rooming with Bevo was a bigger challenge than Tom Cruise had in any of his Mission:Impossible movies. Bevo was a perfectionist who needed the right amount of sleep to bring out his best game. He took objection to smokers, snorers, earlier risers, late-to-bedders, tall blokes, small blokes, drinkers etc. This is a man who has had the flu now for 36 years and took his own pharmacy on tour to maintain peak physical condition. Another individual who brought the notion of single rooms to the forefront.6. Darren Lehmann – Mr. McDonald’s
Would be Michael Bevan’s nightmare roomy from hell. Smokes like a trooper, loves a beer and the odd late night. Then when he does get home he proceeds to snore as loud as rioting elephants. We roomed together in Sri Lanka in 1996 for an ODI tournament which was under heavy security. We couldn’t leave the hotel, so that made the boys a little stir crazy for the three weeks. The highlight, for Boof and myself, was me questioning him about the McDonald’s menu. At that stage he had a McDonald’s card that gave him free food. I would ask questions like, “How much is a Big Mac meal deal, six nuggets and a caramel sundae?” He would have 15 seconds to answer. “Supersize or regular?” he would ask. “Supersize”, I would reply. “$9.55” . . . hours of fun!7. Brad Hogg – Mr. Fitness
Hoggy made his Aussie debut touring India in 1996 and was keen to set a good example. He was always first to training and last to finish, which would have impressed his team-mates except for the fact that the team bus couldn’t leave until he had finished! Jeez we watched him bowl a lot in the nets. Being from the country he was always up early and ready for action. Room-mates were woken to grunting noises as he punched out push-ups and sit-ups at 5.30am. And he is still the only Australian cricketer to actually buy weights on a tour and carry them around for the entire trip!8. Shane Warne – Mr. Entertainment
Rooming with Warney was always enjoyable as he loves his gadgets – DVDs, Minidiscs and the latest in mobile phones. He used to bring complete home entertainment systems on tour, lugging around a subwoofer and speakers in its own suitcase, before proceeding to play his music and movies – loud. Not a problem when he played some Powderfinger but I think Spice Girls should be listened to in the privacy of your own headphones. He once bought a mobile phone in Dubai in 1994 when they were only just new and the size of a house brick. He was disappointed with the low volume when speaking only to realise the phone was upside-down and back-to-front! Also a softie at heart, I once woke to find him crying during Notting Hill, when Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts reunite at the end.

9. Merv Hughes – Mr. Bodily Functions
I first roomed with Merv as an 18-year-old mulleted teenager straight from high school. I grew nervous when my fellow team-mates wished me luck. But we hit it off straight away; he became like a big brother to me. On arrival I would be sent to get food – maybe a couple of hamburgers, with a diet coke to even it out! I would also buy a Big M and Picnic each for sweets, to be saved for later that night. We would then “bat cave” our room by closing all curtains so no light could enter and have a couple of hours’ siesta, then wake up and go out that night. Merv would then leave earlier than me, and I would go home to find two empty Big M cartons and Picnic wrappers. No need for an alarm clock, we had Merv’s natural one. All I will say is that it was loud and smelly but very consistent – set for 30 minutes before departure. In those days for Victoria we used to swap roomies every second trip. I don’t know what I did wrong but I roomed with Merv for six years!10. Craig McDermott – Mr. Neat
Was the leader of our pace attack when I first came on the Australian scene and going from Big Merv’s laidback attitude to Billy was quite a contrast. It really was The Odd Couple with myself and Billy. Everything had to be packed neatly, clothes put into drawers and shirts hung up on their hangers. In my seven years touring with the Aussie team I never packed any clothes in hotel drawers. Any rubbish I had thrown around was picked up by Billy and put in the bin before he would even acknowledge me. He was a massive snorer. The night before an Adelaide Test against the Poms I was in bed early, wanting a long relaxing sleep. Just as I was drifting off, Billy starts snoring. After tossing and turning for hours I finally screamed out, “Stop snoring Billy!” In a semi-conscious state he apologised and proceeded to stop snoring. I don’t know how that works.11. Troy Corbett (Vic) – Mr. Fast Food
Special mention to one of the great blokes of Victorian cricket. I was rooming with him and our middle-order player Laurie Harper in Darwin for pre-season one year. The apartments had one double bedroom and one bedroom with two singles. Using my Australian experience, I pulled rank immediately and chose the double. I slept beautifully and woke to see Laurie camped with bed sheets in the kitchen looking like he’d hardly had a wink of sleep. He told me he’d had to move out as he was scared to sleep in the same room as Ronnie. Ronnie, who was working at McDonald’s at the time, was a sleepwalker and Laurie awoke to his team-mate above him, flipping burgers in his sleep, and of course … he was nude!

When the West Indies Cricket Board named Brian Lara as their captain for the third time, they were opting for experience, as their focus will undoubtedly be on preparing for the World Cup in the region in 2007.Lara’s return had been foretold after Shivnarine Chanderpaul resigned one year into the post. His third stint in the job was seen as a critical aspect of preparing this young team for the tournament that is now less than a year away. His experience and maturity will be vital elements for a team in need of nurturing, especially after the uninterrupted string of defeats they have just suffered.At the press conference in Port of Spain where the announcement was made today, Lara described himself as a “father figure” and a “leader” in the team, and said this time around for him, he would define success as producing a leader, improving the relationship between the West Indies Players’ Association and the WICB, “turning the corner” for West Indies cricket, and playing well at the World Cup. He also said he hoped that long-waited resurgence would come under his leadership.Lara added that the WICB had gone for experience instead of youth, and the names that had been bandied about prior to the announcement were all youthful, with the exception of Chris Gayle.Gayle, whose name seemed to have surfaced only to recede again, was the contender with the most experience following Lara. And although it ended up with most people narrowing it down to a choice between Ramnaresh Sarwan, the former vice-captain and Daren Ganga, the Trinidad and Tobago national captain, both lack the kind of experience needed at this juncture.For Sarwan, who has had more Test exposure than his demeanour suggests, it might be a good internship, one he would do well to take seriously as his boyish impetuosity seems to distort his learning curve too often.Ganga, who has only just recovered some of his Test form, has done a brilliant job of leading Trinidad and Tobago to two regional victories. But Ganga cannot be expected to carry the burdens of this crucifying captaincy yet. He offers great hope as a future leader, but needs to come into his own first, and to have a chance to settle in as a Test player.Gayle, on the other hand, has all the makings of a young Clive Lloyd, and it will be interesting to see if he is entrusted with a position of leadership, as it could lift his game to a more careful, consistent level, as it did for Lloyd. With Lloyd himself back within the corridors of West Indies cricket, there is no reason for them not to develop a mentoring relationship that could help Gayle to become the powerful leader this team needs.Earlier this year, at a leadership seminar held for some of the cricketers at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies, it was observed that Gayle was seen by the other players as a senior, experienced player to be heeded and respected. For a team that has been riven by internal divisions particularly over the contract disputes, which were finally ended today as well, the importance of a leader that has the respect of all is particularly crucial.What emerged from the seminar was that, despite the existence of little cliques within the team, Gayle is perceived to be above the partisan behaviour, and thus is liked by all. These attributes would be well remembered, especially for the old/new captain who has already declared it his mission to groom his potential successors.The WICB was unable to name a vice-captain today, and that alone should underscore the importance of Lara’s mission. These three are part of a group described by Lara as being under 25, but within their ranks there are one or two others with potential as well. Lara’s return should be seen as part of a moulding mission, of working to build a team that has shelf life – not on the bottom shelf, but at eye level at the very least, long after the World Cup.Squad to face Zimbabwe Chris Gayle, Runako Morton, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara (capt), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Smith, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor, Ian Bradshaw.

Tony Dodemaide will return home to Melbourne to accept the post of Cricket Victoria’s chief executive after taking a globetrotting path to the job. Dodemaide, who played 10 Tests and 24 ODIs, was a swing-bowling allrounder for Victoria during his playing days before he spent five years as Marylebone Cricket Club’s head of cricket at Lord’s.In 2004 he joined the Western Australian Cricket Association as chief executive and oversaw a period where the organisation tackled severe debt problems and experienced an executive takeover led by Dennis Lillee, who is now the president. Dodemaide is expected to start his role with Cricket Victoria by the end of the current season.”I’m looking forward to returning to Victorian cricket immensely,” Dodemaide said. “The challenge of leading Cricket Victoria into the future is one that is extremely exciting and I’m pleased to be returning to where my cricket first started.”Geoff Tamblyn, the Cricket Victoria chairman, said Dodemaide had outstanding administrative credentials. “He led a strong list of candidates and we’re excited to have him at the helm,” he said. “Tony was an exceptional contributor to Victoria as a player and we look forward to him providing similarly strong performances in his new role.” Dodemaide will replace Ken Jacobs, who resigned in November after 26 years in the position.

Sussex begin the defence of their Championship crown against Hampshire at The Rose Bowl on Wednesday aiming to become the first county since Yorkshire in 1968 to claim a hat-trick of titles. It was been a fraught few months at Hove as they sweated over the availability of Mushtaq Ahmed, but their match-winner arrived safely in the country this week as Sussex were taking on MCC at Lord’s.He whirled away in the nets, clearing his throat with some hearty appeals as much as loosening his limbs for the campaign ahead. He has taken an incredible 459 wickets in five years with Sussex – including 192 in the last two successful seasons – and while anyone on the south coast baulks at the suggestion they are a one-man man it is undeniable the role Mushtaq has played.However, Sussex have nothing to feel guilty about even if Mushtaq does provide such a significant advantage. They were clever enough to lure him to Hove in 2003 when his career was threatening to end quietly, and his enthusiasm and spirit runs throughout the squad, which, if anything, looks stronger this season even with the loss of Rana Naved and Richard Montgomerie.The availability of Matt Prior, who is set to bat at No. 6, adds Test-match class to a healthy middle order while Chris Nash and Carl Hopkinson are more than capable of filling Montgomerie’s boots. The bowling depth is there, too. Their new Australian signing, Ryan Harris, caught the attention with four wickets on debut at Lord’s, where Luke Wright also bowled with impressive pace. And on top of all that, there’s James Kirtley waiting in the wings.”It’s been a fantastic time for Sussex in the last four or five years,” said their captain, Chris Adams. “We’ve played really competitive cricket and the nucleus of the squad is very much there. But we also have young players coming through and players coming back from international call-ups. We look a strong squad on paper, but what I can say from behind those closed doors is that we are also strong as a unit. It’s great to have Mushy back and Murray Goodwin, they are two quality players who will only add to what we’ve got.”Goodwin also played a major role in Sussex’s first Championship in 2003, finishing the season with a career-best 335 against Leicestershire to seal the title. Adams believes the side has continued to evolve since then and keeps getting stronger. “Less and less are we relying on one-dimensional players – bowlers who don’t bat – the way our side is now structured includes a lot of players who bowl and bat to a high standard. That’s what the vision has always been, and if that includes players who have come through our system then we are getting to where we wanted to be. Good home grown talent who could play for England.”Crucially, though, the impact of international calls in the near future will be limited. Wright will be part of the one-day squad, but with Prior out of favour and the only other absentee could be Michael Yardy if he pushed his claims in the one-day arena which appears unlikely.However, being the holders and, in many people’s eyes, the favourites Sussex are there to be knocked off. “It’s going to be another tight year. I don’t think one, two or three sides are going to run away with it. It will be another year of everyone beating everyone, I really think the level has got much closer,” said Adams.”Surrey have impressed me with their end-of-season form last year, Lancashire are always strong, Hampshire and Kent as well. Somerset are making a lot of noise, telling us how good they are, so I’m keen to see how good they actually are. They are making a few declarations.”

Adams doesn’t want to look too far ahead with Sussex playing four key Championship matches in the first four weeks. “For me it’s about the next month. If you’re not on the money and properly prepared now you can find yourself with a lot to do. I know Surrey found that last year and were left to rue the start they had.”Two days after the Championship starts the Indian Premier League bursts into life. There is much conjecture about how the future of domestic cricket will look – and there will undoubtedly be change – but Adams believes the current set-up is strong and performing its role of preparing players for the top level.”I think we have a powerful product in domestic cricket, the ECB should be looking to use that,” he said. “In terms of the step up from what we are playing now to international cricket they tell me it’s not too far away now. We have to thank the likes of Murali, Warney and for Peter Moores letting the England players back into county cricket. It’s become quite an intense environment mirroring what you’d expect in Tests.”The international calendar is so packed that it means more Tests or ODIs are never far away and England start their series against New Zealand on May 15. In the meantime, if the IPL hasn’t grabbed your attention then take a look at the Championship over the next month. It might surprise you.

Despite the comprehensive nature of the 157-run victory in Durban, GraemeSmith asserted that there would be no hint of complacency as they took onIndia on a Newlands pitch that was likely to be a lot less pacy than theone at Kingsmead. Smith expected India to find form as the tour went on,but warned that his bowlers certainly wouldn’t be offering any freebies toan embattled batting line-up.”Obviously, we have worked hard and taken a lot of confidence from thefirst match,” he said. “We’ve talked at length on how to adapt to theNewlands wicket. I think the first 10 or 15 overs, whether we bat or bowlfirst, is going to be crucial. It will set up the game. We’ll make sure wedon’t allow the Indians any sort of chance to get in during that time.”His reaction bordered on the sympathetic when he was asked whether he hadbeen surprised by the ineptitude on display in Durban. “They arrived a dayor two before the first game [in Benoni],” he said. “They really didn’thave any net practice. The day after arrival is always a tough day withjetlag, and they went straight into the first game cold. There was a lotof rain in Jo’burg, no nets, and then a bit of rain in Durban. So theywere probably a bit undercooked going into it.”We expect them to bounce back here and we are not going to take themlightly. But we have sorted out our plans for tomorrow, and Newlands hasbeen a fantastic place for us.” Back in March, his team routed Australiaby 196 runs, with Makhaya Ntini taking 6 for 22 before the lights had beenfully switched on.Herschelle Gibbs’s loss of form has been written about in the SouthAfrican media, and Smith himself didn’t enjoy the best of starts to theseries at Kingsmead. “It’s not a worry,” he said. “If I can speak formyself, I’m feeling really good. It’s just that I have played only fivegames in four months, and we need a bit of time in the middle. I’m feelinggood at the nets, and it’s just a matter of getting it right in themiddle. I think Herschelle is pretty much the same. If both of us get astart, it’s important that we cash in.”

The Pakistan squad were rewarded with cash bonuses at a reception organised by the PCB for reaching the final of the ICC World Twenty20.Each of the 15 Pakistan players and their eight officials were given Rs 2.5 million [approx. US$41,200]. “We may not have won the World Twenty20 title but our cricketers have made all of us proud by the way they played in the tournament,” Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, said.The PCB also honoured Mohammad Yousuf for canceling his contract with the Indian Cricket League and returning to the national Test squad. Yousuf, 33, received $100,000 for signing a central contract with the board and a further $100,000 for becoming the ICC’s Test player of the year.The squad also received a cheque of Rs10 million [approx. US$164,000] from the Dubai-based Fortune Group owned by Mohammad Ali, a Pakistani businessman. The total prize money awarded was US$2 million.

ScorecardSteven Finn was back in the groove in his comeback performance for England Lions (file photo)•Getty Images

Steven Finn enhanced his prospects of a belated call-up to England’s Test tour of South Africa with a hostile three-wicket comeback performance for England Lions in Dubai, but his efforts were trumped by the Pakistan A opener Sharjeel Khan, whose 70 from 50 balls set his side up for a tense four-wicket victory and a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.Finn, who was withdrawn from the recent Test series against Pakistan due to a stress-related injury in his foot, showed plenty hostility and no signs of discomfort to claim figures of 3 for 22 in four overs, including two wickets in two balls in the second over of his spell.”It just felt nice to be playing again, and I’m very happy with how it went,” Finn said. “Bowling in the nets can’t give you that competitive edge you get in a match. I really enjoyed being back out there. It’s definitely a good starting block.”Defending a target of 143 after another promising start from Dawid Malan and a strong finish from Liam Dawson, Finn found his range in conceding two runs from his opening over before a change-up in pace confounded Sohaib Maqsood, who was bowled round his legs for 3. One ball later, Mohammad Nawaz had no response to a perfect outswinger that curled off his edge and into the gloves of Sam Billings behind the stumps.It was a statement of intent from a bowler whom Alastair Cook, in his departure press conference at Heathrow on Thursday, had admitted was ahead of schedule in his comeback from injury, having spent most of the last month with his left foot in a moon boot. “Steven has made big strides over the last couple of weeks,” Cook said. “That’s really encouraging for him.” On this evidence, he can probably start making plans for a Cape Town New Year.However, Finn’s figures were dented in his third over by Sharjeel, who pulled a four then smeared a six to kick-start his own innings and Pakistan’s run-chase. He galloped along to a 30-ball half-century, with six fours and a six, adding 52 for the third wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed, who played a willing second-fiddle with 15 from 19 balls before flapping a short ball from Jamie Overton to midwicket.Their stand had given Pakistan command of the contest but, at 92 for 3, Finn returned in the 14th over to complete his spell. Sure enough, with his second ball, he beat Babar Azam for pace as Dawson at midwicket collected a top-edged pull.Sharjeel, however, responded immediately with a four through an unguarded fine leg and, one over later, the new batsman, Saad Nasim, lifted Tom Westley over fine leg for six to restore Pakistan’s ascendancy. England’s death bowlers battled valiantly to keep their side in the game but Nasim added two more sixes, including one in the final over off Reece Topley, to all but seal the victory with 33 from 21 balls.Nasim was denied the winning shot when Topley completed a caught-and-bowled with two runs needed for victory, but Saifullah Bangash walloped four to seal the result with two balls to spare.After winning the toss and batting first, England’s innings failed to ignite despite a handful of promising cameos at the top of the order. For the third match running, Malan provided the early impetus, making 35 from 29 balls with three fours and a six over long-on off the spin of Bilal Asif.But at the other end, James Vince fell in the second over, well caught by the diving keeper, Bangash, off Mir Hamza for 6, and though Westley came out swinging with three fours in the space of four balls, he fell in search of his fourth, a miscued pull off Rumman Raees that picked out deep fine leg for 13.Billings was unable to get going in his run-a-ball 15. Although he top-edged his fifth ball, off Raees, over fine leg for six, he then added six more singles in the space of his next ten balls before mowing across the line at Asif and holing out to Ifhikhar at long-on.Malan and Ross Whiteley then fell in the space of six balls to a pair of expertly judged catches – first Azam flung himself full-length at midwicket to intercept Malan’s flat pull before Junaid Khan leapt in the covers to send Whiteley on his way for a third-ball duck, as England slipped to a precarious 76 for 5 in the 12th over.However, Dawson marshalled his side’s recovery with 45 not out from 37 balls, including a final-ball six over fine leg as Junaid strayed on to his pads. He added a restorative 54 runs for the sixth wicket with Ben Foakes, whose 16 from 18 balls ended when he inside-edged Raees on to his stumps, then farmed the strike well with Jamie Overton to give his bowlers a total to defend. Despite Finn’s best efforts, it wasn’t quite enough.

South African left-hander Arno Jacobs will join Australian George Bailey as the two permitted overseas professionals for the Scotland in this year’s Friends Provident Trophy campaign, which starts at the Grange on April 29.Jacobs, 30, plays for Western Warriors in South Africa’s domestic competitions, and has a first-class average of nearly 40 with nine centuries and more than 20 half-centuries to his name. In 99 one-day games, he has reached three figures six times, and 50 on twelve occasions. He also scored a century in a World Cup warm-up match against Pakistan at Kimberley in January this year. Jacobs, who had a spell as pro for Stoneywood-Dyce recently, is currently playing for the Middleton club in Lancashire.George Bailey, 24, who is this year’s club professional for national league champions Grange, is one of the brightest prospects in contemporary Tasmanian cricket. He has a first-class average of 36.95 from just 26 matches. He got his chance in the Pura Cup in 2005-6, scoring three centuries and 778 runs, and last year staked a claim for national representation with his highest score of 155 against South Australia, in a record 292-run partnership with Travis Birt. A former Australia under-19 player, he is a direct relation of George Herbert Bailey, who was part of the 1878 touring squad to England.Both players will feature in Scotland’s nine Friends Provident Trophy matches, only four of which are home games: against Yorkshire (Sunday April 29), Nottinghamshire (Sunday May 20), Derbyshire (Sunday June 3) and Warwickshire (Sunday June 10). The away matches are against Leicestershire (Sunday May 6), Northamptonshire (Monday May 7), Lancashire (Sunday May 27), Durham (Monday May 28) and Worcestershire (Wednesday May 13).Roddy Smith, chief executive of Cricket Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have recruited two players of high quality to supplement our Scottish players. Both George and Arno have had very successful domestic seasons in Australia and South Africa respectively, and we are sure they will add significantly to the Saltires squad for this season.”National coach Peter Drinnen added: “Our new captain Ryan Watson will be greatly helped in his task by having two such accomplished run-getters. That should enable our own players to gain confidence in their own abilities as the season progresses.”

BCCI president Sharad Pawar has announced a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh (around US$12,000) each for the 15 members of the Asia Cup-winning Indian women’s squad.Hailing the triumph, Pawar said, “I congratulate the women’s cricket team for winning the Asia Cup.” India were undefeated throughout the tournament, winning all six league games before crushing Sri Lanka by 177 runs in the final on Sunday to clinch their fourth successive Asia Cup.After Asha Rawat’s 114-ball 97 helped set up a stiff target of 261 for Sri Lanka, the Indian spinners sparked a collapse which saw the hosts lose their last eight wickets for 22 runs. It was the fourth consecutive time that India and Sri Lanka had clashed in the finals.India’s president, Pratibha Patil, also congratulated the team and their captain Mithali Raj for the victory.