Aussies don't take things easy

by A. C. de Silva

CRICKET: Fresh from a record third World Cup victory, Australia doesn't seem to be taking things easy as expected. The Australians are focusing their attention in replacing several retiring stars with young talent with the future in mind.

Australian cricket authorities seen after their team's triumph over Sri Lanka in the recent World Cup Cricket Final in the West Indies are keen in finding a replacement for their champion leg-spinner Shane Warne. Four leg-spinners aiming for the key spot were named in Cricket Australia's list of 25 contracted players for the 2007-08 season.

The four players are: World Cup star Brad Hogg, youngster Dan Cullen, veteran Stuart MacGill and 22-year-old Cullen Bailey, who has claimed 54 wickets in 17 first-class matches at an average of 41.51 per wicket.

Glenn McGrath, Warne, Damien Martyn and Justin Langer retired from the Australian team while seamer Michael Kasprowicz and batsman Simon Katich were cut for the list.

The retirement of Shane Warne is obviously irreplaceable, but there is an experienced spinner in Stuart MacGyill who has a great Test record and Brad Hogg he has had an encouraging World Cup tourney.

Then retirement of veteran paceman McGrath has also left a big gap, but there is exciting new ball bowling talent in Shaun Tait, Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus who has joined the list.

The full list of contracted players for 2007-08: Cullen Bailey, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, Daniel Cullen, Adam Gilchrist, Jason Gillespie, Brad Haddin, Matthew Hayden, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, James Hopes, Michael Hussey, Phil Jaques, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Stuart MacGill, Ricky Ponting, Chris Rogers, Andrew Symonds, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Sri Lanka beaten by good side

Sri Lanka are obviously disappointed that the country could not lift the World Cup for a second time after figuring in the final against Australia.

Australia completed a 53-run victory on the Duckworth-Lewis system in almost total darkness at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Adam Gilchrist was the man responsible in bringing victory to the Australians.

He seemed unstoppable on that day with that brilliant century. Sri Lanka's bowlers did contain Mathew Hayden and Ricky Ponting - the captain, but Gilchrist's superb performance took them by surprise. Sri Lanka faced a team, simply too good for them on the day.

When the Sri Lankans go into the next World Cup, they will not have Jayasuriya, Muralitharan and Atapattu who are likely to retire by then.

Sri Lanka's captain Mahela Jayawardena was unlucky with the toss and if it had not rained and Sri Lanka had batted first, then it would surely have been a different result, argued university student Dinum Pathirage.

Sri Lanka's President congratulated the national team's World Cup effort and pledged to help the side prepare for the future.

"I congratulate the captain and members of the Sri Lanka Cricket team on the success in finishing as runners-up in the ICC World Cup 2007 tournament," Rajapaksa said in a statement at the end of the two-month competition.

Sri Lanka's Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Muslims alike had organised religious services to bless the national team and pray for their success.

Cricket, hugely popular in Sri Lanka, is one of the few things cutting across ethnic and religious differences on the troubled island.

Problems for Windies too

Fans dressed in the Sri Lankan team's colours and waving the national flag braved rain to gather in their hundreds at playgrounds, clubs, hotels and bars showing live coverage of the match on giant screens.

Problems have come West Indies way too after their team's somewhat disappointing performances in the result World Cup Cricket tournament at 'home'.

Brian Lara who captained the West Indies in the World Cup announced his retirement from big-time cricket and the selectors have now begun life without Lara in picking their team for the tour of England.

The Windies, led for the first time by 26-year-old batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, includes most of the senior players who were part of the Caribbean side that fared poorly in the World Cup.

Marlon Samuels, the right-hand batsman and occasional off-spinner, was the major omission from the World Cup squad.

There was no room for a specialist spinner with five fast bowlers chosen. West Indies leaving next Tuesday, is scheduled to play four tests at Lord's (May 17-21), Headingley (May 25-29), Old Trafford (June 7-11) and Riverside Ground (June 15-19). A separate squad will be named for the three ODIs and two Twenty20s.

West Indies: Ramnaresh Sarwan (captain), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Daren Ganga, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Runako Morton, Sylvester Joseph, Darren Sammy, Denesh Ramdin, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, Ravi Rampaul.

Boiled eggs for red meat for Indians

While Sri Lanka are somewhat disappointed that victory did not smile on them at the World Cup final. India are at largely perturbed about their performance in the tournament.

Hard-boiled eggs are in and traditional fried fare is out as the Indian cricket team begins a week-long conditioning camp ahead of its tour of neighbouring Bangladesh, local media reported.

India suffered an upset loss to Bangladesh at the just-concluded World Cup in the Caribbean, hastening the former champion's exit from preliminary round of the tournament.

In the wake of its team's early World Cup departure, Indian cricket officials are leaving nothing to chance ahead of the Bangladesh tour, slapping a strict diet on the players.

"Every tour has its rules and regulations, and diet chart," Ratnakar Shetty, an Indian cricket board official told The Associated Press by telephone from Mumbai. "But I can't give you a breakdown of the food items."

But local Bangla-language television stations showed the team diet card, which prohibits red meat - which includes fatty meat from goats and sheep - and all fried food.

Lean meat - a term commonly used in India to refer to chicken - fruits and vegetables are allowed, and boiled eggs are specifically mentioned as a good protein source.

Bangladesh ended its most successful ever World Cup campaign after qualifying for the Super 8s section and recording three victories including its five-wicket win over India and a 67-run win over South Africa.

Bangladesh which has retained most of its World Cup squad for the Indian tour, including captain Habibul Bashar.

The Indian team leaves for Bangladesh on May 7 to play a three limited-overs internationals, followed by two tests. The one-dayers will be played May 10, 12 and 15, while the tests will be held from May 18 and 25.

India last toured Bangladesh in December 2004, when the hosts registered their first ever limited-overs international win on home ground - beating the more fancied India by 15 runs in their second match. "The Indian team will have problems in the one-day internationals," said Debasish Dutta, a prominent Indian cricket writer. "The Bangladesh team has realized that it has potential in the one-day variety of the game."

Dutta predicted India will dominate the Tests. "Bangladesh has not done well in the test variety of the game," said Dutta.