South Africa have their minds firmly set on holding aloft the World Cup trophy on April 28 but, the day they flew out to the Caribbean, Graeme Smith got his hands on another piece of silverware as his team were presented with the ICC one-day championship plate.It had been flown in from Australia, the first time it has changed hands since the ranking system began in 2002. South Africa moved to top-spot after their 3-1 series win against Pakistan and Australia’s 3-0 Chappell-Hadlee whitewash in New Zealand.Along with the trophy comes US$175,000 for the team that is top at April 1 each year with $US75,000 going to the second-placed team. Smith, was handed the plate at a special ceremony in Johannesburg, shortly before the squad left for West Indies.He said: “This a great honour and a deserved reward for all the hard work the team has put in over the past 18 months. However, heading the log at this stage will not change our focus on the job at hand over the next two months in the Caribbean.”Gerald Majola, CEO of Cricket South Africa, added: “This is an outstanding achievement by the Proteas under the leadership of Graeme Smith. They have had an extraordinary run of form over the past 12 months. This includes a 3-2 series win over Australia, sealed by scoring a then world-record 438 for 9 as well as seven wins from their last eight completed matches.”Now all eyes are on the World Cup, and the players are quietly confident that their teamwork will stand them in good stead throughout the tournament”.

Graeme Smith remembers well the pain of the World Cup exit against Sri Lanka four years ago, but with his team now ranked No.1 in the world, he insists that memories of that defeat won’t be needed to inspire a winning start to the Super Eights at the Providence Stadium on Wednesday. South Africa made their task a little harder by losing to Australia in St Kitts, but with games against Ireland and Bangladesh to come after this one, Smith is confident that they can navigate a path to the last four.”I remember it being a pretty sad day,” said Smith when asked about that Durban exit. “I remember the disappointment on the guys’ faces when we knew we weren’t going through. To tie another game in the World Cup was massively disappointing. There are some guys who were part of those disappointments but this team is trying to set new standards. Asimportant as it is to learn from your mistakes, it’s important to generate your own personality and style and we’ve achieved that over a year and a half.”For three-fourths of the game against Australia, South Africa were well on course, with Smith leading the way. But once he started cramping up, the innings stalled and the vital carry-over points were lost. “Obviously, you’d love to start with two points,” he said. “It makes things simpler. Not having those two points, you know what you need to do, which games you need to win.”The presence of two unfancied teams has certainly changed the situation, and Smith admitted as much. “It does make things more difficult,” he said. “The big question on most of the other teams’ minds will be whether Ireland or Bangladesh can upset anyone else. You can’t take anyone for granted.”What we’ve learnt from these tournaments is that nothing seems to go according to plan. We’re just trying to keep our focus on this part of the tournament. If we can have a successful time in Guyana, it takes a lot of pressure off us heading to Grenada and Barbados.”The sternest test they face in Guyana will undoubtedly come from Sri Lanka, who drubbed Bangladesh and then brushed aside India to seal their place at cricket’s top table. “We saw a little bit of them,” said Smith. “They have some really talented cricketers and play well in these conditions. They’re one of the teams to beat, as they were in the Champions Trophy.”That game was played in a fairly heated atmosphere, given Sri Lankan allegations of South African cowardice after they abandoned a tri-series also featuring India. But with a place in the semi-finals on the line, South Africa powered to a 78-run victory on the back of disciplined bowling from a five-pronged pace attack.Smith though is wary of the threat that Sri Lanka pose, especially against the new ball. “They’ve got a pretty powerful batting line-up up front,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of options in their bowling, a good bit of variety. We’ve played a lot of times and they’ve always been good close games. We’ve had our times and beaten them, and they’ve had theirs and beaten us.”With so much rain having fallen over the past week, there’s also the possibility of a stop-start game on a new pitch whose behaviour no one’s keen to predict. “It’s something we have discussed,” said Smith. “It’s about getting 40 overs in over two days if the weather’s going to carry on like this. It’s pretty much out of your control.

“We’ve got a lot of options. Most of our guys are pretty comfortable with it [20-over cricket]. If that does happen, I’m sure we’ll be able to adapt. Hopefully it won’t reach that and we’ll get a full game of cricket. I’m sure the people here want that. They’ve been waiting for this, and you can feel the vibe around the place.”Following the defeat to Australia, much was made of the manner in which Jacques Kallis batted for his 48, but Smith understandably didn’t want to say anything too critical about a man whose batting has been the bedrock of recent success. “As we do after every game, win or lose, we debrief and discuss areas we can improve on,” he said. “It was a hard thing for me to comment on at the time because I was with the doctor and the physio getting ready to get back out there. But Jacques is an experienced cricketer. He might have made a mistake, he might not have. You just have to make sure the same mistakes don’t happen twice.”In hot and muggy Guyana, Smith himself will be doubly careful to avoid a repeat of what happened in St Kitts. “It was an unusual thing for myself,” he said when asked about the cramp that afflicted him. “I’ve scored hundreds in these conditions and never been through that. It came as a surprise to me and the medical team. They’ve got me on a hydration process to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”He was also asked for his views on happenings away from the field. With Bob Woolmer having coached South Africa in two World Cups, a question or two was understandable, but given the team’s unhappy memories of the match-fixing era, Smith fervently hoped that such speculation wasn’t true. “We get letters from the ACU [Anti Corruption Unit] all the time warning us how much will be bet on the tournament and all that stuff,” he said. “I’m pretty comfortable that they’re managing the game well. It’s hard for me to talk of other teams. I can only talk of my own. The players respect the game and having been through what we have, it would be sad if there’s any sort of spot-betting taking place.”Wednesday’s match certainly looks too close to call, but after so many debacles in the past, South Africa are doubly determined to live up to their No.1 ranking. “We let ourselves down at times against Australia, but also played some superb cricket,” said Smith. “The guys know that we’re a quality team and the confidence is still right up there.”That self-belief has enabled South Africa to stitch together the run of results that took them past a slumbering Australia in the ICC Table. But on a pitch that looks like it could have been made in Colombo, South Africa’s resolve will be severely tested and a Smith special might be just the clarion call that they need.

Throughout the World Cup Graeme Smith has dealt with many questions about choking. It’s a reputation South Africa have earned over years of failing a few big tests, and none have been more famous than two World Cup matches. In 1999, the inability to get one run in four balls cost them a place in the final, and, in 2003, they fell one short of a spot in the Super Sixes at home.”Today, we demolished it,” Smith said of the choking tag after beating England in a must-win match last week. Yet, he must know that there is only way to bury the past: they must not finish the World Cup as second-best. For a start, they need to beat Australia in St Lucia on Wednesday.The scar of 1999 runs the deepest. Smith was nowhere near the dressing room then – he was there when they botched the chase against Sri Lanka in 2003 – but he must face up to it every time South Africa meet Australia in a match of consequence. It was the second question addressed to him at St Lucia today and Smith responded with outward calm.Was his team fed up with being asked that question? “Not really,” he said. “It doesn’t get mentioned within the setup that much.” He did admit that it came up during a recent team conference. “But even with the guys who were part of the game it’s not such a big issue as people are making it out to be.”The 1999 game was a game in history, an incredible game of cricket and obviously it was disappointing for the country, but it’s a game that you learn from and move forward.” Of course, it would have been lost on no one that there would be no better way of moving forward than getting past Australia in a World Cup semi-final.Smith is aware of the enormity of the task. Australia have not lost a World Cup match since May 23, 1999, and have looked like a team from a different planet in this event. Batsmen in all other sides have struggled at various times in the tournament, but Australia have not lost more than six wickets, and have never failed to score 300 when batting first. Smith was quick to grab the role of the underdog.”It must be said they haven’t looked like a team beaten,” he said. “They are carrying all the expectations and we are happy to go under the radar.” He did make it clear that unlike the rest of the world, which thinks South Africa’s best chance lies with Australia having an off day, his team is prepared to take on Australia at their best.

“We’re not sitting back expecting them to play a bad game,” Smith said. “That’s not how we’re going into this. We’re going into this game looking to execute our plan and expecting to beat them. We’re hoping to beat the best Australian team, and we are mentally preparing for that.”A semi-final is a tough game, what’s happened before means nothing. The fact you are here, I guess, is the most important thing. The guys are focused and the funny thing is there is no tension yet. There is a unique confidence in the side that I haven’t seen for a while. We have peaked at the right time, the game against England gave us a large boost.”Smith also stood up for Jacques Kallis, whose approach has been criticised despite him being South Africa’s leading run-scorer with 480 runs at 96. “My feeling about Jacques is that he’s a world-class player, definitely a team player,” he said. “He plays to the way he assesses a team total on the day and not all the time can anyone get it right.”He’s won many games for South Africa as a batter. Over the last couple of months and maybe years, he has had a look at his one-day game, maybe with the game changing he’s had to reassess a few things, but he’s an integral part of our team and I’m sure he’s going to play a massive role in the semi-final.”Smith singled out Herschelle Gibbs as the man most likely to be able to hustle Australia. “He’s unpredictable, has shots all around the wicket and he’s played well throughout the tournament,” he said. “He looks very determined going into this.”You talk about ’99 and how many guys get a second chance. He’s looking forward to the opportunity, I really believe Herschelle is up there for Wednesday.” Smith would not admit it, but there was no getting away from 1999. In the most unflattering way, it defines South Africa.

Mashrafe Mortaza, the Bangladesh fast bowler, has replaced Shoaib Akhtar in the Asian squad for the Afro-Asia Cup beginning next month in India. Shoaib had pulled out two days earlier as he failed to recover sufficiently from a knee injury.”We have picked up Mortaza to replace (Shoaib) Akhtar in the Asian squad,” ASM Faruque, member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) selection committee told Reuters.Mortaza is the second Bangladesh player to make it to the one-day squad after the inclusion of Mohammad Rafique, left-arm spinner. Mortaza is also a part of the Asian Twenty20 international squad for the one-off match on June 5 in Bangalore. He recently won the Man-of-the-Match award in the first Test against India in Chittagong for his first-innings 79.The three-match ODI series gets underway on June 6 in Bangalore, followed by the next two games in Chennai on June 9 and 10 respectively.

Trevor Bayliss has been appointed as the new Sri Lanka coach. Bayliss, 44, who succeeds Tom Moody, will begin a two-year term in August after giving up his coaching duties in New South Wales.Jayantha Dharmadasa, president of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), said Bayliss, who was interviewed in Colombo, had made such an impressive presentation that the board had no hesitation in contracting him as the next coach.”Trevor came before a high powered committee comprising Aravinda de Silva, Sidath Wettimuny, Michael Tissera, Anura Tennekoon and Duleep Mendis, who were very impressed with his presentation,” Dharmadasa said.A stroke-playing middle-order batsman and brilliant cover fielder, Bayliss quickly made his mark as the head coach of NSW when he succeeded Steve Rixon three years ago. He became a cricket development officer for the NSW Cricket Association and was a mentor to the second XI for a long time before taking the top job.Kanangan Mathivanan, SLC’s secretary, said: “When we knew how good he was, we signed him up immediately because there are a lot of countries head-hunting for coaches at present.”Mathivanan also stated that a new clause has been included in the contract where either of the parties will have to give three months’ notice if they are quitting or terminating the contract. “We were caught in a tight situation when Moody informed us at the end of the World Cup that he was leaving us. That gave us little breathing space. Fortunately for us we did not have any heavy international commitments at the time.”Bayliss was one of the names suggested to SLC for the position by Moody. The others included Terry Oliver, the Queensland coach, who was also a strong contender. He was interviewed a fortnight ago.SLC’s move to appoint Bayliss so quickly is an interesting development given that Dharmadasa had said last week that his committee was not in a hurry. He will have his first international assignment with the Sri Lanka team when they take part in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup tournament in South Africa in September.Bayliss becomes the fifth coach from Australia to take charge of Sri Lanka since 1995. Dav Whatmore had two stints with the national side. He was followed by Bruce Yardley, John Dyson and then Tom Moody.Trevor Penney, who was Moody’s assistant, will handle the Sri Lanka team for the series against Bangladesh which starts next week.The board appointed Rumesh Ratnayake, the former Sri Lanka fast bowler, as assistant coach to succeed Penney, whose contract expires in August.

Although the independent forensic audit into the affairs of Zimbabwe Cricket has still yet to be made public, Cricinfo has learned that Ruzengwe and Partners, the small Harare-based firm that carried it out, have been appointed as auditors to the board.The forensic audit, demanded by the government after allegations of financial impropriety were levelled against the ZC executive, was launched in March 2006 by Peter Chingoka, the ZC chairman.Until recently, the routine audit work was carried out on an honorary basis – ie for free – by Price Waterhouse Coopers, a firm of international standing with offices in Harare. It is unclear whether Ruzengwe and Partners are also working without payment, or whether PWC stood down or were replaced..An accountant who has worked on ZC’s accounts in the past told Cricinfo that there were questions over the appointment of the same outfit who had carried out the forensic audit to this role. “At a large blue-chip firm questions would be asked regarding a potential conflict of interest,” he said. “I think there are clear ethical concerns.”Many stakeholders are concerned that no accounts since 2005 have been made public either. The old constitution stipulated that audited accounts had to be presented to the AGM within a specified period. One former senior ZC official told Cricinfo that “you would have thought that audited accounts would have had to be presented to an AGM held within a prescribed period after the year end … but we have not had sight of the latest constitution.”Another official with close links to the ZC said: “For the board to be taken seriously and properly discharge its mandate, it is responsible for ensuring that an annual audit of ZC finances is done in timely manner by a reputable firm of auditors, and that the financial statements contain a full and proper explanation of all movements in ZC finances over the preceding 12 month period. This basic reporting requirement is legislated by statute in Zimbabwe.”Stakeholders have been subjected to a two-year battle to obtain the books and this has resulted in calls for a forensic audit … {which has] diverted resources away from cricket. Let’s face it, none of this would have been necessary had the board being doing its job properly in the first place.”The last audited accounts made public were for the year ending April 30, 2005 and were prepared by PWC.

Mark Cosgrove, David Warner and Aaron Finch have been suspended from the Centre of Excellence for a month for “repeated inappropriate treatment of accommodation facilities”. The three players, who have been involved in the Emerging Players Tournament in Queensland over the past two weeks, will miss the Academy tour of India starting on August 10.”We reiterated our expectations of them when representing Cricket Australia,” Michael Brown, the acting chief executive of Cricket Australia, said. “We’ll be taking this opportunity to remind all our scholars of their responsibilities at the Centre of Excellence and I would like to apologise to the management of the accommodation facility in Brisbane for the behaviour of the three players.”The reported there were repeated complaints over the players’ actions at the apartment block where they stayed. The paper said there was believed to have been no major incident but marks had been left on walls and floors in the apartments and food had been disposed of inappropriately.Darren Lehmann, the president of the Australian Cricketers’ Association and a mentor of Cosgrove’s at South Australia, said he had not heard that anything other than “a messy room” was behind the bans. “If that’s the reason, I’m pretty disappointed in that,” Lehmann told the . “My kids have got a messy room and I can’t kick them out of home.”I spoke to Mark and he has assured me that it is only about the room. He is pretty disappointed with the whole scenario. It’s a setback in what hopefully can still be a long and fruitful career. He was working hard and doing everything that was asked of him.”If it’s something major, then we understand the ramifications. We’ll be asking some questions of Mark and also of Cricket Australia. He’s got to bounce back and prove everyone wrong again.”Cosgrove has played three ODIs for Australia while Warner and Finch, who are both 20, are yet to make their first-class debuts. It has been a bad week for the Academy after they lost to Karnataka State Cricket Association XI on Wednesday to miss out on the final of the Emerging Players Tournament.

Canada have named a 14-man squad for next week’s Americas Under-19regional tournament. They and Bermuda are expected to battle for theWorld Cup spot at stake.Thirteen of the players, including the captain Abishek Krishnamoorthy,are from Ontario, as is vice-captain Khrishna (Chris) Monohar.Jaskeerat Khalon from Alberta is the other member of the squad.Courtney Gonsalves has been coaching the players, assisted by AbdulMajeed and Pubudu Dassanayake. Most have trained in the GreaterToronto Area over the last two weeks, with Maple Leaf CC providingfacilities.Admission is free for all matches.Squad Abishek Krishnamoorthy (capt), Khrishna (Chris) Monohar,Rustrum Bhatti), Usman Iqbal, Riyazkhan Pathan, Arsalan Qadir, PratikPatel, Asif Manjra, Hasan Raza, Kevin James, Majid Usman, RuvinduGunasekera, Khusal Gangopadhyay (all Ontario) and Jaskeerat Khalon(Alberta)

‘Merlin’, the spin-bowling machine, had a part to play in England combating Shane Warne during the 2005 Ashes; now, stick cricket seems to be aiding England’s batsmen against India.In the nets, Ian Bell – England’s top scorer in each of the three games so far – has been using a bat two-and-a-half-inches wide and the rest of the team has gradually started trying this innovation. Manufactured by , it weighs as much as a regular bat but is no wider than a baseball bat, square rather than round.James Cornford, the director of the company – a one-man team as of now – provided the England team with a few samples during the Test series. During the Oval Test, Bell sought one that was customised for his needs.”Ian seemed to like it and he wanted one made for him,” Conford told Cricinfo. “It’s made of the normal wood, the still wood, and we made sure the bat was the same weight as his usual bat. All I do is saw the edges off and add more weight from the back.”After Ian, Matt [Prior] got interested and now you have Owais Shah and Monty Panesar trying it out too. In fact Peter Moores is keen to have everyone use them. Andy Flower was talking about making some that were even smaller.”Bell used this bat for most of his nets session. Facing Moores’s throw-downs, he didn’t have many problems middling the ball and even smashed a few straight down the ground. “It’s a small bat but you can get some meaty blows from it,” said Cornford, whose company is based just a few miles away in Stoke-on-Trent.Cornford deals in other cricket equipment as well. He’s provided the English and Indian teams with special stumps to practice yorkers. There have also been orange rubber bats, used to hit high balls for catches, net covers, to help in training for run-outs, and ‘snickers’, an instrument to help wicketkeepers practice sharp catches.

Adam Shantry, the bowling allrounder who was released by Warwickshire at the end of the season, has signed a two-year contract with Glamorgan.”Adam has had limited opportunities in the past few seasons at first-eleven level,” Matthew Maynard, Glamorgan’s manager told the club’s website, “but from speaking to those who have played with, and against, him, Adam is a bowler with great potential.”His left-arm bowling will add further variety to our seam attack, and I’m delighted that Adam has agreed terms with us for the next couple of years.”It is Shantry’s third club in four years, after making his debut for Northamptonshire in 2003 before joining Warwickshire in 2005. Although his opportunities were limited at Edgbaston, he did impress with 5 for 49 against West Indies A in 2006.