BCCI accept Kumble's idea

BCCI has acknowledged the proposal put forth by Karnataka Cricket Association president, Anil Kumble, to take in three warm-up games in their series vs Australia.

Kumble's proposal to twine in two more first-class games to the one that is previously scheduled ahead of the opening Boxing Day (Dec 26) Test at Melbourne came at the Board's working committee meeting in Mumbai on Monday.

"Kumble said that if only one first-class game is set, only 11 players will be able to play in it and he required all 16 touring members to have a spirited game before the start of the Test series by having more games. His proposal has been accepted," sources told PTI.

India played just one tour game against Somerset before sliding to extraordinary losses in the first three Tests. As a result, the visitors lost its No. 1 Test ranking that they had held on to for more than a year-and-a-half.

However, sources have knowledgeable that the BCCI will find it tricky to add more first-class games in the tune-up to the tour as there was hardly any time gap between the end of the home ODI series next to the West Indies and the exit of the team to Australia.

The BCCI has also written to Cricket Australia that the first-class game that is previously scheduled should not be abridged to a club-level affair as it clashed with the beginning of the country's "Big Bash" T20 tournament.

"The Board has before now written (to Cricket Australia) that it should not be concentrated to club-level cricket with the top players not playing," the sources said.

The lone warm-up game is to be played in opposition to Cricket Australia Chairman's XI from December 18-21 at Manuka Oval in Canberra, before the opening contest of the four-match Test series.

India plays the four Tests back-to-back from December 26, 2011 to January 28, 2012 at Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.

India are then set to play two T20 Internationals on February 1 and 3 at Sydney and Melbourne before taking part in a triangular ODI series also featuring the hosts and Sri Lanka between February 5 and March 8.

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Not play Ashraful, Razzak as Bangladesh bowl

Zimbabwe will locate Bangladesh a target for the first time in the ODI series after they were sent in to bat on a cool and somewhat cloudy day in Harare. With some early wetness on offer and a tinge of green on the pitch, Bangladesh's bowlers will be hoping to make use of any backing early on.

Both teams have gone with an extra seamer with Nazmul Hossain coming in for Abdur Razzak. Zimbabwe has left out Ray Price and brings in Kyle Jarvis, who frightened with five wickets in the Test match.

Bangladesh have also drop experienced middle-order batsman Mohammad Ashraful as well as Shahriar Nafees. Junaid Siddique has been given a chance to strengthen the fragile batting line-up along with the uncapped Shuvagoto Hom.

Zimbabwe leads the five match series 2-nil.

Zimbabwe: 1 Brendan Taylor (capt), 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 5 Craig Ervine, 6 Forster Mutizwa, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Brian Vitori, 10 Chris Mpofu, 11 K Jarvis.

Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Shuvagoto Hom, 8 Nazmul Hossain, 9 Shafiul Islam, 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Nasir Hossain.

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India's selection policy to be scan

The Srikkanth-led selection board is set to come under the scanner during BCCI's AGM on September 19 and 20.

"It would be determined at the AGM," was the terse reply from BCCI secretary and president-elect N Srinivasan.

According BCCI constitution, the term for a national selector is for four years with a chance of addition at the end of the third year.

Barring North Zone's Yashpal Sharma who has finished four years, West Zone's Surendra Bhave, East's Raja Venkat, Central's Narendra Hirwani along with Srikkanth were set get an expansion after World Cup triumph.

But humiliating Test defeat in England has raised a few questions about the future of this board.

Especially, both West Zone and East Zone are miserable with the selectors instead of their individual regions and want a change.

Former Maharashtra batsman Bhave and Bengal southpaw Venkat are the two members who haven't played any international cricket are measured to be the two weaklinks in the panel.

"Bhave is not firming sufficient to air his views. We, at the zone, feel a stronger man is needed to put forth the West players' recommendation in the next committee," sources told PTI.

Similarly, the East Zone members particularly Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has never support Venkat and there are reports they would also request BCCI to consider a replacement.

Interestingly, CAB which is Venkat's state organization didn't take in him in the state selection panel for the last three years.

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Onions replaced of Chris Tremlett injured

Graham Onions will be a part of the England squad for the fourth Test at The Oval, after Chris Tremlett was ruled out and James Anderson emerge as a new wound worry.

Anderson's leg injury is describe at this stage as "minor", but his unavailability would obviously be a major blow to England's hopes of closing out a 4-0 whitewash of India.

Twenty-eight-year-old Onions has not played a Test match since New Year 2010, mostly because of a long-term and once career-threatening back injury.

Tremlett was named in England's early 13-man squad for the final match of the series, having missed both the second and third Tests at Trent Bridge and then Edgbaston - where his team-mates beaten India to take their country to the top of the International Cricket Council rankings for the first time.

But the Surrey fast bowler has succumbed again to the same back problem which ruled him out at Nottingham as well as then Birmingham.

Anderson has experienced tension in his right quadriceps, and an England and Wales Cricket Board statement report that his circumstance will "continue to be monitored over the next 48 hours".

National selector Geoff Miller explains both the reasons for Tremlett's unavailability, and Anderson's concern.

"Unhappily Chris Tremlett has unsuccessful a fitness test and won't be accessible for selection for the fourth power Test, despite showing strong signs of revival over the past few days," he said.

"Chris' absence, in combination with what appears to be a minor injury concern with Jimmy Anderson, has led to a call-up for Graham Onions as defensive bowling cover.

"We are optimistic that Jimmy will overcome this niggle by Thursday, but more time is necessary before a decision on his accessibility can be made conclusively.

"Steven Finn is clearly in the squad and he is now connected by Graham Onions, who has been in good form for Durham since recurring from a back injury at the start of the season."

Onions, who played three Ashes Tests to help England regain the urn in his first appearance summer in 2009, achieve greater fame as a number 11 batsman - twice blocking out the final over to recover nail-biting draws on the 2009/10 tour of South Africa.

But his disobedience in the second of those matches at Cape Town is his most new act as an England player.

He was rested for the final Test of that series, as England lost at The Wanderers, and then suffered a wound which ruled him out of the next campaign in Bangladesh.

Anderson has become England's unquestioned pace lead over the past two years, and has so far taken 18 India wickets in three matches this summer.

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