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Although his on-field misdemeanours are probably what Mark Vermeulen, one of Zimbabwe’s most talented young batsmen, will now be remembered for, my abiding memory of the man is of quite a different incident which occurred off the field.In early 2004 he was in the middle of a lay-off after sustaining his second severe head injury in a year – he had been struck a sickening blow above the right eyebrow by Irfan Pathan during Zimbabwe’s tour of Australia. Bangladesh were touring Zimbabwe, and after a weak performance during the Tests, were putting in a much more sterling effort in the one-dayers. A loss in the first game had dented Zimbabwe’s pride, but the team bounced back in the second and third one-dayers in Harare, much to the enjoyment of the large crowd of spectators who had come to support the home team.Anyone who has attended a one-day game in Harare will have noticed that the crowd is made up, largely, of black schoolchildren from some of the poorest suburbs in the city. As the popularity of cricket among Zimbabwe’s black population has grown, their numbers at games have swelled.Disappointingly, instead of integrating, most of what is left of the old white elite of supporters have moved away from the stands into the pavilion and sports club bars and seats reserved for those in the higher wage brackets.However, at the second one-day game there was at least one white face among the sea of enthusiastic black children, and it was Vermeulen’s. For most of the game, which Zimbabwe eventually won, he led a shouting, laughing band of at least 30 or 40 children around the stands. Wherever he went, they followed, and with his encouragement cheered their side to victory.In a country in which racial and political tensions are a fact of everyday life, it was heart-warming to witness the sight of a young, white male from an affluent Harare family in his element, and loving every minute of it, among black children who would be bussed back to one of the capital city’s sprawling, poverty-stricken townships after the game. It took only one thing to break down the racial, economic and age boundaries between Vermeulen and those children: cricket. This not only gives a flicker of hope for the future of Zimbabwe cricket, and the country at large; it also offers an insight into his open, care-free attitude off the field, and the supremely privileged place cricket holds in his life.

This is a man who is literally willing to risk his life in order to play for his country again. After a three-and-a-half hour operation to repair the skull fracture inflicted by Pathan, Vermeulen said that the doctors warned him a third such injury could put his life at risk. He told BBC Sport: “If it happens again it will make one hell of a mess… but cricket is my only love, my big love, and I decided to go on playing.”. In an interview with Cricinfo he stated: “Basically all I want to do is to play for my country. That has been my goal since I was 10 or 12 years old.”However, his cricketing ambitions have seemingly been thwarted. He has not been picked for Zimbabwe for almost two years, despite leading the batting averages in the country’s domestic competition – when it still had one to speak of. When he was not offered a national contract last year, Vermeulen said: “I personally went to Ozias Bvute [the ZC managing director]. He [Bvute] told me that it was not up to him, but that he would take the necessary measures. I still want to play. I was given no reason why I was not given a contract. I think I have done my best for Zimbabwe to make at least the performance-based list.”After the hearing of the Lancashire Cricket Board, in which his 10-year ban was cut down to three, with two years suspended, Andrew Fitch-Holland, his legal representative, stated that Mark had been diagnosed as “suffering from a depressive illness which of course has a significant impact upon his behaviour”. He continued: “For anyone, let alone a professional sportsman, to publicly admit to such a struggle is, I suggest, exceptional and worthy of a degree of respect. We offer no excuses for Mark’s unacceptable conduct but ask instead for some understanding. To his credit Mark has already taken positive steps to seek help, and is trying to remain upbeat about his future in cricket in these difficult days.”Having met and spoken to Vermeulen about his cricket several times in the past myself, it is quite comprehensible that the stall in his career should affect him to such a degree. He simply lives for cricket.In his private life Vermeulen is, in my experience, at all times friendly, approachable and supremely laid-back. He always had time for people, and had no affectations about talking to anyone, white or black, especially if the subject was cricket. He was fun-loving and did not take himself too seriously: I once saw him dancing, in full, skin-tight cycling gear, on the roof of a Harare nightclub. Off the field, one could even say he seemed humble and (whisper it) peace-loving.While there can be no excuses for Vermeulen’s recent, or past, objectionable actions on the field, there are reasons, and there are other sides to his character which should not be simply swept away. It was not thuggery or arrogance which drove him to such extreme lengths on that fateful late-summer day in Ashton, but rather the frustration of his sheer passion, his motivation and his all-encompassing desire to succeed as a cricketer.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked Daryl Foster, the Australian fast bowling coach, to analyse the bowling action of Shabbir Ahmed, after which the board would decide whether or not to send Shabbir to Australia.Saleem Altaf, the director of cricket operations, informed that he had spoken to Foster and that the board would be recording Shabbir’s action during a practice game later this week.Shabbir, who was reported for a suspect action for the third time in his career against West Indies in the first Test in Barbados this year, underwent tests in England under the supervision of a bio-mechanics specialist, after which Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, also worked on his action.However, the board is yet to send tapes of his bowling action to the ICC review committee to seek final clearance. Altaf also said that Shabbir’s inclusion for the home series against England in November-December wasn’t certain.”It is too early to say whether his action would be cleared by the ICC in time for the England series,” he added. “I might go myself to attend this meeting of the group to be held in Dubai to convince them that Shabbir’s action is okay.”

It wasn’t quite the semi-final match-up that the tournament organisers were expecting, but Pakistan’s supporters didn’t seem to mind one bit. They were there in significant numbers, with hooters, whistles, horns and flags in tow. Unlike Sunday’s game against India, though, there’s only one element in the mix this time around – the Indians aren’t around – and despite their significant presence, it only adds up to around 7000 in a stadium which can hold nearly 16,000.The Rose Bowl might not rank among the big grounds in international cricket, but it doesn’t lack atmosphere. The stands in some areas only go back around 12 rows, allowing the spectators – and the players – to feel the full force of a strong gusty wind that blows almost incessantly here. The lack of concrete around the stadium also means that there is an alternative – and cheaper – arrangement for watching the cricket: just sit on the hillocks outside the ground, stretch out, grab a beer, and enjoy the game for free. It might not provide the greatest view, but then freebies come at a price too.It isn’t often that the Rose Bowl gets international fixtures, and the authorities have gone the whole hog to ensure that the crowd enjoy their day out. There are food stalls of all types, and if wind-chill’s a factor, then you can just slip into Club Marquee – a cosy, tented enclosure – grab some tandoori chicken, samosas and beer, and watch the cricket through the windows in the tent. Cool, eh?It was all arranged with the huge subcontinental interest in the game in mind, admits Keith McRae, the Rose Bowl’s catering manager. “It would have been great if the Indians had been here,” he adds wistfully, obviously mindful of the extra business that would have come his way with a full house.Most of the Indian supporters did indeed stay away for this one, but there were a few intrepid ones who wouldn’t be denied. Khimji was among a group of five Indians – all draped in the national flag, and in excellent humour – who raced around the stands. They were heavily outnumbered by the Pakistani supporters, of course, but they took all the hooting and the catcalls in their stride.”I’ve been to all of India’s games this season,” explains Khimji, “to Amstelveen, to the NatWest Challenge, and then here.” Does India’s dismal run bother him? Hardly. “Someone’s gotta lose,” he replies, with eye-popping matter-of-factness. “We’re just here to have a good time.” And he’s certainly doing that: it’s only 11.30 in the morning, and he’s already into his eighth (or is it ninth) glass of beer. India’s early departure has had an adverse effect, though. “We’d booked a whole bus to bring more Indians to the game,” he says, “but they’ve all backed out now.” He offered me free tickets – he had 60 of them, apparently – but all I could do was curse myself for not having brought my cousins along.The Pakistanis are out in full strength, but a couple of hours into the game, most might have been wishing they hadn’t turned up either. Despite a poor start, the horns are blaring out full blast as Yasir Hameed plays a couple of exquisite cover-drives. The celebrations are short-lived, though, as first Hameed, then Yousuf Youhana, then Inzamam-ul-Haq, all make their exits. It isn’t going according to plan for Pakistan, and very quickly, the bugles and the horns die down as a West Indies v England final loomed.Meanwhile, in the media room, everyone’s trying to come up with reasons for Inzamam’s seemingly inexplicable decision to bat after winning the toss. “Perhaps Bob Woolmer will say that he expected it to rain later in the afternoon, forcing West Indies to bat in more seamer-friendly conditions tomorrow morning,” offers a colleague. Whatever the explanation, it certainly meant that Pakistan’s incredible record of not having lost a one-dayer to West Indies after winning the toss since October 1993 was in serious jeopardy.S Rajesh is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo.

Sussex CCC are pleased to announce that Keith Greenfield has been awarded a Testimonial for 2004.Keith has represented Sussex at all levels of the game from a professional player to his current position as Director of the ECB/Sussex Academy.Keith joined the Club in 1985 as part of the Youth Opportunities Scheme and progressed to the professional staff in 1987. In all Keith played 78 first class matches, his highest score was 154* v Glamorgan at Hove in 1996, the year he was awarded his County Cap.Keith is delighted with the news:"It is a great honour that the Club has decided to recognise my service in this way. I wouldn’t have changed a moment of my career with Sussex, I realise how lucky I am to have a job that I love doing and this is just the icing on the cake."David Green, Chairman of Sussex CCC:"Keith has represented the County at every level of cricket since he joined the Club in 1985; he was the country’s very first participant in the Youth Opportunities Scheme… a professional player… 2nd XI coach and now Director of our ECB Academy."Keith is a Sussex man born and bred and he has given the Club 18 years’ loyal service and is very deserving of this recognition, he is exactly the type of player who Benefits and Testimonials were devised for. We wish Keith great success in his Testimonial year and I am sure that everyone connected with Sussex cricket will support him ."

So Steve Waugh may play on into his 40th year?Followers of Australian cricket have become well acquainted with Waugh’s unrivalled resilience over the years. But now it seems they may have to prepare to acknowledge new yardsticks for endurance too.If the current national captain honours his surge of interest in another tour of the subcontinent in 2004, it means he will be well past his 39th birthday at the very least before he cedes to the prospect of retirement.In signalling his desire to reverse Australia’s unhappy set of results in India in recent decades, Waugh is thus theoretically poised to alter the record books in at least one other form too.Though it was not uncommon for Australian Test players of the 1920s and 1930s to play on into the fifth decade of their lives, longevity of that kind has generally not extended to include their modern counterparts. Any such move by one of the country’s current practitioners would therefore represent a distinct break with recent practice.Among the last 265 men to have played Test cricket for Australia, only Bob Simpson had reached his 40th birthday by the time that he played his final match. And even that development was fashioned by a unique combination of circumstances. Simpson had last seen Test action ten years earlier when he made a shock return to lead Australia in the wake of the crisis caused by the advent of World Series Cricket in 1977-78.In recent times, the mid-30s have instead qualified as the general entry point for passage to cricket’s version of a retirement home. Among the recent greats to have pulled the pin on their Test careers while they still remained fixtures in the national team, Allan Border was the oldest – at 38. Mark Taylor, David Boon, Ian Healy and Craig McDermott were all well short even of that mark, and eminent predecessors like Greg Chappell, Rod Marsh and Dennis Lillee were similarly not much closer to their 40th birthdays than their 30th when they played for the last time.At 50 years and 327 days, Bert Ironmonger was the oldest player ever to take the field for Australia in a Test match. Off spinner Don Blackie was just shy of his 47th birthday when he graced a Test field for the last time; celebrated leg spinner Clarrie Grimmett was in his 45th year; and wicketkeeper Sammy Carter and batsman Warren Bardsley were each about to celebrate their 44th birthdays.But none of these men played Test cricket beyond the 1936-37 season.In all, only 14 players in Australian Test cricket history have played on after reaching the age of 40.It’s almost possible to visualise that famous glint in Waugh’s eye as one contemplates the thought that he is poised to defy conventional wisdom yet again.Whatever the case, any extension of his career beyond the previously speculated end point of the 2003 World Cup certainly represents one way of offsetting the suggestion that there are very few young players ready to replace him in the national team over the next few seasons.

Dinesh Karthik has been a specialist wicketkeeper. He has been a specialist batsman. A wicketkeeper who can bat and a batsman who can keep. But despite his domestic success, his time the Indian team has been quite sporadic.But MS Dhoni’s retirement from Tests at the end of 2014 has given Karthik a glimmer of hope and he knows he has no option but to score big and knock on the selectors’ doors. “I am at a stage where I want to score so much runs that they cannot ignore me,” he said after scoring 167 for Tamil Nadu against Mumbai.”That’s what I am looking at. I want to set the bar really high for me and keep trying my best to achieve that. I mean as a player that’s a big challenge for me and I am going to try and do so well that they find it hard to ignore me at the national level and that’s what I am aiming to do.”Wriddhiman Saha, the incumbent wicketkeeper in Tests, has stiff competition from the likes of Naman Ojha, Karthik and Parthiv Patel. And Karthik feels he has an edge over the rest: “For me, unlike other keepers it’s totally a different ball game. I have played as a batsman so I always back myself to play as a batsman and fielding comes to me pretty naturally so it’s never been a problem.”I have always batted in all slots right from opening to No 7. I have been versatile in that way. I have always looked at myself differently. I feel I am more a batsman who can keep wicket as well. So I can do each thing individually [well] so in that I am very confident. I don’t look at myself as a wicketkeeper-batsman who is only into that sort of mould because I have played as a batsman, so I think a little bit different that way.”The fact that he is backing himself to be considered purely as a batsman hasn’t pulled his focus from wicketkeeping. According to him, he has been working harder with the gloves. “I have really worked on my keeping and it’s coming out really well,” he said. “I had a couple of good games. I am really confident of my keeping .The key is to keep carrying on from here, so as I said I am going to set the bar so high that they are going to say that there is no way to stop him.”

Left-arm spinners Manan Sharma (4 for 21) and Saqlain Sajib (3 for 24) combined to dismantle Mohammedan Sporting Club for 100 and set up Abahani Limited’s five-wicket win at the BKSP-3 Ground in Savar. The performance vaulted Abahani to the top of the Dhaka Premier League points table; they are ahead of Gazi Group Cricketers and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club, also on 20 points each, by virtue of a superior net run rate.Coming into the game on the back of successive 300-plus scores, Mohammedan crumbled in 33.4 overs with only one of their batsmen notching up a score in excess of 20. If Sajib scythed through the top-order, Manan wiped out the lower order in equally quick time.Liton Das then razed Mohammedan with a 22-ball half-century that came with the help of four fours and five sixes, as Abahani raced away in an opening stand of 61 that took just 5.1 overs. With 10 runs needed, Abahani slipped up against the duo of Jubair Hossain and Shamsur Rahman, losing three wickets for the addition of one run. But opener Shadman Islam held firm with an unbeaten 24, and in the company of Shuvagata Hom, took Abahani across the line in 15.3 overs. Shamsur and Jubair ended with two wickets each.Gazi Group Cricketers put behind three successive defeats to crush Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by 177 runs at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium.Batting first, Gazi Group ran up 350 for 5, built around Nasir Hossain’s belligerent century. Left-arm pacer Abu Hider then kept the good work going with his career-best List A returns of 6 for 35 as Dhanmondi Club sank to 173 all out in 38.1 overs.Gazi Group suffered an early setback when Anamul Haque was dismissed in the second over for 1. Mominul Haque then blasted a 61-ball 66 and added 74 for the second wicket in the company of Munim Shahriar (35 off 33). The association ended with the latter’s dismissal in the 14th over, which brought out Nasir, who was returning from Ireland where he was involved with the Bangladesh national team in a triangular series.Nasir zoomed to 134 off 113 balls, his fifth List A century, with the help of seven fours and six sixes. He shared a fifth-wicket stand of 147 with Gurkeerat Singh Mann (74 off 60), off just 129 balls, to flatten Dhanmondi Club. Gurkeerat was sent back at the start of the 45th over, but Gazi biffed 66 runs off 35 balls after his dismissal. Nasir continued with his big-hitting ways until he had to retire hurt in the penultimate over with a bout of cramps.In their reply, Dhanmondi Club lost wickets upfront and were reeling at 96 for 6 before the halfway stage. Ziaur Rahman tried to mount a fightback with 46 off 29 balls, but it was snuffed out by Hider who then went on to pick two more wickets in the same over; Dhanmondi were bowled out shortly thereafter.At the BKSP-4 Ground in Savar, Marshall Ayub and Shahriar Nafees strung together a match-winning partnership for the second time in two chases as Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club chased down 242 against Prime Bank Cricket Club with six wickets in hand. That, after Prime Bank put up 241 for 8 on the back of half-centuries from Abhimanyu Easwaran (71) and their captain Asif Ahmed (62 not out).Ayub and Nafees got together with Prime Doleshwar at 58 for 2 in the 12th over of the chase. They took the score to an even 200, adding 142 for the third wicket – their second 100-plus stand in the competition. Marshall was the first of the two to fall, having top-scored with 84 off 89 balls, including ten fours and a six. Nafees was a lot more sedate, his 78 taking 129 balls. He fell with Prime Doleshwar requiring another 24, where after Rajat Bhatia and Farhad Reza sealed the chase.Bhatia also played a key role with the ball, limiting Prime Back with his 3 for 50 in 10 overs. Prime Bank, 120 for 5 at one point, were lifted by a 73-run sixth-wicket stand between Abhimanyu and Asif. Left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny supported Bhatia well, taking 2 for 40 in 10 overs.

Ottis Gibson will fill in for Donald as England’s bowling coach in Sri Lanka. He leaves on Tuesday.England have asked Allan Donald to make his short-term role as bowling coach a permanent one but Warwickshire have also asked him to join as a coach, while he has committed himself to provide commentary in South Africa at the same time England are touring Sri Lanka.Gibson would be a forerunner for the permanent role should Donald opt for Warwickshire. Gibson, however, has said he would love to work with West Indies.While the England role is obviously higher profile, Donald would be away from his family more than if he returned to Edgbaston, where he enjoyed much success as a player.It is believed Donald is discussing both coaching roles while in South Africa during England’s failed Twenty20 campaign. The team will fly straight to Sri Lanka on September 22.

After the false start in Sri Lanka, India’s season should finally get underway in the soothing surroundings of the Kinrara Oval on Thursday afternoon. A decent crowd, consisting mainly of expatriate Indians, is expected to watch the game, though anything would be an improvement on the few dozen kids and handful of others that witnessed a gripping contest between Australia and West Indies.For India, it’s imperative that they start the season in the right fashion. Two years ago, they never really got going at the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, and the rest of the season followed that same mediocre path. Last year, though they lost a tri-series in Zimbabwe, thumping wins at homeagainst Sri Lanka restored the morale and set the team up for an outstanding season, at least in the limited overs form of the game. With the World Cup looming, and a dress rehearsal in the shape of the Champions Trophy before that, a slow start cannot be countenanced, even if the team management says that they’re treating these games as preparation for the bigger events ahead.After the lemming act against Australia yesterday, Brian Lara spoke of how important it was to maintain his team’s psychological hold over India. He was of course referring to the recent series in the Caribbean, when West Indies overcame a loss in the opening match to sweep the remaining four games. His counterpart, Rahul Dravid, scoffs at any talk of psychological advantage, but Lara’s words may yet serve to gee up the Indians when they step on to the park tomorrow.What sort of combination they play is open to question. If the evening net session was any indicator, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid may well open, as they did in Colombo (for 22 balls anyway). Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virender Sehwag also batted a fair while, and there was a good stint too for Suresh Raina, who may yet edge out Dinesh Mongia’s allround talents as the team seeks a replacement for the indisposed Yuvraj Singh.There are options on the bowling side too. There wasn’t enough sharp turn yesterday to justify playing two slow bowlers, and that means Ramesh Powar could well miss out. In any case, India have enough back-up for Harbhajan Singh, with Sehwag and Tendulkar both capable of going through a few tidy overs.The pace complement will be just as keenly watched. Ajit Agarkar and Irfan Pathan are certain to play, and it will be a toss-up between Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh and Munaf Patel for the third seamer’s lot if the team decides to reinforce the batting by including Mongia. On a pitch that gave the seamers enough encouragement on Tuesday, the conservative option is likely to prevail, and Munaf should get the nod given that Sreesanth is not in the frame for the Champions Trophy.West Indies may yet opt for the same side that competed so well with Australia for three-fourths of the match. The bowlers all impressed in patches, though there may still be a place for the accuracy of Corey Collymore, always a worthwhile option against Indian batsmen who can bestatuesque against the moving ball. For the batsmen, it’s a question of getting the attitude right and forgetting what happened against Australia. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle showed what was possible if you see off the new ball’s shiny coat, though batsmen on both sides would do well to remember that some swallows aren’t seen on every day of summer.India (likely): 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 Rahul Dravid (capt), 3Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), 4 Virender Sehwag, 5 Mohammad Kaif, 6 SureshRaina, 7 Dinesh Mongia, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 Ajit Agarkar, 10 HarbhajanSingh, 11 Munaf Patel.West Indies (likely): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 3Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Brian Lara (capt), 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Wavell Hinds, 7Dwayne Smith, 8 Carlton Baugh, 9 Ian Bradshaw, 10 Jerome Taylor, 11 CoreyCollymore.

Marvan Atapattu, the Sri Lankan captain, has no plans to experiment with his team against Bangladesh in their two-Test series starting at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Monday.Atapattu said, “I am not fond of throwing away Test caps. They are meant to be earned.””It’s true that you have got to groom younger players, but just because it’s Bangladesh you don’t throw away 15 Test caps,” added Atapattu, who hopes to use the series to improve his team’s game ahead of a packed calendar. “We respect the opponents. They are just coming up and we’ll try and improve our game in these matches.”Bangladesh are hoping to overcome their 3-0 drubbing in the preceding one-day series and a struggle in other side games.But their chances of putting up much resistance suffered a setback because of injuries to pace bowlers Mashrafe Mortaza and Tapash Baisya, who were sent home on Friday.Dav Whatmore, the Bangladesh coach, said, “The worrying factor for me is that we couldn’t fight a bit harder to get out of situations. Then there have been injuries and things like that about which you can’t do much.””We have got to do the basic things right and put up a reasonable total on the board and fight hard. We have studied the opposition and are well prepared.”The opening Test will be the first at the R. Premadasa Stadium in eight years and the home side have some happy memories of the venue. It was where Sri Lanka piled up a massive 952, a world record in Test cricket, against India in 1997.Sanath Jayasuriya hammered 340 in that match and added 576 for the second wicket with Roshan Mahanama (225), the highest partnership for any wicket in Tests.The second Test will be played at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium, also in Colombo.