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Shane Warne recognises his limitations © Getty Images

Shane Warne, the Australia legspinner, has quashed rumours of a ODI return by confirming his retirement. He said he is more intent on preserving himself rather than touring the West Indies for the 2007 World Cup.In an interview with Warne said: “At this stage, I’m retired. I’m 37 later this year and I think I know my game pretty well. I know I can’t bowl for hours in the nets like I used to because when I wake-up I won’t be able to move the next day.”Warne took a three-week break from the game, spending part of it in Thailand and Fiji, before returning to represent Victoria for a Pura Cup match against South Australia starting February 2. “I needed three weeks off,” he said. “I could probably have done with a few more weeks to be honest, but I really wanted to play the last few games for Victoria. I wanted to get back in the groove. I’ve missed the game. It’s always nice to have a few games, especially with Victoria.”In 2003 Warne announced that he would retire from ODIs after the World Cup, but he failed a drugs test before the tournament started, and has focussed on Tests ever since.

Daniel Vettori: crucial role against Australian batsmen© Getty Images

New Zealand have been given a much needed boost ahead of the First Test against Australia at Christchurch, with Nathan Astle and Daniel Vettori both declaring themselves fit. The two players missed matches during the recent 5-0 ODI drubbing but are confident of making the Test series.Astle was suffering from a shoulder injury and Vettori back pain, but as two of New Zealand’s most experienced players their return can not come soon enough for a heavily depleted squad. Injuries have ruled out Jacob Oram, Scott Styris, and Michael Papps as well as long term absentee Shane Bond.”It’s good, it was just a bit of a niggle in the AC joint,” Astle told the news agency. “It was more precautionary than anything else. With the [one-day] series gone I just wanted to rest it and be right for Thursday. Everything’s fine – throwing, batting, I haven’t had a bowl yet, but I’m sure that’ll be all right as well.”Vettori is vital for a threadbare Kiwi bowling attack and will once again shoulder a heavy workload in the three-match series. He is just 12 wickets short of 200, and would join Chris Cairns and Sir Richard Hadlee as New Zealanders with that milestone. But despite the number of overs he is likely to bowl Vettori is not concerned: “I’m pretty confident about what I can do. I talked to Stephen [Fleming] and John [Bracewell] about it and I won’t be putting any restrictions on myself and they won’t be putting any on me either. It’ll just be a feel thing but I’m reasonably confident at the moment.”

Steve James: forced to quit by long-standing knee injury ©Getty Images

Steve James has admitted defeat in his battle to overcome a long-standing knee injury and has announced his retirement from first-class cricket.James, 36, had a year remaining on his contract, but after sitting out the 2003 season he was forced to bow to the inevitable when six operations failed to make any real progress. Already a regular writer on cricket and rugby, he will devote himself full-time to journalism. Aptly, he announced his decision in a Sunday newspaper.”There are a lot of different emotions but I guess the main one is sadness,” James said. “I had a serious operation last June and I knew then it was 50-50 whether I’d be able to play again. I had another year on my contract and I felt I had another couple of years in me but it’s not to be. The decision was made for me.”James, who played twice for England in 1998 (“At least they couldn’t call me a one-Test wonder,” he once said), made his Glamorgan debut in 1985, sscoring 15890 runs at 40.63. For much of the 1990s James was one of the most prolific batsmen on the county circuit, but in recent years injury blunted his effectiveness.He was appointed as Glamorgan’s captain in 2001, leading them to the Sunday League title in his first season. He resigned last summer when it became apparent that he would not be able to play during the season.

Regional Group 11

Second Round Draw on 12th MayMatch A – Bashley (Rydal) v Waterlooville
Match B – Thatcham Town v Havant
Match C – Hungerford v Cove
Match D – Basingstoke & North Hants v Falkland
Match E – Portsmouth v Lymington
Match F – South Wilts v Gosport Borough
Match G – Burridge v Winchester K.S.
Match H – Ventnor v Andover
Third Round Draw – 26th MayMatch I – Thatcham Town or Havant v Bashley (Rydal) or Waterlooville
Match J – Basingstoke & NH or Falkland v Hungerford or Cove
Match K – South Wilts or Gosport Borough v Portsmouth or Lymington
Match L – Ventnor or Andover v Burridge or Winchester K.S.
Fourth Round Draw – 9th JuneMatch M – Winners Match I v Winners Match J
Match N – Winners Match K v Winners Match L
Fifth Round Draw – 20th JuneWinners Match N v Winners Match M

In light of the increasingly vocal appeals for more technology to be incorporated in the game of cricket, and with the recent furore surrounding certain questionable umpiring decisions, the debate over the men in white has been brought into sharper focus. Not only do they have to make decisions in real time, and without the benefit of television replay (at least not in all circumstances), but they also have to apply the Laws of Cricket equally and at all times.The dispensation of an umpire’s duties is not an easy task. The ICC in December, 1993 moved to removed any doubt, or suspicion of doubt as far as umpires are concerned with the introduction of the National Grid International Panel of Umpires following a successful pilot programme both in the West Indies and Zimbabwe.This panel, which comprises of the two umpires from each member Board of the ICC, with England having four umpires. From this pool comes one independent umpire to stand in all Test matches played around the world. There are presently twenty (20) umpires on this panel and they are responsible, along with one umpire from the home board for all Test matches. This list of umpires is about to get smaller though. In fact, the ICC’s proposed “Professional Umpires” list of eight (8) elite umpires is making the WICB officials very uneasy.It is to this end that a delegation representing the WICB will be attending the ICC’s Annual Conference in London from 15th – 19th June and will register the concerns of the West Indian community. The Board is expected to make a case at the ICC meeting for a broader pool of umpires who will stand in all Tests around the world. It is generally felt that the young and upcoming umpires within the West Indies system will be severely disadvantaged if this plan is allowed to go forward. Further, the WICB feels that the proposed panel of eight would be too few to properly serve the sport globally.

Crystal Palace correspondent Matt Woosnam has been reacting to the club’s latest fixture change on social media.

The Lowdown: Leeds details

Palace’s home game with Leeds United has recently been moved. Initially scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 23, the meeting has been put back two days to Monday, April 25.

The clash with Jesse Marsch’s side at Selhurst Park will now kick-off at 8pm and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with the visitors currently flirting with relegation.

The Latest: Woosnam reacts

Woosnam took to Twitter shortly after the news was confirmed on Friday afternoon.

He admitted he ‘felt for Leeds fans’ due to such late notice and believed it ‘will only get worse’ for supporters. The Athletic writer also described the knock-on effect for Patrick Vieira’s side as ‘appalling’, as it is now a real possibility the Eagles could play three games in the space of seven days.

The Verdict: Not ideal

Palace may well have to squeeze in their rearranged Premier League clash with Everton on April 28, which would also put back their clash with Southampton to May 1.

It isn’t ideal for supporters who have already made plans in advance, and hopefully, the Premier League and broadcast giants will look to rethink their approach over live selections going forward.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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In regards to Vieira’s side, all their focus will soon be on the FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea after negotiating Premier League games with Arsenal and Leicester City.

In other news: Palace keen: Vieira now wants to sign ‘one of the best’ midfielders who ‘dominates the game’. 

Rahul Dravid was watchful in compiling his unbeaten 33 from 112 balls © Getty Images

Rahul Dravid has declared himself ready to open in the Boxing Day Test against Australia and he believes India’s promising middle-order prospects can no longer be ignored. While Dravid would not confirm if the plan was set in stone, India gave a strong indication of their strategy by sending him in with Wasim Jaffer to begin their rain-affected tour match against Victoria.Dravid survived the 158 minutes of play that were possible, reaching 33 not out, and a move to the top of the order in the Test might open the door for Yuvraj Singh to retain his place after he made 169 in the final Test against Pakistan earlier this month. Sachin Tendulkar did not play in that match and will need to slot back in, leaving the selectors to ponder the make-up of their batting order.”We’ve had a very strong middle order over these years, a lot of the same people have played in the middle order a lot,” Dravid said. “We’ve got a lot of good young middle-order batsmen coming in who can’t really be ignored.”Three of his top-order colleagues fell around him and the Junction Oval but Dravid was typically careful, happy just to spend some time at the crease after his disappointing Test series against England and Pakistan. In the three Pakistan Tests he felt he didn’t have “the rub of the green”, and scored 38, 34, 50, 8 not out, 19 and 42.”It’s been a strange series in the sense I got a few starts, maybe played a couple of average shots as well,” Dravid said. “I’ve spent a bit of time in the middle so I feel like I’m playing well, I’m moving my feet and batting well.”But he will have to take that confidence into the unfamiliar role of opener in the first Test, and if Melbourne’s thundery weather continues as expected on Friday and Saturday his preparation might be very limited. Dravid has opened 13 times in Tests, averaging 33.54, and he has not filled the role since February 2006.”I’ve batted all my career in different positions,” he said. “Batting at three you probably come in early a few times as well, but it is a little different. It’s a little bit with the mindset, you’re used to batting in a particular position.”Right from the time I was in school I played in the middle order so you get used to something like that. But as a professional cricketer and as a professional sportsman you’re adaptability is important. The critical thing for me is the changeover – you have just ten minutes [between innings].”India’s impressive results last time they toured Australia – the 2003-04 series was drawn 1-1 – came largely through strong batting and Dravid conceded he would be under pressure to maintain that standard if he opens in the Tests. “As we showed last time if we can get through the early part with the new ball without the loss of too many wickets, we’ve got the kind of batting and people who can make it count later on,” he said.The three-day warm-up match in Melbourne was reduced to only the post-lunch session as heavy rain bookended the day’s play. A torrential downpour came right on tea and the Junction Oval was almost completely under water, but within an hour and a half the rain had stopped and the grass was again visible.Dravid said it would be disappointing if India’s only practice match was washed out ahead of the first Test in what he called the most challenging tour of all. Last time they visited Australia India had good weather for their two tour matches before the series began, and Dravid said that preparation was ideal.”We would definitely have liked more than one warm-up game,” he said. “[But] international cricket is cramped nowadays. We’ll just have to do the best with what we’ve got.”

Ricky Ponting’s half-century set up a comfortable win against England on Friday © Getty Images

Ricky Ponting will take his annual mid-season holiday and miss Australia’s CB Series match against England in Brisbane on Friday. The resting and rotation policy means Brad Hodge will come into the 14-man squad that will be captained by Adam Gilchrist, who will have Michael Hussey as his deputy.Last year Ponting was heavily criticised because his break took in Australia Day, the national holiday, but this time his leave has been brought forward after his side easily won its first two games of the tournament. Australia beat England by eight wickets on Friday and New Zealand by 105 runs on Sunday, with Ponting scoring 82 not out and 10.”We feel that Ricky needs and deserves a break,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. “He has played every match for Australia in all forms of the game since the DLF final in Malaysia in September, and we think this is the right time for him to allow his body to rest ahead of the World Cup. Hodge is a logical replacement.”Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath have benefited from mini-breaks during previous years and players who appear in both Tests and ODIs are the most likely to be given time off ahead of the tour of the Caribbean starting in March. Ben Hilfenhaus, who collected 1 for 26 on debut on Sunday, will act as cover for McGrath and Brett Lee, who has been suffering from a chest infection.McGrath missed the New Zealand match with a minor groin injury and will be reassessed on Wednesday. Alex Kountouris, the Australia physiotherapist, said Lee felt better after a bout of bronchitis and expected to be available on Friday. If Hilfenhaus is not required he will turn out for Tasmania against Queensland in a Pura Cup game starting in Hobart on Friday.Australia squad Adam Gilchrist (capt, wk), Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Cameron White, Brett Lee, Brad Hogg, Stuart Clark, Nathan Bracken, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn McGrath, Ben Hilfenhaus.

Thanks to Mohammad Asif, the Pakistani fast bowler, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) qualified for the tournament’s Quadrangular Stage round as they beat Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) by 100 runs on the final day of their Patron’s Trophy match at the Arbab Niaz Stadium at Peshawar yesterday. It could be said that the result was contrived as both sides decided to forfeit their first innings and the match was reduced to a single-innings affair. There had been no play at all on the first three days due to heavy recent rains in the city and then because of the unplayable condition of the ground.On the fourth and final day yesterday, Rao Iftikhar , the ZTBL captain, won the toss and put NBP in, who went on a run blitz, hammering 268 for 9 in a mere 40 overs. ZTBL were bowled out for a poor 168 in reply.Budding youngster Shahid Yousuf, formerly on the ZTBL rolls, hit 10 fours and a six as he took a mere 85 balls for his 99 in seven minutes short of two hours. Yousuf, 19, was unlucky to miss out on what would have been only his third century in first-class cricket. With Faisal Athar, who hit 45 off 62 balls with five fours, Shahid’s third-wicket stand was worth 117. The fact that Bilal Asad, the fast bowler, took 5 for 64 in 11 overs became secondary in the face of a run-glut.From there onwards, it was Mohammad Asif’s show. In 11 overs, the young batsman from Sheikhupura captured 5 for 70, with great help from Mohammad Sami (2 for 46) and Mansoor Amjad (2 for 30). The only bright spot in the ZTBL innings was a 61-run seventh-wicket stand between Naved Ashraf, who scored 66 off 54 balls with seven fours and three sixes, and Bilal Asad, who hit 35 runs off 37 deliveries with six fours and a six.The match, originally scheduled to be played at the Lahore City Cricket Asociation Ground, was shifted because of the poor conditions there mainly due to heavy fog and poor visibility. In Peshawar, there was no play possible on the first three days. NBP, five-time winners of the tournament, have now moved to the Quadrangular Stage round. Four-time champions ZTBL were content to finish at fourth place in the five-team Group B table. Service Industries, after having gained no points from their four matches of which they lost three and drew one, had already suffered demotion to the non-first-class Patron’s Trophy Grade-II circuit. Ironically, they had qualified for the ongoing tournament after having won the last season’s Grade-II championship.Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) retained their top position in Group A, as their final-round Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match against Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) ended in a draw on the final day at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Sports Complex at Karachi. For this drawn result Faisal Iqbal, PIA’s captain, had to play a determined and grim match-saving knock of 80 not out as his team reached 196 for 7 in their second innings after having had to bat out the entire day yesterday.Earlier on Wednesday, PIA had gained the crucial first-innings lead against SNGPL which was significant, even if it amounted to just 8. They then lost two quick wickets before the close of play on the third day.With Samiullah Niazi, the left-arm fast bowler, bowling at his best PIA were tottering at 54 for 5 early yesterday. Faisal was helped by the in-form Mahmood Hamid, with back-to-back unbeaten centuries in his last two innings, in a sixth-wicket stand of 38. However, PIA’s seventh wicket fell with the score at 130. Faisal and Tahir Khan, who followed up his first-innings 47 with an unbeaten 29, then took their team to the safety of stumps by batting resolutely for just over an hour. Faisal remained unbeaten on 80, made off 202 balls in just short of four hours with eight fours. Samiullah finished with figures of 4 for 59 to add to his first-innings 3 for 75.PIA have now qualified from the five-team Group A for the Patron’s Trophy Quadrangular Stage round that starts from January 15, along with second-placed Habib Bank. SNGPL, with nine points from their three previous matches, also needed to win here to take their tally to 18, something which could even have taken them into the Quadrangular Stage ahead of PIA. They eventually had to settle for fourth place. PIA, who have never won the Patron’s Trophy but shared the title last season with Habib Bank after the final was rained off, ended with a total of 18 points that kept them ahead of the rest.Pakistan Customs batted stubbornly in their follow-on innings to reach 292 for 5 as their final-round Patron’s Trophy match against Habib Bank ended in a draw at the United Bank Limited (UBL) Sports Complex Ground No.1 at Karachi. This splendid display, however, came as no consolation to them in real terms as, having finished at the bottom of the five-team ranking table, they had already suffered relegation to the non-first-class Patron’s Trophy Grade-II circuit of the next season.Habib Bank, record seven-time Patron’s Trophy winners, took three points from the draw to take their total in four matches to 15. They have now qualified for the Quadrangular Stage round that starts from January 15 alongside Group A table-toppers PIA.Customs were forced to follow-on by Habib Bank, after they had fallen 223 runs short of the latter’s big first innings total of 506. Resuming at 49 for 1 in their second innings yesterday, Customs batted throughout the day scoring 292 for 5.The second-wicket stand between Kashif Siddiq (42) and Azhar Shafiq (45), both left-handers, produced 91. Another 109 came for the fourth-wicket partnership that took the score beyond 200.The experienced Afsar Nawaz top-scored with 83 that took him just short of three hours while he faced 123 balls and hit 16 fours and a six. Fawad Alam, the young left-hander, followed his first-innings 94 with an unbeaten 71. Fawad, 20, was part of the Pakistan team at the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in early 2004. He hit seven fours in his knock that came off 165 balls in almost three and a half hours. With Rashid Ali, he added an exact 50 for the unbroken sixth-wicket stand when the match was called off.Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) took the first-innings lead and the three points on offer over Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) on the final day of their match at the Sheikhupura Stadium on Thursday, but still failed to move to the next stage. PTCL continued to lead the points table with a tally of 18 but WAPDA, even though they came at par with National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) with 15 points, slumped to third place in the five-team table on the basis of more wins and the net run-rate.NBP won two of their four matches, also beating Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) in Peshawar yesterday, after either side had forfeited its first innings. WAPDA won only once while drawing the other three matches. Moreover, NBP finished with a net run-rate of +1.427 while WAPDA’s figure was +0.957. Their efforts here yesterday were thus of no avail. WAPDA were the Patron’s Trophy runners-up in 2003-04 while PTCL have never won a national title. Alongside NBP, the latter have now qualified from Group B for the Quadrangular Stage round.With the first two days of the match washed out because of heavy rains and their aftermath in the city, play started only on the third day on Wednesday. Put in to bat, PTCL were reeling at 108 for 8 in 54.3 overs by the day’s close. Yesterday, PTCL were all out for 134 in 66.2 overs, with Farooq Iqbal, the slow left-armer, finishing with figures of 6 for 46 runs in 23.2 overs.WAPDA then spent the rest of the time compiling a score of 232 for 6 in 73 overs and taking the first-innings lead. Adil Nisar, the captain, top-scored with 87 off 178 balls with nine fours and two sixes. His second-wicket stand with Tariq Aziz (28) produced 83 runs, and another 51 were added for the third wicket with Aamer Sajjad (38). Mohammad Hussain, a former Pakistan left-arm spinner, collected five of the six wickets to fall.

Jacques Kallis: fastest-known Test fifty© Getty Images

Records tumbled on arguably the most one-sided first day of a Test in 128 years of international cricket. It was gruesome to watch, but at least the statisticians had something to get excited about.First to go was Zimbabwe’s lowest Test score. Their previous-worst was 63, at Port-of-Spain in March 2000, when they wilted in the face of what seemed to be an easy victory target of just 99 runs. But today was worse: only Stuart Matsikenyeri made double figures, although curiously there was only one duck as Zimbabwe succumbed for 54. Click here for a list of the lowest innings in Tests.As South Africa toyed with the bowling as if it was the Father’s Match at school, another record loomed into view. The biggest lead that a side batting second had established by the end of the first day in any Test was 233, when England ran up 286 for 8 after bowling out Australia for 53 in 75 minutes at Lord’s in 1896. That 109-year-old record was soon in tatters – like Zimbabwe’s spirits – as the runs cascaded after tea, a session in which South Africa scored 249 in 33 overs.Jacques Kallis, soon after smacking three successive sixes off Graeme Cremer, hurtled to his half-century in just 24 balls – the fastest-known in terms of balls faced, relegating Ian Botham’s slaptastic 26-ball fifty at Delhi in 1981-82 down a place.There was also the little matter of Makhaya Ntini’s 200th Test wicket – he’s the third South African (after Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock) to get there, and the 46th from all countries – and Mark Boucher’s 300th Test dismissal behind the stumps (only Ian Healy and Rod Marsh have made more). There was even one bright moment for Zimbabwe: Tatenda Taibu scored his 1000th Test run.Wisden doesn’t do records for hurt pride, or the Zimbabweans might have clocked up a few more. But Cremer’s figures of 9-0-86-3 were a candidate for Most Unusual in Tests (Asanka Gurusinha runs him close, with a spell of 1.5-0-25-2 in 1986-87), while Tatenda Taibu’s persistence with a slip and a gully almost all day would have come in high on the mythical Most Optimistic Field Placings table.