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POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa, Feb 3 AAP – Supremely confident Glenn McGrath has declared Australia can win the World Cup without losing a single match.McGrath, whose unwavering fast-medium bowling from a great height captured 18 wickets at the last World Cup, predicted Australia would not repeat the sluggish start four years ago that almost sent the team home early.Following losses to Pakistan and New Zealand in pool games, Australia strung together six wins and a tie to hold aloft the trophy on the Lord’s balcony.”After having to win the hard way in 1999, our goal for this World Cup is to go through the tournament undefeated, something I believe this team can do,” said McGrath.”With such tremendous talent in the squad and great faith in each other’s ability, I am convinced that special things are in store for us.”Australia is hoping to become the first nation to win back-to-back World Cups since the West Indies in 1975 and 1979.Australia’s Test and one-day domination in recent years has given it similar aura of invincibility to those legendary Windies’ teams.McGrath’s confidence is in stark contrast to the mood in the South African camp after an embarrassing seven-wicket loss to Western Province in a practice game last weekend.Furious Proteas’ captain Shaun Pollock has since read the riot act to his players.”Shaun was quite harsh on them, but I think all of them agreed that it was necessary,” said South African coach Eric Simons.”It was a very disappointing performance. It made a big dent to their pride.”They knew the Province guys had come to do well. They were actually embarrassed by their performance.”

Shane Warne’s mum and an exhaustive analysis of his urine sample will be key elements of the biggest drugs hearing in Australian sports history.Warne will front an Australian Cricket Board anti-doping committee on Friday morning and no verdict is expected until late afternoon, at the earliest.He will face a minimum two-year ban if found guilty of using a prohibited method.Warne tested positive to a banned diuretic on January 22 and the casehas attracted enormous interest since it became public early last week.The leg-spinner, 33, would have to think seriously about retirement if he received the two-year penalty.But even if he is found guilty, Warne could receive a lesser sentence or even escape penalty under an “exceptional circumstance” clause in the ACB’s anti-doping policy.A report from the board’s anti-doping control officer Dr Peter Harcourt could also help or hurt Warne in terms of penalty.Warne has said he tested positive because of a pill his mother Brigitte gave him, apparently to help his appearance. Brigitte is yet to comment publicly on the saga.Warne received the results of his B sample earlier this week and his legal team has since spent plenty of time pouring over the laboratory report.They will try to use the test results to show Warne has been telling the truth and the diuretic was not being used as a masking agent for something more sinister, such as steroids.The hearing will be closed, with Justice Glen Williams, medical expert Dr Susan White and former Test spinner and national selector Peter Taylor making up the committee.The ACB has appointed barrister Elizabeth Brimer to assist the anti-doping committee, while board chief executive James Sutherland and its legal and business development Andrew Twaits will also attend the hearing.Warne’s lawyer Ian McCubbin, plus a QC, and his brother and manager Jason Warne will most likely be with the star and his mother.West Australian Duncan Spencer received an 18-month ban two years ago after testing positive to the steroid nandrolone. Then a year ago New South Wales batsman Graeme Rummans was fined $2000 and was banned for a month after testing positive to probenecid.Earlier today, World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound again weighed into the Warne saga.World sport’s top anti-drugs official said Warne should receive a two-year ban if found guilty.”The source is not relevant, the responsibility of an athlete is not take prohibited substances,” Pound said.”You cannot have an IQ over room temperature and be unaware of this asan international athlete.”This is original: ‘My mum gave it to me’.”He also dismissed as “nonsense” criticism from Australian Sports Drug Agency chief executive John Mendoza for commenting on the case before tomorrow’s hearing.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming raised the stakes ahead of Friday’s must-win World Cup clash against India by reminding his rivals of the drubbing they received three months ago.Sourav Ganguly’s men were thrashed 2-0 in the Tests and 5-2 in the one-dayers on the tour of New Zealand in December-January amidst complaints of poor wickets heavily tilted in favour of the bowlers.But the Indians put aside the disappointment of that tour to win seven of their eight World Cup matches so far and book a place in the semi-finals alongside Australia and Kenya.The Kiwis, meanwhile, allowed Australia to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at Port Elizabeth and must now beat India at the Centurion on Friday to grab the fourth spot.Fleming, however, was unconcerned about the terrific form shown by the Indians at the tournament.”They’ll be confident but sometimes that can be a weakness. Hopefully we can open up some of the wounds we opened in New Zealand,” Fleming said.His Indian counterpart, Sourav Ganguly, however, refused to worry about the past.”History does not interest me, that’s over, it’s behind us,” he said.Ganguly stressed it was important to win to keep the momentum flowing.”We can’t take it lightly, it’s a World Cup game after all,” he said.”Moreover it would be great to go into the semi-finals with eight wins in nine matches.”India’s New Zealand coach John Wright continued the mind games, saying Kiwi pace bowling sensation Shane Bond will not pose any problems for Sachin Tendulkar.”Sachin can take care of anything,” Wright said.Tendulkar, one-day cricket’s leading batsman, has scored a record 571 runs in this tournament, while Bond scared the living daylights out of the Australians on Tuesday with a fiery burst of 6-23 at Port Elizabeth.”There is no grudge, we just have to play as well as we have been doing in the tournament and get through this game,” Wright said.”From 14 teams, we have made it to the top four because we have played very good cricket.”But we need to concentrate hard because no win is easy.”Ganguly said it was too early to think of the final.”We have to take it one match at a time. For that matter so have Australia. Even they have not qualified for the final yet,” he said.Teams (from):New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Lou Vincent, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Brendon McCullum, Shane Bond, Jacob Oram, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori, Craig McMillan, Andre Adams, Kyle Mills, Matthew Sinclair, Scott StyrisIndia: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Dinesh Mongia, Javagal Srinath, Parthiv Patel, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, Sanjay Bangar, Ajit Agarkar

An astonishing week of success for Jermaine Lawson may be about to turn sour, after it was confirmed that he is to be reported to the ICC for a suspect bowling action.Lawson, 21, took a career-best 7 for 78 – the best figures in a Test in Antigua – as Australia were bowled out for 240 in their first innings on Friday. That effort followed swiftly on from his hat-trick in the closing stages of the third Test in Barbados, and he had been consistently recording bowling speeds in excess of 90mph.But he was unable to take the field on the third day of the Test after suffering a back strain, and the match referee, Mike Procter was asked to take a closer look at his action, which like that of Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar, appears to involve a certain degree of hyper-extension. The ICC requested footage of his action after the Barbados Test but this had not been followed up.Lawson will not be suspended immediately, but instead placed on stage onewhich requires him to work alongside specialist advisors to be appointed by hishome board. A human movement specialist appointed by the ICC will review his action during a six-week period.If, after that period, Lawson is reported again, he will enter stagetwo of the procedure which can lead to a ban of up to a year, or until theICC’s Bowling Review Group (BRG) is satisfied he has corrected his action.Australian cricket writers were quick to question Lawson’s action. In the Sydney Morning Herald Peter Roebuck wrote that “the raggedness of his action presented the game’s authorities with a challenge they do not want, but simply cannot ignore”. He continued: “Deterioration was evident whenever the bouncer was attempted.”Trevor Marshallsea, also writing in the Sydney Morning Herald agreed with his colleague’s view. “The pity is while Lawson has attracted suspicion throughout the series, the issue has only become a public controversy after his seven-wicket haul, no doubt raising allegations that Australians, who themselves have had Brett Lee go through a chucking scandal, are wont to deride an opponent’s action only when he is succeeding against them,” Marshallsea wrote. “The timing of the issue, however, should be of little consequence compared with the crux of the matter – the bowler’s action.”Roebuck similarly feared that the allegations could arouse accusations of double standards, but he insisted that was not the case. “No one need get upset about this suggestion,” he insisted. “Several bowlers, most of them spinners, have been dealt with in this way and most have returned with the problems ironed out.”

Lt-Colonel John Stephenson, the secretary of MCC from 1987 to 1993, died yesterday at his home in Salisbury, Wiltshire. He was 72.Stephenson, tall and ramrod-backed, started at Lord’s as assistant secretary in 1979 after 28 years in the army. He soon became a familiar sight marching around on the outfield during weather interruptions, either sheltering under a vast MCC umbrella or poking the turf suspiciously with it. In his early days he would arrive at the ground, immaculately dressed, on an improbably small bicycle.He took over as secretary at a difficult time, when his predecessor Jack Bailey (with whom he had been at school at Christ’s Hospital) was manoeuvred out at an early stage of MCC’s bicentenary celebrations in 1987. "The Colonel", a genial fellow, was seen as a safe pair of hands, and his outgoing personality helped mend many fences, both outside Lord’s and within, given MCC’s often-frosty relationship with the Test & County Cricket Board (now the ECB).Under his stewardship Lord’s became a more friendly place, although he was a stickler for tradition in the right place. Some of the staff wished they had seen a little more of him, but this may have been because of the endless stream of meetings – which he cheerfully loathed – that he was expected to attend. Initially he was secretary of the International Cricket Council as well, and oversaw its transition into a completely independent body, also housed within the confines of Lord’s.He took particular delight in the achievements of the MCC Young Cricketers, and captained them with enthusiasm during the annual Cross Arrows season in September. As a bowler, the term "military medium" was particularly appropriate in his case.Stephenson was supposed to retire at 60 in 1991, but the committee was persuaded to let him carry on for two more years (he himself had rather hoped for five). After his eventual retirement he served briefly on MCC’s committee, but was disappointed that no other companies seemed terribly interested in using his expertise.His obituary in The Times pointed out that he was "not a man of great intellect", but more charitably observed that he made up for that with common sense: "By his natural courtesy and charm he did wonders for [MCC’s] public relations. He would talk to anyone, from the man on the mower to the most exalted committee member. Media critics inclined to prickle at the traditions of Lord’s and the perceived stuffiness of a club that had once ruled the game were disarmed by his frankness and charm."He was married to his wife, Karen, for 41 years: they had two daughters and a son, who followed him into the army. He was appointed CBE for services to cricket in 1994.

The Sri Lankan cricket board has announced a change to England’s winter tour schedule. It had earlier been agreed that three one-day internationals would take place in the second half of November, followed by three Tests in December, but now a change of venue has become necessary.Colombo had been expected to stage all the matches, except for the first Test at Galle, but that will now change following the recent election of Thilanga Sumathipala as board president. He is known to favour the Rangiri Stadium in Dambulla, which is situated to the north of the country and is not subjected to the same heavy rains that can affect venues in Colombo.The stadium was embroiled in financial and land-leasing disputes following its inaugural match on England’s last tour in 2001, but it recently came into its own during the triangular series against Pakistan and New Zealand, staging the whole tournament after Colombo was affected by floods.

Q: You were drafted into the Test team at just 19, straight from your school, Ananda College, without any first-class experience. What do you remember about you first Test innings at Chandigarh in 1991 and the subsequent string of ducks?A: I didn’t know how difficult Test cricket was at the time. I just walked in as if it was a school game. I soon realised I was scoring zeroes and with each innings it became more difficult for me to get off the mark. My thinking at the time and my mental approach was different – I made it difficult for myself thinking about the first run rather than the first ball. I found that I could not handle the pressure of Test cricket straight from school cricket.Unfortunately, there was also too much advice coming my way. I’m sure it was given with good intentions but I couldn’t handle it because if I met 10 different people they would come up with 10 different ideas. All of a sudden I went into another shell because I didn’t know whose advice to take. I decided to leave all the advice aside and bat the way I had been batting since I was 13. I thought I would succeed at some point.Q:You then played club cricket for SSC and rebuilt your confidence.A: It was much easier and the pressure was less. I kept scoring consistently at club level and put together a couple of big scores. I found it much easier to step into the big league after that. Some geniuses can jump from school to Test cricket but it was too difficult for me.

Q: The retirement of Asanka Gurasingha after the 1996 World Cup finally gave you the opportunity to make a comeback in his number three position. You started with 25 and 22 at Dunedin and soon established yourself in the side with a maiden hundred at, ironically, Chandigarh. Since then your average has been climbing. How do you reflect back on your career now?A: I think I have achieved a lot considering that I have got 18 ducks in Test cricket and I am still averaging around 38. I am a great believer that if you get a start in Test cricket – and in our eleven now, I am the worse starter – you should not throw your wicket away. I always try to make the maximum out of every innings. I see some of the young guys get great starts but then not capitalise.Q: You think the young players have a lot to learn then?A: If they are to be successful when they finish their careers they better think now and get their act together and get big scores for us. Otherwise they are going to regret the failure to make the most of the good starts. This team has tremendous potential without any doubt, but its high time some of the youngsters learnt to value their wickets as batsmen and be consistent as bowlers.Q:What does the one-day team need now?A: We are desperately in need of a fast bowling allrounder. There is a definite opportunity for one in the team. The same applies for the Test team. I personally think that Suresh Perera is the automatic choice for the position. But not at the moment, simply because he’s not putting in enough and his thinking is not right. He is the kind of player that can walk into the side with his ability to contribute in all three departments of the game.

Q: Have you enjoyed the captaincy so far?A: Captaining the country has been a dream come true. There is nothing better than that – it’s the highest honour that you can achieve as a player. It is though a big responsibility and the pressure grows when the team fails to live up to expectations.Q: What Test innings do you rate as your best?A: My double hundred against Pakistan at Kandy in 1999-00. I was hit twice on the head by Wasim (Akram) before getting into double figures. It wasn’t the easiest conditions to bat, being overcast when we started. I then had to stay on 199 for about a day because of the rain. That was the time that I concentrated most in a single innings.Q: And your best one-day innings?A: I still back the 132 not out against England at Lord’s in the Emirates Cup in 1998, against the hundred (124) I scored against South Africa at Durban during the World Cup this year.Q: What ambitions do you have for the future?A: Personally, I have always said that if I can average 40 in both forms of the game I’ll be happy at the end of my career.

Dav Whatmore, the Bangladesh coach, has said that Sanwar Hossain is likely to play in the ODI series against Australia, despite being reported to the ICC for a suspect action.”Under the processes laid down he’s able to play,” Whatmore said. “He’s a batsman as well (as a bowler) and he’s a good fielder. Whether he bowls or not is up to the captain on the field.”One delivery of Hossain in particular – when he flicks the ball with a backhanded motion – appears to be under suspicion, but Whatmore said he did not know whether the spotlight would be on that ball or on his action in general. “We don’t know whether it’s that ball … we don’t know what the umpires have written down.”A media release – that’s all I’ve seen. I haven’t had anything officialfrom the ICC. I should be getting the umpires’ report, but the process slows upbecause it goes to London and London sends it back to the (Bangladesh) cricketboard and the cricket board sends it back to us,” said Whatmore. “So I think we have to be a little bit patient.”Whatmore said that delivery of Hossain’s was similar to that bowled by a number of international stars, including Muttiah Muralitharan, Saqlain Mushtaq and Shoaib Malik, and that it would appear unfair if Hossain alone were pulled up for it.”I spoke to him (Hossain) yesterday and he feels he’s bowling legitimately. He must feel some pressure – it’s only natural.”

Shaun Pollock has regained the top spot in the PricewaterhouseCoopers ratings for bowlers, after returning figures of 8 for 104 in the third Test against England at Trent Bridge. Pollock swapped places with Muttiah Muralitharan, who is in second place, 25 points behind Pollock.Michael Vaughan may have registered his first Test win as captain, but scores of 1 and 5 in the match meant that he slipped five places to No. 8 in the batting list. The two centurions for England, Nasser Hussain and Mark Butcher, both improved their rankings. Hussain advanced eight places to No. 20, while Butcher moved up three places to a career-best No. 17.

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Few observers who saw both games could pinpoint any significant differences in the way the pitch at the Motera stadium played in this Test and the way it behaved in the match against England a year and a half ago. Which would not be surprising, except for the fact that Ahmedabad was one of the venues that was evaluated by the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute. The institute then passed on its recommendations to the Indian board for implementation, and the pitch was re-laid in accordance with them.The institute’s main suggestions were to decrease the depth of the wicket from 2.5 feet, which was the norm in India, to 1.5 feet, and to replace the soil to facilitate bounce. “But how can we prepare bouncy wickets for Test matches in India?” asks, rhetorically, Nadeem Memon, curator at Motera. “So that is why the pitch is playing more or less the same way it did in the last Test.”Matches that have been played here since the surface has been re-laid, Memon says, have all seen outright results. “Both seamers and spinners have found help. But you should not compare a first-class wicket with a Test wicket.”When India play at home, they automatically want the advantage of home conditions. They don’t want grass or bounce,” says Memon. “We want the wicket to last five days, to maximise the take from admissions, so we have to roll it, keep it clear of grass, and factor in the heat. This will naturally be the result.”This pitch, Memon predicts, will not break at all. “People think it will, but it won’t. But you can’t say there is no turn. Daniel Vettori bowled well and turned the ball on the very first day. Our spinners just did not bowl well or aggressively enough. Had Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna or BS Chandrasekhar been here, they would have opened up this side by now, on this wicket.” Both turn and bounce is available here, Memon insists. “Matthew Hayden just got 380 at Perth, but that does not mean it is a batting wicket. Our spinners just have to bowl line and length to get wickets, and they did not do that.”The surface, one gathers, would have behaved rather differently had Memon been allowed to follow his heart. “Our cricketers must understand that all over the world, grass is present on the wicket. In Australia, there is dampness in the pitch until the third day; you can stick a key in it even then. If we do that here, though, we will be painted as villains.”Unless we have a free hand,” Memon continues, “this attitude will persist.” He has, it appears, heard some rumours that there were complaints from the Indian camp from the very first day about this wicket, and is not surprised. “Nobody even waited for a few days to say how it would play; they automatically criticised it as a dead wicket. Stephen Fleming told me this was the best-looking ground in India, but nobody here praises us even if the ground looks good. Our groundsmen work on nominal salaries, and yet we are always criticised. Even when we have prepared a wicket that will aid an Indian win, nobody will come to say ‘Thank you.’ They are all just concerned with how many runs they will score or how many wickets they will take.”