Muralitharan to play in Ranji Trophy

World's leading Test wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka will play for Bengal in India's premier first-class domestic competition this season, a newspaper reported Tuesday. The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has signed up the off-spinner for the Ranji Trophy matches in the 2008-09 season beginning in November, the Kolkata-based Telegraph newspaper said. "The Lankan board chief executive, Duleep Mendis, has sent across a fax to us, mentioning that Murali will be available for Bengal in the upcoming first-class engagements," said CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya. "With his experience of 756 Test and 479 one-day international wickets, Bengal cricket will benefit immensely." Muralitharan was expected to play four matches for the state side, which was relegated last season. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is also included in the state side. "The arrangement is clear. His obligations to the Lanka board will always come first," Dalmiya said. Muralitharan was not picked for Sri Lanka's next assignment -- a four-nation Twenty20 tournament in Canada next month. The Sri Lankan team has no international engagements this year, but Muralitharan is likely to turn up for the inaugural Champions Twenty20 League from December 3-10 at three Indian venues. The Indian cricket board last month allowed each state team to select a maximum of four outstation players, including a foreigner.

Aussies plan to delay Tendulkar record bid

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting said Tuesday his team will try their best to make Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar struggle for his world record in the upcoming Test series. Tendulkar needs just 77 runs to beat retired West Indies captain Brian Lara's landmark of 11,953 and is expected to reach the milestone in the four-Test series beginning in Bangalore on October 9. "I don't have too many great memories of him because he tends to score heavily against us," Ponting said. "I have the highest regard for him. He is a true champion, one of the all-time greats, and reaching this milestone would be a great reward for him. "But we are here to win and know pretty well that we have to dismiss him early if we are to win here. We have come here with a few plans for him and hope our plans click." Tendulkar, who has averaged 56 against Australia in 25 Tests, already holds three world records -- the highest number of runs in one-day internationals (16,361) and most centuries in Tests (39) and one-dayers (42). Key Australian paceman Brett Lee said he had been looking forward to bowling to one of the great batsmen. "He is a world-class player who has proved himself over more than a decade," said Lee. "You talk about Don Bradman, Lara, Sachin and probably Ricky. It is an honour to bowl to Sachin and getting his wicket is the ultimate prize." Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson said it was always a challenge to bowl to Tendulkar. "I don't want to make any prediction but I can say it is going to be a great challenge (to bowl to him)," said Johnson. Tendulkar said Monday he was not focusing on the world record but on the team's performance. "I just have to go and play my best. Records will come if you keep playing well. My mind is not on the 77 runs and it is not as if I can relax after getting these runs," he said. "For the four Tests against Australia the team has some targets and I am more focused on those." Tendulkar was recently declared fit for the Australia Tests after missing the one-day series in Sri Lanka last month due to an elbow injury. Australia play their only practice game before the series here from October 2. The Bangalore Test will be followed by back-to-back matches in Mohali, New Delhi and Nagpur.

source: www.cricbuzz.com

Aussies 'comfortable' with India security

Australia captain Ricky Ponting said Tuesday his team was satisfied with security arrangements for the upcoming Test series in India following recent blasts in the country.
Fears were raised after 25 people were killed and more than 100 wounded as bombs went off recently across New Delhi, one of the venues for the four-Test series starting in Bangalore on October 9.
"We are keeping an eye on the situation," Ponting told reporters here.
"We are in constant touch with security people to know what they think of the situation. They are comfortable with the security provided to us and we are comfortable too.

"I must say we are happy with the arrangements."

Vice-captain Michael Clarke said they had full faith in the security being provided to the team.

"We have a security expert with us and he is doing his job. The team has full faith in our cricket board and the Australian Cricketers Association. We know they are taking the right decisions," said Clarke.
The Australians will meet an Indian Board President's team in a four-day practice match starting here on Thursday.
The Bangalore Test will be followed by back-to-back matches in Mohali, New Delhi and Nagpur.
Australia cancelled a scheduled Test tour of Pakistan in March due to security concerns and were also one of the teams that forced the Champions Trophy there to be delayed by a year.
Source: www.cricbuzz.com