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Sachin Tendulkar says he is back to full fitness and looking forward to the four-Test series against West Indies starting on June 2. Tendulkar, who underwent a surgery on his shoulder in March, has already been ruled out of the preceding one-day series.”I am fit now. I am looking forward to the West Indies tour,” Tendulkar told reporters. Tendulkar has made satisfactory progress with his rehabilitation following the shoulder surgery he had in March. The third and final phase was completed on May 1, and this week Tendulkar began light batting drills and has expressed his satisfaction at the work out.Meanwhile, Niranjan Shah, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, said a decision on Tendulkar’s availability for the Test series will be known after physio John Gloster submits his report. Gloster is expected to examine Tendulkar next week and based on his report, the BCCI would take a decision on the master batsman.

Nasser Hussain, the former England captain, has suggested that Brett Lee’s return to the Test squad for the Ashes would add fire to an ageing bowling line-up. Lee, who hasn’t played a Test since January 2004 , returned after a shoulder injury in the NatWest Series.”I think that Brett Lee would add something to any side, to be honest,” Hussain was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald. “Looking from a distance, even before this last week happened and the bowlers looked to have lost a yard of pace, as an Englishman I was quite pleased to see Brett wasn’t part of the Test side in New Zealand.”Hussain further compared Australia’s performance in the current series, where the bowlers have struggled to make an impact, to a similar beginning in the 1997 Ashes series. “If I were Australia I wouldn’t be panicking too much because the same thing happened in 1997,” Hussain explained. “In ’97, Glenn was struggling with his rhythm, Gillespie was injured; it just takes something to click and it clicked for Glenn at Lord’s and he turned everything around. You can do that at 27 – whether you can do it at 35 I’m not so sure.”Australia got off to a worst possible start to their Ashes campaign losing four successive matches. However, they registered their first win in the NatWest series with a 57 runs win over England.”At the moment, what they are missing is what Australia has had for so many years – a bowling attack that everyone has been in envy of. From looking at them so far, it could be they’re struggling to find rhythm, they could be a bit undercooked or they could be feeling their age. You can rectify the first two, but I don’t think you can fight age.”Speaking about their batting, Hussain added, “Australia’s batting is fine. The only question is, and I’m sure the selectors are looking at it … They’ve been expert at retiring off batsmen when they are still playing well and getting new guys in, but have they done the same with their bowlers? Are they all going to come to a shuddering halt?”

Maurice Odumbe, the Kenyan allrounder, is to be investigated by the International Cricket Council after it received reports that he had “inappropriate contact with a bookmaker and influenced the result of matches”. Odumbe’s response was unequivocal – “My conscience is clear,” he told reporters.Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s chief executive, explained that the hearing came after investigations by the organisation’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) and a recommendation by Michael Beloff, the ICC’s code of conduct commission chairman. “As a result of the work of the ACSU and on the recommendation of [Beloff] the executive board accepts that there is a prima-facie case against Odumbe and has directed the Kenyan Cricket Association (KCA) and the ICC to conduct a formal hearing into the matter.”Ahmed Ebrahim, a former Zimbabwean supreme court judge, has been appointed to conduct the hearing which is expected to be held in May. But his appointment did not impress Odumbe. “I see a lot of intimidation in the whole affair, especially where Justice Ahmed Ebrahim is involved,” he told the AFP news agency. “He’s the same guy who sent me off during the triangular series in South Africa in October 2001 when he was the match umpire.”Odumbe hit the international headlines last year when he averaged 42 with the bat and took nine wickets as Kenya reached the World Cup semi-finals. The investigation is thought to concern Kenya’s win over Sri Lanka in that tournament.

Australian cricketing icon Bob Simpson will be the guest speaker at Otago Cricket’s annual dinner in mid-April.Simpson played 62 Tests for Australia in a career which spanned two distinct eras. After appearing on 52 occasions between 1957/58 and 1967/68, Simpson came out of retirement a decade later at the age of 41 to lead Australia to series wins over India and the West Indies.His recall was forced by the advent of Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket which split the Australian game in two. Simpson scored the last of his 10 Test centuries in the fifth and final Test of the home series against in India at Adelaide in 1977/78, a score pivotal to Australia taking the Test and the series 3-2.Simpson’s first century was his highest, 311 against England in the fourth Test of the 1964 Ashes series in Manchester, and he is just one of four Australian players to score a triple-century at Test level. Don Bradman (twice), Bob Cowper and Mark Taylor are the others.In his 62 matches Simpson scored 4869 runs at an average of 46.81, he recorded 27 50s to compliment his 10 centuries, took 71 wickets and snared 110 catches.After retiring a second time Simpson coached New South Wales before embarking on a spectacularly successful decade as Australian coach before taking his talents offshore. He is still involved in coaching today.Otago Cricket’s event manager Steve Davie says it is especially fitting to have Simpson involved in this year’s dinner with the function to be held in honour of the elite ‘300 Club’.There are just five members of this club – being New Zealand batsmen who have scored 300-plus runs in an innings, either for their province or for New Zealand. All five were Otago representatives at the time of their feat, creating an exclusive and unique group.The five are Roger Blunt (338* for Otago v Canterbury in 1931/32), Bert Sutcliffe (385 for Otago v Canterbury in 1952/53 and 355 for Otago v Auckland in 1949/50), Glenn Turner (311* for Worcestershire v Warwickshire in 1982 – that score also registering his 100th first-class century), Ken Rutherford (317 for New Zealand v DB Close XI in 1986) and Mark Richardson (306 for New Zealand v Zimbabwe ‘A’ in 2000/01).”It will be a fitting tribute to our players to have one of Australia’s greatest and world’s best players present to celebrate this special occasion,” Davie told CricInfo.”With Bob Simpson himself scoring a triple century his presence will cap the evening superbly.”Part of the dinner will comprise the presentation of Test Black Caps to Turner, Rutherford and Richardson and to the families of Blunt and Sutcliffe. Iain Gallaway, the doyen of radio broadcasters in this country and a recent president of New Zealand Cricket, will be one of the evening’s special hosts as will Jeremy Coney.A book, written by CricInfo editor Lynn McConnell, honouring the exploits of the five ‘300 Club’ members will be launched at the dinner.

After seeing his side come within two wickets of an innings victory against Essex after taking the extra half hour, Somerset Coach Kevin Shine told me, “It has been a fabulous day, what else can I say.I’m only sorry that we didnt finish it off.Sadly it was pretty dark at the end and we were’nt able to use our fast bowlers. Providing it stays dry it looks like twenty points in the bag.”

The Jaipur bench of the Rajasthan High Court has approved the BCCI’s appointment of selection committees to pick Rajasthan teams for various domestic tournaments in the upcoming 2015-16 season. The court approved the committees on Friday during the hearing of a writ petition filed by a section of Rajasthan’s players, in which they sought help to play the forthcoming season.The uncertainty over the participation of teams from Rajasthan is the effect of the dispute between the BCCI and the Rajasthan Cricket Association. The board has had to appoint selection committees for Rajasthan teams for a second consecutive year, after it suspended the RCA following Lalit Modi’s election as association president in May 2014.

Selection committees for Rajasthan teams

• Seniors: Rajinder Singh Hans (national selector), Sanjay Vyas, Vivek Bhan Singh, Najmul Hussain, Vinod Mathur, Bharat Bhushan

• Juniors: Pritam Gandhe (national selector), Sukhvinder Singh, Pramod Yadav, Kuldeep Mathur

• Women: Hemlata Kala (national selector), Megha Gour, Shabana Khan, Pratima Bharti

All three selection committees for the 2015-16 season include national selectors. Rajinder Singh Hans is a part of the men’s selection committee, while Pritam Gandhe and Hemlata Kala are in the junior and women’s committees respectively.Amrit Mathur, a former manager of the Indian team, has been appointed coordinator of the selection committees and will be assisted by Taposh Chatterjee. Mathur is also the coordinator of the BCCI’s ad-hoc committee that was appointed earlier this month to run cricket in Rajasthan.The Jaipur bench of the court also observed that the appointed selection committees would continue to exist until the RCA matter is resolved. Last year, the tenures of the court-appointed committees and coordinator had stretched only until the end of the 2014-15 season.The BCCI legal counsel, led by its senior lawyer Ushanath Banerjee, informed the court that the board has taken the steps to ensure players’ welfare. It is understood the court had no objection to approving the selection committees put forth by the board’s ad-hoc panel. “The court was happy and mentioned that the main motive – the players’ interests – were not hurt,” a BCCI official said.On Thursday, a group of nearly 60 players, including senior cricketer Pankaj Singh had urged various stakeholders, including the court and state government, to resolve disputes related to the RCA and allow players to participate in domestic cricket. A section of the players had also filed writ petitions with the Jaipur and Jodhpur benches of the Rajasthan High Court. The second writ petition will be heard before the Jodhpur bench on September 14.According to the official, the second petition is unlikely to create any further hurdles for the BCCI. He said the BCCI’s ad-hoc panel will now discharge duties the RCA ought to have fulfilled as the court had taken the “significant” decision to allow the selections panels and the coordination committee to continue until the matter was resolved.”At the end of last season, all activities ceased so there were no off-season camps, fitness camps. Selections tournaments were not held as the tenure of the selection committees approved by the court last year ended after the 2014-15 season. Now that is not the case. You will not have the suspense and uncertainty at the beginning of the season, which has been the case for the last two years. The players would not need to raise a cry for help,” the official pointed out.According to Mathur, the coordination committee has already set the wheels in motion. “We have started work straightaway. We have decided to organise selection trials for the Under-19 women’s team on September 14 and 15 so that they can play the domestic tournament starting soon,” he said.Mathur also said the coordination committee would meet on September 14 in Jaipur to decide on the plan for the men’s teams, including selection trials and preparatory camps ahead of the Ranji Trophy, which starts from October 1.

Just how expensive will Zimbabwe’s last 50 runs prove in New Zealand’s bid to win the first Test in Bulawayo?The runs, and the time involved after Zimbabwe was 300 for eight, may be the difference should New Zealand get itself into a position of strength by scoring a big total quickly enough to attempt to bowl Zimbabwe out a second time.And there’s no guarantee of that happening with the side finishing the second day at 62 for two.The fact that Matt Horne is unbeaten on 40 puts the onus on him to produce his best Test score since his maiden Test century at Lord’s midway through last year.Another factor is the opportunity the match situation provides captain Stephen Fleming to score a long-awaited third Test century. He is such a capable batsman, and so attractive to watch when in full-flight, that a national sigh of relief will be breathed when he gets over the hurdle that has seen him score 24 half centuries but only twice reach three figures.All that lies ahead however, as New Zealand firstly needs to consolidate its overnight position before attempting to launch a full-scale assault on the Zimbabwe total. That’s where Horne, Fleming, Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan come into the picture.Collectively, they represent an attacking force capable of doing the job but as yet they have lacked the consistency for New Zealand fans to assume that the logical will happen as of right.Paul Wiseman’s achievement in taking his second five-wicket bag in Test matches is an encouraging development. He’s lifted his Test tally of wickets to 29 and, more importantly, is making headway in getting his average out of the 40s and down to 37.41.There’s still a way for him to go but every Test he plays in partnership with Daniel Vettori helps to develop a spin option that has been lacking for too long in the New Zealand game. Not since John Bracewell and Stephen Boock were occasionally working in unison has this been a factor in New Zealand’s Test match approach.The benefits are not only applied to the Test scene either. With two international quality spinners appearing, albeit occasionally, in domestic cricket, more batsmen are exposed to playing class slow bowling.The fact that Zimbabwe, under pressure, has produced such a competitive total also highlights how little there is between the greater percentage of teams on the Test scene at the moment. Alistair Campbell stepped up at precisely the right time for his side and produced an innings of substance while Heath Streak marked his captaincy regime in the perfect style with 51 runs.The challenge for New Zealand to quell that Zimbabwean spirit is obvious and the third day will tell all.

The last round of Pura Cup matches looms as a bowl-off between Australia’s spinners after Stuart MacGill was named in the New South Wales squad for his first match back since an operation on his right wrist in December. The Blues and Victoria are both vying for the right to host the Pura Cup final – the teams have already qualified and are equal on points – but the performances of several slow bowlers will add an intriguing sub-plot.Australia are searching for a Test spinner for their tours of Pakistan and West Indies following the retirement of Brad Hogg, and a fit MacGill would be the leading candidate. His ability to bowl long spells was uncertain due to his lengthy lay-off, however MacGill grabbed 4 for 66 on the weekend for his club side Sydney University.”I was very, very nervous before I bowled a ball because I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go yet,” MacGill told . “But very shortly into my first spell, I knew I was ready to play state cricket.”He has two games to show the selectors where he is at and the second of those matches, the Pura Cup final, will provide an interesting head-to-head battle with one of his main rivals, Victoria’s Bryce McGain. Before that, he must focus on the four-day game against South Australia at the SCG starting on Friday, which may also feature the Redbacks’ Cricket Australia-contracted legspinner Cullen Bailey.Having been overlooked since the opening game of South Australia’s campaign, when he returned match figures of 1 for 103 against Victoria, Bailey has been recalled to a 12-man squad for what could be his second match of the summer. He replaces the newly-retired Jason Gillespie in an otherwise unchanged Redbacks group and if he makes the starting line-up he will not only be trying to out-perform MacGill but also his South Australia team-mate Dan Cullen.Bailey was the state’s preferred slow bowler last season, when Cullen was on the fringes, but in 2007-08 the roles have been reversed. Cullen has played seven Pura Cup games this summer, and although his return of 14 wickets at 59.42 has been disappointing, he has also been mentioned as a potential tourist with the national team.MacGill’s main aim will be to get through a full first-class match as his comeback from surgery for carpal-tunnel syndrome has so far been limited to a couple of club outings. He pulled out of a New South Wales Second XI game last week as the focus remained on his Pura Cup return.He is joined in the Blues squad by Brad Haddin, whose ODI commitments have finished, and Grant Lambert, who is back from injury. Daniel Smith, Steven Smith and Burt Cockley have made way for the returning trio. Victory against South Australia would mean New South Wales will host the Pura Cup decider but a loss or draw will leave the venue to be determined by Victoria’s result against Queensland.New South Wales squad Phil Jaques, Phillip Hughes, Peter Forrest, Simon Katich (capt), Usman Khawaja, Dominic Thornely, Brad Haddin (wk), Grant Lambert, Beau Casson, Matthew Nicholson, Mark Cameron, Stuart MacGill.South Australia squad Daniel Harris, Jake Brown, Andy Delmont, Callum Ferguson, Daniel Christian, Shane Deitz, Graham Manou (capt, wk), Mark Cleary, Ryan Harris, Cullen Bailey, Dan Cullen, Paul Rofe.

Geoff Marsh, the former coach of Zimbabwe, said cancelling Australia’s tour later this year would have little effect on Robert Mugabe’s regime and action should be taken in areas besides sport. Marsh said Zimbabweans were passionate about cricket but their country had been turned into “a living hell”.”The feeling I get – and it’s the opinion of some of my Zimbabwean mates as well – is what difference will stopping a cricket tour make?” Marsh said in the . “Whether it’s the right or wrong thing to do is another matter, but, in real terms, I just wonder what it will achieve.”I generally don’t like to see sport and politics mix. I think strong action definitely needs to be taken but I think it has to happen in areas broader than just sport. It is a beautiful country that has become a living hell for a lot of people.”Marsh, who was in charge of the side from 2001 to 2004, said the exodus of Zimbabwe’s top players was unfortunate for cricket in the country. “It’s a sad situation,” he said. “People there love the game. We filled the grounds there quite a few times, and you have to think that had they kept their key players, they would probably be a pretty competitive team.”Marsh’s comments came as Cricket Australia met with Australia’s foreign minister, Alexander Downer, to discuss whether to cancel or go ahead with the tour. The government has repeatedly said it does not want the trip to proceed and will pay any ICC fine imposed on CA.

Marylebone Cricket Club, the former governor of the world game and the guardian of its laws, has renewed its drive to become an influence on the modern-day game by forming a committee of leading Test cricketers from eight of the ten member countries.The MCC World Cricket Committee will be under the chairmanship of the former England captain and MCC president, Tony Lewis, and its remit will be to lobby the ICC and guard the fundamental aspects of the game at all levels, particularly those concerning the laws and the spirit of cricket.”MCC, in my time, has always been a chamber of fair debate and seriously democratic,” Lewis told The Times, as he attempted to do away with the traditionally stuffy image of the club. “Everything [is] decided in what was believed to be the best interests of cricket and cricketers.”The first meeting will take place at Lord’s on April 24, with a committee that comprises five former England captains in Mike Brearley, Mike Gatting, Michael Atherton, Geoffrey Boycott and Alec Stewart; Australia’s Steve Waugh and Tony Dodemaide; India’s current captain, Rahul Dravid; Martin Crowe from New Zealand; Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower; Majid Khan from Pakistan; Barry Richards from South Africa; Courtney Walsh from West Indies, and the former Test umpire, David Shepherd.Crowe, Shepherd and Gatting will not be able to attend the inaugural meeting, but between them, the committee members have 1,183 Test caps. Items on the agenda will include an investigation into laws 24.2 and 24.3, which deal with unfair deliveries, and the question of whether umpires should be permitted more assistance through the use of technology.The idea is for the committee to “constructively question or challenge changes to the game”, and Lewis was delighted to have attracted so many influential names to join. “They will be well qualified to discuss matters relating to national and international cricket,” he said, “from the lowest level to the ICC, and to provide support or to challenge as appropriate.”The forum will replace the Laws, Spirit and Ethos sub-committee, which was created under the chairmanship of Ted Dexter in 2000, when MCC streamlined its committee structure.