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Mushtaq Ahmed, Pakistan’s assistant coach, appeared before a three-member performance evaluation committee constituted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to explain his team’s disastrous performance in the World Cup.Mushtaq, who is due to leave for England in a few days, was the first member to appear before the committee, which will also question Inzamam-ul-Haq and a few other members of the squad. Mushtaq was questioned on several matters pertaining to the team’s disappointing show in the hour-long session with former Test cricketers Ijaz Butt, Saleem Altaf and Salahuddin Ahmed.”There is no excuse for the poor performance which has really disappointed the nation and I can only apologise to public for that,” Mushtaq said while speaking to Karachi-based daily .He shrugged aside claims that the team’s preparation for the mega event was not up to the mark and played an imperative part in Pakistan not progressing to the Super Eights. He added that the team failed to deliver on the field in successive losses to West Indies and Ireland.Talking about the Bob Woolmer murder, Mushtaq criticised the lack of security measures taken for his team in the Caribbean.”The security arrangements for the foreign teams in Pakistan are a lot better than what I saw in the West Indies,” he said.He also denied rumours that Shahid Afridi was questioned for longer by the Jamaican police over the death.The performance evaluation committee, constituted last week, is expected to submit its final report on Pakistan’s campaign within a month.

Laura Newton, England’s vice-captain, has announced her retirement. She was quick to rule out applying for the England coaching role, despite her Level 3 coaching qualifications, telling Cricinfo that, understandably, she did not want to be pigeonholed in cricket.She is halfway through her Masters in biomechanics, and has taken an interest in working in that field, but concentrating on gymnastics and athletics, once she graduates in 2008.Newton, who is 29, alluded to the trials of being an amateur player in an era where there are more and more international matches. She said: “The demands of being an England cricketer require a sacrifice I am no longer able to undertake from this point onwards.”Her retirement means that, as well as studying, she can spend more time with her two children, George, 8, and Harry, 5. But in relinquishing her England role, she will also give up her ECB funding, and so she plans to undertake clerical temping while she completes her studies.From England’s perspective, they now have the task of appointing a new vice-captain alongside a new England coach. Arran Brindle, who would be her natural successor, is no longer in the frame, having announced a break from the game. Claire Taylor may make a useful deputy – despite being 31 she has her sights firmly on the 2009 World Cup – but otherwise the role is likely to go to one of the younger players, who could benefit in learning from the current captain, Charlotte Edwards.Newton’s retirement before the age of 30 brings to mind Clare Connor quitting at the same age – Connor’s decision was also one borne of the demands of representing the country. Both were tirelessly dedicated to the cause and, like Connor, Newton gave her all. Her experience will be hard to replace.Newton, who played for England for a decade, started off as a fast-bowling middle-order batsman, but – as a natural sportswoman – she adapted her game to become an offspinning opening batsman. In all of her roles she was an integral part of England’s recent success, including winning the Ashes.

She made her ODI debut against South Africa in 1997 and two years later she made her Test debut in the series against India. Her one-day top score of 79 belies her talent – but then her role was as a flamboyant batsman, with licence to strike. She hit nine half-centuries in total, and while she admits that she would have liked a one-day century “it’s not the be-all and end-all.”She does have a Test century to her name, 103 against New Zealand in 2004. She was also awarded the NatWest Player of the Series in 2003 for her consecutive scores of 68 and 77 not out.In the most recent quadrangular series in India in February she was the pick of England’s bowlers, but again her best-ever return of 2 for 17 in one-dayers and 3 for 10 in Tests is frustratingly short of her potential. Still, statistics aren’t everything, and her enthusiasm, professionalism and tireless hard work – not to mention her expert fielding – contributed exceptionally to the team, and as yet another example to the younger players, alongside Connor, Edwards and Taylor to name a few.Naturally, she will miss her team-mates. “Playing cricket for England has given me wonderful experiences, opportunities and memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I’ll be supporting the team avidly this summer from the sidelines as they take on New Zealand.”Her best memory is taking a match-winning catch in the Stratford Test as England’s women won the Ashes in 2005 for the first time in 42 years. “Lottie [Charlotte Edwards] nearly knocked me and my cap for six!” she remembers.Gill McConway, the executive director for women’s cricket, said: “Laura has been a fantastic ambassador. I hope she returns to cricket some time in the future.”Edwards, Newton’s opening partner for so many matches, said: “Laura will be a huge loss to the team as she offered a huge amount of experience and all-round talent. She sacrificed a great deal to play international cricket.”Now, 73 ODIs later, there are few goals left unfulfilled. “When you get to late-60s caps, you think maybe I’ll go for a hundred,” said Newton, “but I want a life.” And, after a decade working hard for England, nobody can blame her.

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The Australian government has ordered the country’s cricket team not to tour Zimbabwe in September. John Howard, the prime minister, said it was not fair to leave the decision up to Cricket Australia and the players.However, James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, has foreshadowed the possibility of relocating the three-ODI series to a neutral venue, possibly South Africa. Howard said he had received legal advice that the government had the power to cancel the trip to Zimbabwe.”The government through the foreign minister has written to Cricket Australia instructing that the tour not go ahead,” he said on ABC television. “Whilst it pains me both as a cricket lover and someone who generally believes these things should be left to sporting organisations … I don’t think we have any alternative.”Howard said the government could prevent the tour by stopping the players’ passports being used to leave the country. He said his discussions with players and CA indicated they did not want to act against public opinion but also hoped it would be the government that made the decision.”I don’t think it’s fair to leave a foreign policy decision of this magnitude on the shoulders of young sportsmen,” Howard said. “It’s much better, in the end, for the government to take the rap.”I hope the rest of the cricketing world understands that, and it would be a very good idea if the rest of the cricket world adopted the same attitude towards [Robert] Mugabe’s regime. I’m not going to stand around and allow some kind of aid and comfort be given to him by the greatest cricketing team in the world visiting his country.”

He said he was confident CA would follow the wishes of the government, which could take further action if necessary. “In the end we can prevent people taking part in such a tour,” Howard said. “We would rather that not be the case but we are making it very plain to Cricket Australia and I think they will understand the import.”Sutherland said CA recognised the government’s responsibility in such international matters and would assess the advice as quickly as possible. He said CA was still committed to ICC’s Future Tours Program and would examine the options regarding the series.”We are obliged to do what we can to help Zimbabwe cricketers and we could help them by playing somewhere else,” Sutherland told AAP. “We are discussing with the government where we could play Zimbabwe at a neutral venue.”Ricky Ponting said it was appropriate for the government to issue instructions in the case of the Zimbabwe visit. “As far as this situation is concerned, I’m comfortable that the Australian government has taken the responsibility for making international affairs decisions on behalf of the country,” Ponting said. “As captain of Australia I’ve never had a problem playing against international cricketers from Zimbabwe.”

Bangladesh have announced their 14-player squad for the Asian Cricket Council women’s tournament in Malaysia next month.Tazkia Akter leads the side for the tournament which comprises eight teams, divided into two groups. A semi-final stage and final follow. Bangladesh, the favourites, have been grouped with UAE, Singapore and China.Their first match is against UAE on July 11.Squad Tazkia Akter, (capt), Salma Kahatun, Reshma Akter Aduri, Panna Ghosh, Irin Sultana (wk), Shuktara, Ayesha Akhter, Shathira Jaker Jessy, Chamely Khatun, Shamima Akhter Pinkey, Tithi Rani Sarker, Papiya Haque Babu, Champa Chakma, Mina Khatun (reserve wk)Reserves Monjila Khatun, Khadija Akhtar China, Fatima Akhtar, Saria Tanjin Sumona

The future of the West Indies A-team tour of Zimbabwe was thrown into more doubt with a statement from Keith Mitchell, the Grenada prime minister, that in his view it is not safe for the side to travel.”The West Indies A team has many very young players who need to be developed in a nurturing environment. I am not convinced that given the instability existing in Zimbabwe that this tour will provide this kind of environment. I am sure that the parents and guardians of these players will be concerned about them touring Zimbabwe.”Mitchell stated that while he understood the need for the WICB and the ICC to broaden the appeal of cricket by taking games to as many countries as possible, player safety should be one of the most important considerations in deciding on venues.Cricinfo has learned that the WICB is still calling round players trying to get them to join the tour, although given that an announcement of the squad has still not been made, despite assurances last week that it would be, there remain questions as to whether the board has enough players.The mood among the West Indies players is reportedly one of suspicion about the board’s motives, and that was not helped when Bruce Aanensen, the WICB chief executive, described them a few days ago as “incompetent”.

Gloucestershire have moved their remaining games of the Cheltenham Festival to Bristolbecause of a lack of tap water following the floods. The first Championship match, which began today against Essex, had already been switched after heavy storms left the Cheltenham College ground underwater and without electricity.Sunday’s Pro40 match against Warwickshire and the other Championship match with Derbyshire, which begins on July 31, will now be held at Bristol, too.The club expect the switches will mean lost revenue, as a statement confirmed: “The county expect to recoup some funds from rain insurance but the money-spinning festival is central to their finances.”These matches are the latest in the domestic calendar to fall foul of extreme weather and follows the abandonment of two Pro40 matches slated for Cheltenham -against Northamptonshire and Lancashire.The chief executive Tom Richardson said: “We have no choice but to move the fixtures. Had we had running water at Cheltenham, we are confident we would have been able to put these fixtures on despite the awful weather we have been having. Indeed, we could have got some cricket at Cheltenham yesterday if it had not been for the lack of running water.But he also put things into perspective. “Whilst we consider our cricket matches and what we do to be important it pales in to insignificance compare to the traumatic experiences suffered by many people.The county’s second XI match v Somerset at Bristol was cancelled to allow for the rearrangement with Essex.

Apart from the realisation that he didn’t like Bennett King very much, and that he perceived political, rather than cricket grounds for his omission in the second Test in Pakistan last November, Ramnaresh Sarwan’s comments from Toronto last week confirmed two reasons for the present state of West Indies cricket.The first is that the practice of airing every perceived grievance in public has now become an entrenched and destructive part of the culture. The second is that the general mental weakness of the players, correctly identified by a host of observers, from Brian Lara to Ken Gordon, as a prime cause of the decline, extends beyond the field of play.The purpose of the new captain’s denigration of head coach King as “one of the worst coaches I have had” was as pointless as its timing. The Australian has already quit and is long since back in his native Brisbane where they are likely to hold to Lara’s more considerate view of their man than to Sarwan’s.It is the time for the new captain to look forward in hope, not backwards in bitterness. He has a great opportunity to build a team that can regain the competitiveness and respect it has increasingly lost, whoever the coach, whoever the captain. For that, he needs to create a close rapport with King’s successor and adopt an attitude of compromise and co-operation that is the hallmark of captaincy.When Sarwan meets with Julian Hunte sometime soon, the new president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) might just point out to him the damage already created by similar verbal conflicts between those in leadership positions.Dinanath Ramnarine has criticised just about everyone who has ever opposed him within the WICB, and in turn, has been sledged by WICB officials. Lara publicly turned on the selectors and the ground staff during the series against India last year. Chris Gayle has had his say about WICB bungling and been “severely reprimanded” in turn by the WICB president. The new chief executive has dissed as “incompetent”, players who have hit back at his management style.Through it all, results on the field remain an embarrassment to the good name of West Indies cricket.While Ramnarine and the WICB argued about how many arbitrations they had won and lost, they seemed not to care about how many Test matches were won and lost. Hunte has already moved to make peace with Ramnarine by including him on the board. He could be somewhat more direct with Sarwan by telling him, as politely as he can, to leave out the bad-mouthing and get on with it.

Hunte might need some psychological help to erase the persecution complex the players have developed that is the basis of the mental weakness they carry onto the field.One of Sarwan’s beefs about King was that “he was also very aggressive and vocally abusive to certain players to the point where he even threatened them”. Threatened them with what, he did not say, but we can take it that he meant with dismissal from the team.WIPA complained to the WICB a few years back that Viv Richards, then chairman, and other selectors had “verbally belittled and threatened” players. According to WIPA, some players received death threats during the altercation over contracts prior to the 2005 South Africa tour of the West Indies. Tony Howard, then team manager, was said to have pressured team members during the split later that year, in Sri Lanka.Players have complained about training regimes that are too tough, prompting the premature resignation of the most recent fitness trainer, and have objected to over-strict curfews.There are few successful coaches or captains in any sport who do not badger charges [when] they believe [they]are not fulfilling their potential, as is palpably the case with West Indies. Few teams reach the top without committing to tough training and full fitness. Those who take personal offence at such an approach invariably flounder.

Excuse me
There is always extra spice when these two sides meet. When Matt Prior dropped the ball into the leg side during the first over, he called Darren Maddy through for a quick single. Brett Lee also set off from his follow-through to try and meet the ball, and went tumbling as Maddy held his line. Lee ended up kicking the ball away as he fell and the batsmen considered stealing another run. That would have pleased Australia no end.Three strikes
Maddy, though, struggled to find any early momentum and if this had been a baseball game he would have gone in Stuart Clark’s second over after missing three successive cuts. With the pressure growing he managed to mow the next ball through midwicket, but reverted to sign off the over with, yes, another flash and miss. It goes to show that domestic success is hard to replicate against the world’s top bowlers, even in Twenty20.No-ball problems
Overstepping is a costly error in Twenty20 with the batsmen then granted a free hit off the next ball. Stuart Clark erred twice, and Maddy was the batsmen having license to swing each time. The first time it didn’t really go to plan as he lost his off stump, and when Clark overstepped a second time, Kevin Pietersen nicked a single so Maddy was on strike again. This time he made a better fist of the opportunity and swung Clark behind square for a boundary. However, Clark had his revenge next ball when Maddy scooped to mid-offThat’s the way to do it…nearly
But Paul Collingwood showed how to really deal with a free hit after Lee also transgressed. The England captain cleared his front leg and heaved a low full toss over the deep midwicket boundary. Like Maddy, though, that was Collingwood’s high point as he was trapped leg-before next ball trying a similar shot. It was typical of England’s day.Luck or skill
Being run out backing up is a rough way to go and Dimitri Mascarenhas had no chance when Chris Schofield’s straight drive clipped Clark’s fingers and crashed into the stumps. Initial thoughts were that Clark had known very little about the dismissal and it was a large chunk offortune, but the replays suggested he may have realised that Mascarenhas was almost running up the pitch as the bowler delivered and directed the ball onto the stumps.Nothing like a solid start
Australia’s top order finally hit their straps, but they didn’t have much to beat after a tough start in South Africa. Their opening stands in the two warm-up matches and first group game were 0, 16 and 7. But Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden were quickly into their stride and in 8.2 overs added 78 to blow away some of those cobwebs.Welcome back
James Kirtley has been through a lot since he last bowled for England in 2003, having to remodel his action after being reported in 2005, but there was no fairytale return to the international stage. Held back until the sixth over, by which time Australia were already 44 for0, his first three balls were dispatched to the boundary by Matthew Hayden. An ironic cheer rang around Newlands when he managed a dot ball, but his over cost 17 and he was immediately removed from the attack.

Shane Warne and Brian Lara have been confirmed for this month’s Hong Kong Sixes tournament.They will represent an All-Star side in the tournament which takes place over the weekend of October 27 and 28. India’s Anil Kumble and Virender Sehwag, Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi and Zimbabwe’s Heath Streak are also taking part.Warne said: “I have heard so much about the event from some of the great players that have been here over the years, so to come and play myself is very exciting.”Hong Kong, England, Australia, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa are all represented at the tournament, which has been running since 1992.

Scorecard andball-by-ball details
How they wereout