New Zealand asked the sport’s governing body on Saturday to switch their World Cup Group B match against Kenya from Nairobi to South Africa.

“The New Zealand board have reconfirmed their decision made on January 31, which is not to allow the New Zealand team to travel to Nairobi for the match on February 21,” New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Martin Snedden told Reuters by telephone on Saturday.

“The team won’t go to Nairobi, we’ve advised the ICC (International Cricket Council) of this and we’ve confirmed that we are willing to play the game at an alternative venue in South Africa — at whatever date the ICC might determine.”

Pakistan’s sad and yet deserved early exit from the World Cup 2003 was no surprise for me personally.

Pakistan for the past six months had not put up any credible performance in the international arena. Heavy losses to Australia and South Africa were clear indicators of the impending doom. There have been widespread speculations that poor team spirit and lack of resolve were the main contributors to Pakistan’s loss. My views are listed below:

Wet, Set, Go…

This summer promise yourself that you will look fresh and gorgeous. Even if you are barefaced without a trace of make-up. All you’ve to do is be a true water baby. And by that we don’t mean just splashing in the surf during your holiday by the sea. Water can be your beauty Aid No 1, whenever, whenever you are – holidaying, sweating it out at your office or unwinding on a leisurely Sunday at home. Decide that you can’t do without water on your dressing table.

Aqua Skin

Much has been said about the exposure and economic benefits this Cricket World Cup is going to bring South Africa. However little is said about the people who are exploited in the process of making these benefits materialise.

I’m talking, for instance, about the 5 000 people who supposedly volunteered to make the R30 million opening ceremony possible on Saturday night. For six months these people slaved away in what is called rehearsals, using their own spare time without any hope of receiving any form of remuneration.

With performances falling far short of their ambition, Bangladesh find themselves in a cricketing no man’s land as they approach their second consecutive World Cup.

Their dismal record of losing all but one of their 17 tests, many of them innings defeats inside three days, and three wins from 61 one-dayers means their superior opponents regard them as mere points in the bank.

A South African cricket official’s remarks at last year’s Champions Trophy perhaps reflects the attitude of big teams towards the 10th and newest entrant to the test club in 2000, with critics saying their arrival was hasty and due to board- room politics.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) have issued a fresh warning to the Indian players threatening them with severe action if advertisements involving them and flouting the ambush marketing clause continued.

On Friday, lawyers representing the ICC’s commerical arm brought to the Indian team-management’s attention ads being aired by Samsung India Electronics Limited, a rival of LG Electronics, an official sponsor of the 2003 World Cup.

“It is extremely regrettable that the IDI (ICC Development International) has been compelled to interrupt the Indian players and management during the tournament to address this problem,” ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said in a statement issued to explain the action.

An unconvincing net session by injured Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar increased speculation he will miss his side’s opening World Cup match against Australia at The Wanderers on Tuesday.

Anwar, who suffered a severely bruised left elbow when he was hit by a delivery from team mate Shoaib Akhtar last week, batted briefly against a bowling machine on Monday.

He was seen flexing his arm afterwards. Earlier he took part in a fielding drill but did not throw the ball over-arm.

ENGLAND PULL OFF STUNNING VICTORY
Three balls after he had reduced Pakistan to 78 for eight, White sent Pakistan spiralling further towards defeat whenWaqar Younis was turned and the ball looped up to Knight in the gully.

Shoaib Akhtar enjoyed himself with some wild swinging and authentic strokes to take two sixes off White. That 30th over of the innings cost 21 runs and lifted Shoaib to become top scorer. He only faced 16 balls, but he smote five fours and three sixes before Flintoff, who had perhaps been guilty of bowling too short, found a full length delivery to shatter Shoaib’s stumps and England had claimed a stunning victory.

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (Reuters) - New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming says his team’s defeat by Sri Lanka might force a change of mind about boycotting their World Cup Group B match in Kenya.

Fleming said the New Zealand players were still confident their cricket board would make the right decision and would not try to influence them either way, even if it cost the team a place in the next stage of the tournament.

“The situation with Kenya is that the process is still underway,” Fleming said after his team’s 47-run loss on Monday.

The ICC have promised to give a written response tomorrow to the ECB over their request to move England’s World Cup opener from Zimbabwe.

ECB chief executive Tim Lamb said in a press conference that talks had been held with ICC officials on Monday evening.

The ECB and the England players want Thursday’s game in Harare moved from Zimbabwe following death threats made by a group called the Sons and Daughters of Zimbabwe.

But research by Deputy National Commissioner of South African Police Andre Pruis into the death-threat letter concluded that the group was unlikely to exist and that it was most probably the work of a single individual.