Mitchell Johnson will remain a Queensland player despite his decision to move from Brisbane to Perth. Johnson is keen to live in Western Australia to be closer to his partner Jessica Bratich, a Perth-based karate champion, but he did not want to switch to the Warriors.

Queensland Cricket has agreed to the move, which leaves Johnson in a similar position to his Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who lives in Sydney but plays for Tasmania when not required for international duty. Johnson will probably have less state responsibilities in coming seasons as he is a first-choice player in the Test and ODI side and he believes the arrangement will be workable.

"I'm really pleased we've been able to reach this outcome," Johnson said. "I'm looking forward to the move to Perth but didn't want to cut my ties with the Bulls. I'm confident the arrangement will be beneficial for both parties."

Trevor Barsby, the Queensland coach, said there was no reason Johnson had to live in Brisbane to remain a Bulls player. "We spoke to the players about it and they were very open to the idea," Barsby said. "As Andy Bichel pointed out, we are in a highly professional era that brings with it different issues, and we should support our international players the best we can. Mitch can bunk down at my place for the week before a game if he happens to come back."

Graham Dixon, the CEO of Queensland Cricket, said Johnson had informed the state of his intention to move and discussed with them the possibility of occasional commutes across the country. Dixon said there was no way Queensland wanted to lose Johnson.

"He is a Queenslander through and through," Dixon said. "Having come through our development system, he is a most popular player within our organisation and we certainly want to keep him in the maroon cap whenever possible. We anticipate we would still see Mitchell on a semi-regular basis because he has close family ties in Townsville, and we are happy to go with the long-distance relationship."

"Its not going to be this easy next Thursday, Dale!" chided a spectator with a digicam as Dale Steyn walked by with his training kit. "Hah," was the fast bowler's reply. "It may just be easier." Ashwell Prince wasn't as forthcoming of his assessment of the South Africans' dominant position at the end of day one against Middlesex at Uxbridge - and of their easy adjustment to England so far - but it was hard not to see the confidence of the touring team. South Africa are buoyant with less than a week before the first Test at Lord's, make no mistake, despite the fact that their captain is the only one without any real form going into the first of four games this summer.

"We're confident heading to Lord's next week, because most of the top order has got runs so far," said Prince, whose unbeaten 104 was a crucial role in the South Africans' total of 339 for 4 on another day of flat-track domination. "We've played well there before and we're confident it will come together again.You need to grab whatever opportunity presents itself and Hashim [Amla] and myself did that today."

That they did. Both batsmen smoothed over the cracks created by the double loss of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis just after lunch, and their 190-run partnership was a South African touring record against Middlesex.

Prince said he didn't have major issues with the track - evident by the manner in which he fluently clipped the spinners and pushed the quicker bowlers into the off-side gaps. "It seemed like it was going around a bit early on with the new ball," said Prince."But it's quite a good pitch, and in the afternoon it was a little bit easier - and we took advantage."

South Africa have won their last three Tests at Lord's and Smith would have fond memories of batting there - his 259 set up an innings-and-92-run win in 2003. Smith's first innings of the tour - he didn't play in Taunton as he was recovering from a torn hamstring - was a plucky 35, but even if it his only one before Lord's Prince felt it was satisfactory. "He [Smith] batted for more than two hours out there, and the ball did go around a little bit this morning," he said. "He hasn't batted for a while. But those two hours - and some more in the second innings, we hope - I'm sure that will be enough time in terms of preparation for the Test.

"It's much better to get time in the middle than in the nets - and I'm sure he'd like to have another go in the second innings."

The only cricket Smith has played recent times has been in the Indian Premier League, and Prince felt it was understandable that he wasn't off the blocks immediately. "He conscientiously took his time ... He probably could have been a bit more aggressive," he said. "But I think he probably opted to play the way he did, because he hasn't had much time in the middle - and the last time he was batting it was in Twenty20. He wanted time at the crease and to get used to playing cricket with a red ball, the IPL being the last time he batted."

Smith may not be in the runs yet, but the rest of the South African outfit has cashed in on their pre-Test practice.

Should you wish to discover - and why wouldn't you? - just what sorts of men the pre-1940 players whose names still appear in the all-time Test tables were, you would do well to dip into Ray Robinson's books. Here are flesh-and-blood insights into Herbert Sutcliffe and Stan McCabe, Don Bradman and Douglas Jardine, Percy Chapman and Bill Ponsford, and many others.

This gem among publications ran to several editions, making its gentle author a proud man. "Robbie" was liked and trusted because he genuinely loved cricket and never let it or its practitioners down. Most cricket writers of his time were welcomed into the players' space, and since they never betrayed confidences or leaked gossip they were afforded precious insights into the men who played the game - cricketers who were more worldly and interesting than later generations, for all the moderns' wealth and glamorous global exposure.

Ray himself was an unusual study in the press box. He never missed a ball or a nuance, placing his face close to his notepad and squinting away as he chronicled in neat, tiny handwriting. He was the nearest thing Australia had to a Neville Cardus.

For his sweet nature he was known to friends as "Sugar Ray". His sense of fun drove him to seek the colourful, impish expression. On the first page of Between Wickets, he says that Don Bradman's achievements "are enough to make a United States Air Force communiqué seem like an understatement". His masterly profile of Herbert Sutcliffe honours the coolest batsman ever to occupy the wicket. Twenty years before Wally Grout's memorable remark about Ken Barrington, Robinson imagines Sutcliffe draped in the Union Jack.

The book is not without blemish: the silly "We'll get 'em in singles" canard is given credence, and Jack Gregory's fastest Test century (70 minutes) is inexplicably overlooked. But the true glory is the detail - for instance only once in the 49 Ashes Tests between the two world wars was a team sent in to bat - interwoven with colourful expression: "Besides being the white race's most glorious fieldsman of the era, the giant Kent brewer [Chapman] was the only English captain in King George V's reign who made a hundred against Australia".

Not many cricket books can be defined as good for the soul, but this one can.

From the book
I think the reason why [Stan] McCabe dared so much when others had lost heart is that he had no dread of failure. Despite the glare of publicity and the tension of international encounters, the sternest Test match never ceased to be a game of cricket to him. He went in and played in the way he felt the situation required. If he failed he accepted it as just one of those things. He came up smiling again next time. His character is reflected in this and in the sunny nature of his strokes. In McCabe the cricketer you saw McCabe the man - urbane, sociable, unpretentious, straightforward, incapable of anything mean-spirited. Of the players in the Test rubbers immediately before the war, he was the best-liked by his own team and by the opponents. Even the bowlers on whom he operated so freely found his bedside manner so pleasant that they felt they had not been hurt much, no matter how he carved them about. His nickname is "Napper" - derived from Nap, because of his facial resemblance to Napoleon, even to a mid-forehead tuft denoting where the hairline used to be when he was 19. As he neared 30, the resemblance to the thickset Emperor spread elsewhere, but this chubbiness did not lessen the grace of his batting; it simply rounded it out.

Injury-strapped touring sides sending for replacements is a not uncommon event. In the days before widespread air travel it happened less often, and in emergencies tourists had to hunt for candidates among local leagues, and unlike now, when overseas players are commonplace, options were very limited. Rarer still were such call-ups that came to be because the chosen squad was simply not good enough.

In 1924 the South Africans were in trouble only weeks into their tour of England when Herbie Taylor, their captain, realised that the bowlers he had at his disposal were not up to the task and, used to matting pitches at home, were unsuited to the conditions in what was a wretched summer. With the exception of Sid Pegler, who was not even in the original squad but joined them en route and was allowed to stay, his attack was weak, and his batting weaker. In ten matches leading in to the first Test, seven had been drawn, two lost, and one - against Cambridge University - won.

For the final match before the start of the Test series, Taylor took a brave call and summoned George Parker, an unknown playing for Eccleshill in the Bradford League. A right-arm fast bowler from Cape Town, he had been in England for four years but had never played first-class cricket. The gamble paid off. In a rain-blighted match against Oxford University, Parker opened the attack with Pegler, taking 4 for 34 and having four catches dropped.

That night the team travelled from Oxford to Birmingham with Parker joining them, although it was still considered unlikely he would play in the Test which started the next morning. But Taylor had seen enough and Parker made his Test debut 24 hours after stepping onto the field in a first-class match for the first time.

What's more, he took the first over of the match as England batted. Unsurprisingly, his nerves showed. The Guardian described his opening spell as "grotesquely erratic" and bemoaned the inordinate time it took him to get through his overs. "He is immensely deliberate as he walks to his bowling place; his eyes are cast on the earth, and he walks slowly and solemnly as though pondering mighty problems. The wildness of his bowling made a quite sensational contrast to his solid deportment."

The Times, describing him as a novelty bowler, said he bowled " a quick, almost fast ball" adding that "an over of them takes an unconscionable time to deliver".

Although he got away swing, his line and length were wayward, and when England went to lunch at 122 for 0, Taylor must have been ruing his decision. After the break he switched Pegler and Parker around and immediately Parker yorked Herbert Sutcliffe for 64.

As the day wore on, Jack Hobbs (76) Frank Woolley (64), Patsy Hendren (74) and Roy Kilner (59) continued to score with relative ease although all got out when well placed for big scores. South Africa's problems grew when Dave Nourse split the webbing on his right hand while catching Hendren. Pegler, Parker and Jimmy Blanckenberg shouldered almost the whole attack. Parker even restored to leg theory against the left-handers.

Woolley recalled an odd incident early in his innings. "[Parker] walked down the pitch to me and said: 'Well, Mr Woolley, do you think my field's set properly for a left-hander?' ... which was a rather extraordinary thing to be asked. So I said: 'Yes, I think it seems just right'. He said: 'Thank you very much'."

Shortly before the close, Parker, who bowled unchanged for more than three hours on one of the summer's rare hot days, took his sweater from the umpire and headed off the field, ignoring his team-mates' questions as he went. Taylor, who was at mid-off, followed him into the pavilion where he found him sitting in the corner. "What's wrong," Taylor asked. "I'm just tired, that's all," Parker replied. "I've had enough." He didn't come back on that evening.

	Herbie Taylor and Arthur Gilligan toss ahead of the first Test © Getty Images

Parker had the rest day on Sunday to recover, and he resumed on the Monday morning, taking his sixth wicket as England were finally bowled out for 438. He finished with figures of 37-2-152-6. He didn't get a second chance. Within 13 overs, South Africa had been bowled out for 30, Parker collecting a first-ball duck. Following-on, they did much better, making 390 but still sliding to an innings defeat.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and despite wins against Essex and Hampshire ahead of the second Test, South Africa called up another substitute for Lord's, the 43-year-old Aubrey Faulkner, who had not played more than a handful of games in the previous decade. That gamble was not so successful. Parker, who had returned north between Tests, was retained in the XI.

For South Africa, the Lord's Test was even more wretched than Edgbaston. They lost by an innings and 18 runs, but it was worse than even that margin suggests - England racked up 531 for 2, including more than 500 on the second day. Both wickets fell to Parker who "entirely sacrificed length and direction to pace". Sutcliffe played on for 122 and Hobbs was caught off a slower ball delivered "out of kindness, subtlety or sheer exhaustion". Parker finished with 2 for 122.

That was to be his third and final first-class outing. He was named in the squads for the third and fourth Tests but not called upon, and he returned to the anonymity of the Bradford leagues. Little more is known about him, other than that he emigrated to Australia where he died in 1969.

South Africa, who also lost heavily at Trent Bridge, recovered to draw the fourth and fifth Tests. "The tour in England was frankly a failure," Wisden lamented.

Is there an incident from the past you would like to know more about? Email us with your comments and suggestions.

Martin Williamson is executive editor of Cricinfo

Michael Holding, the former West Indian fast bowler, has resigned from the ICC cricket committee because he is unhappy with the ICC's decision to change the result of the 2006 Oval Test between England and Pakistan from a forfeited win for England to a draw.

Holding felt that Pakistan's refusal to play should not go unpunished even though they were not guilty of ball-tampering.

"I have just written my letter of resignation to the ICC cricket committee because I cannot agree with what they've done," Holding said while commentating for Sky Sports during a domestic match in England. "That game should never, ever be a draw. When you take certain actions, you must be quite happy to suffer the consequences.

"A lot of things are happening today that I don't want to be involved with, so I've moved on."

The Oval Test was originally awarded to England by umpire Darrell Hair after Pakistan did not come out to field after tea on the fourth day, following accusations of ball-tampering.

Pakistan had, at the time, been in a strong position in the match, having secured a first-innings lead of 331 and removed four England batsmen in their second innings. There was nothing at stake in the series, with England already leading 2-0 after wins at Headingley and Old Trafford, but the eventual forfeiture was the first in the history of Test cricket. The removal of England's win could affect their standing in the ICC Test Championship - they are currently third on 110 points, one ahead of their next opponents, South Africa, on 109.

The result had huge off-field ramifications as well. Hair went on to be suspended from the ICC elite panel, and though that decision was overturned last year when he took his employers to the High Court in London, the initial decision formed the basis of Pakistan's appeal for a rethink of the result.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf has said that both captain Shoaib Malik and coach Geoff Lawson will retain their jobs despite the team failing to reach the finals of the Asia Cup.

"Let me make it clear once again that Shoaib Malik and Geoff Lawson were both appointed for two-year terms and they will at least continue till then," he said. Ashraf had criticised the team last month for a 140-run loss to India in the league phase of the Kitply Cup in Bangladesh.

However, on Friday, he said Pakistan were a young team that was improving. "It will take time to groom the players and we are doing our best in that," he said. "Give me the same players who were part of the team in the 90s such as Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Aamir Sohail and others and see the result. We don't have the same talent that we had in the 80s and 90s and we have to accept that as a reality."

Ashraf said he was happy with players' attitude and their commitment. "I know personally the players are very committed. I can tell you that after we lost to Sri Lanka I went to the Pakistan dressing room and saw Shahid Afridi crying and wanting to be dropped from the team because he had not performed well. I saw Malik on a stretcher on drips and with cold packs on his body yet he went out and played in that match.

"I feel sorry when some people in such circumstances question the commitment of some players. I have told them to give 100% and even if they lose that is alright but they must give 100% effort."

Sharad Pawar, the ICC vice-president, will continue as BCCI president till the end of his term in September. The ICC has amended its constitution during its annual conference to clarify that its vice-president, like the president, cannot hold dual posts. However, Pawar has been allowed a "grace period" to hold both posts since his term as BCCI president ends in another three months.

"I can confirm that Mr Pawar has decided to continue as BCCI president till September," Niranjan Shah, the secretary of the Indian board, said. "Anyway, I believe the next ICC meeting he is scheduled to attend as its vice president comes after he steps down from the BCCI, so this is just a matter of procedure."

David Morgan, the ICC's new president, had similarly stayed on as ECB chairman for a few months after he was named as president-elect last year, till Giles Clarke took over the England board.

It was previously believed that Pawar would have to step down from the BCCI, in favour of an interim three-month arrangement in India, as soon as his role in the ICC was formalised at the annual conference. Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president-elect, will take over from Pawar at the Indian board's annual meeting in September.

Canada's bowlers gave their side the advantage on the first day of the Intercontinental Cup match against Bermuda by dismissing the visitors for 237. Steven Outerbridge's 79 was the only substantial contribution for Bermuda as Canada's new-ball attack wrested the initiative with early breakthroughs before left-arm spinner Sunil Dhaniram's four wickets helped wrap up the tail.

Henry Osinde gave Canada the perfect start by trapping Chris Foggo lbw for a duck off the third ball of the match. It got better when Eion Katchay, opening the bowling in the injured Umar Bhatti's absence, struck in his first over as well: Oronde Bascome was lbw for another duck and at 1 for 2, Bermuda's decision to bat had backfired.

James Celestine and Outerbridge combined to add 77 runs for the third wicket, a partnership which helped Bermuda recover to a certain extent through its aggressive approach. It was broken, however, by Dhaniram who had Celestine lbw for 47, off only 56 balls, as he tried to play across the line.

Outerbridge held the middle-order together but although Irving Romaine, Rodney Trott and Jekon Edness got starts, none of them carried on to make substantial scores. Romaine was snared by Osinde, who induced an edge with a full ball outside off stump after bowling a couple of off cutters. Osinde later pulled out of the attack because of a hamstring problem.

The turning point, however, was Outerbridge's dismissal, which was brought about by an athletic leaping catch by Ian Billcliff at cover. Bermuda were 180 for 5 and their position deteriorated in the first hour after tea. They lost three wickets during that period and Dhaniram had a hand in all of them: he had Trott lofting a catch, caught and bowled Ryan Steede, and ran out Stefan Kelly. The last pair, Dwayne Leverock and George O'Brien, managed to add 21 in quick time before Dhaniram had O'Brien caught at the boundary.

Canada's openers, Geoff Barnett and Abdool Samad, played the seven overs remaining in the day with caution and finished on 14 without loss.

An irritating malaise swept that threatened to do Middlesex in cheaply was stemmed by two contrasting innings on day two against the South Africans at Uxbridge. Dawid Malan overcame a bout of nerves to score a polished 154-ball 67, but it was Eoin Morgan's bustling unbeaten 108 from 118 balls deliveries that really sparked life into what had been an innings of fits and starts. Middlesex's predominantly left-handed batting line-up had all got decently settled but three of them failed to carry on before Morgan and Malan helped them to 311 at stumps, 48 runs behind the visitors.

Ed Joyce's dismissal for 20 to make it 126 for 3, bowled through the gate trying to drive Paul Harris through the covers, brought Morgan together with Malan. Malan had poked and prodded his way into the 30s till now, like his top-order team-mates. He was well held at second slip off a Morne Morkel no-ball when on 39, early into the pacer's second spell, and took the chance to actually press on.

Morgan's presence at the other end seemingly enthused some confidence and Malan took three fours off Jacques Kallis' last over before tea, driving two full deliveries and flashing one over the slips, and raised his fifty from 113 balls. He threatened to up the ante with further aggressive shots, but fell to Ashwell Prince's part-time slow stuff for a well-made 67. The Morgan-Malan stand was worth 94, but much more in terms of boosting Middlesex's spirits.

His dismissal brought the first right-hand batsman, Nick Compton, to the crease. Compton was a patient onlooker as the left-handed Morgan, turned the complexion of the innings with a bright innings. Adept against pace and confident against spin, he flashed his way past fifty without playing a false shot. Suddenly the run rate was healthy and Middlesex were in control. Morgan's footwork was assured and he threw his bat at anything off-line. South African shoulders were soon drooping.

Three clean sixes were the highlight of his counter-attack, and his hundred was raised off 103 balls with a spanking cut off Hashim Amla's harmless part-time spin.

Compton pulled a stunning six off Makhaya Ntini shortly before the close, only to fall to Prince for 27. But the note Middlesex ended on was in stark contrast to how they had started.

The South Africans added 20 runs to their overnight 339 and declared after overnight centurion Prince was snapped up at gully, cutting the width from Danny Evans three balls into the 99th over.

It wasn't as warm as the first day and there was a steady breeze blowing across the ground when the South Africans took the field: conditions were ideal for batting. The South African pace quartet wasn't entirely menacing on a flat track, but Morkel did produce enough lift to give Andrew Strauss another disappointing innings going into the Tests. Dale Steyn's first over went for 15, Strauss crashing a square-cut and clipping off his pads, in between four leg-byes booming past Mark Boucher. Strauss was looking to be aggressive - one cracking pull off Ntini struck the square-leg umpire before he had time to duck - but he fell after getting a start.

With Steyn trying too much too soon and Ntini not having any effect, it took the first change to produce a wicket. Strauss was forced to play at one from Morne Morkel, after being peppered, and got a faint tickle down the leg side to Boucher for 29. Morkel's second match after an injury curtailed his stint with Yorkshire was restrained, but he hit the right areas and used his height to trouble the batsmen.

Unlike his senior partner, 19-year-old Billy Godleman found Steyn a little on the sharp side. Steyn had him hopping, swaying and ducking and he was stuck on 1 for an eternity, only getting down the other end with a fortuitous inside-edge to fine leg. Three fours in Ntini's first over after lunch hinted at more, but Godleman edged Kallis to second slip for 29.

Graeme Smith turned to Harris' left-arm spin for the 26th over and it wasn't long before Joyce skipped down and flicked him over mid-on for six and then four. Joyce's on-drives off Harris remained crisp, and allowed him to keep adding singles to Middlesex's score, until he was defeated in flight.

From there on Morgan and Malan batted sensibly and gave the South Africans some discomfort in the field. It was a heartening display for a side missing some key players.

Jamie Alter is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Cricket Australia chief executive officer James Sutherland has pushed for the introduction of the Test championship after the end of the current Future Tours Program (FTP). In his address to the ICC Members' Forum, he also stressed the need to ensure that the Twenty20 format "complements, and not compromises" international cricket.

"Let's face it, generally speaking, the FTP is currently a hotch-potch of bilateral tour arrangements that, given the current volume of international cricket, produces matches that no longer linger in the memory or have lasting meaning," he said.

Cricket Australia stated that the championship, leading to semi-finals and a final, and a world champion in each four-year cycle, would provide the context which Test cricket currently lacked.

While Twenty20 is proving to be immensely popular and lucrative, Sutherland emphasised the importance of international cricket. "It is not only our foundation, but for all members, possibly with the exception of India, we couldn't survive without it. International cricket is our lifeblood ... we compromise it at our peril.

"To that end, Twenty20 cricket ... whether it is IPL, Champions T20, Pro20, The Big Bash, whatever ... Twenty20 must be designed, structured and promoted so as to complement, not compromise, international cricket."

Sutherland also warned that the introduction of private ownership of teams - like in the IPL - will also provide challenges to international cricket. "Given the significance of IPL and its relationship with the BCCI, it is not unreasonable for us all to expect that IPL will seek to preserve and protect international cricket on behalf of all ICC members."

He also said that international cricket's success depended on all three of its formats being in good shape. "Unfortunately, in my view, there is currently too much talk of ODI cricket as the problem child or the ugly duckling .The financial success of the modern game has been built on ODI cricket," he said. "We owe it to ourselves to ensure that ODI cricket continues to be a popular force in the game."

The proposed 10-million-dollar Twenty20 Champions League was thrown into turmoil on Sunday after India rejected the participation of English counties that field 'rebel' players.

Indian cricket chiefs said they will host the League in September-October featuring the top two Twenty20 club teams from Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, England and India.

But English counties can take part only provided they do not include those players who had signed up with the rebel Indian Cricket League, a cricket India board statement said.

"Clubs from England who qualify can play provided the teams do not include players who are with ICL," said the statement signed by BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah.

At least 25 ICL players play in English domestic cricket and only three of the 18 counties do not have any 'rebel' players.

The BCCI does not recognise the ICL, which was started last year by Zee Telefilms, India's leading listed media house, under the chairmanship of former World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev.

Indian cricket official Lalit Modi, who organised a BCCI-backed domestic Twenty20 league over the last two months, said Australia was drawing up the details of the Champions League.

A final decision on the schedule, venues and teams is expected to be announced on the sidelines of the International Cricket Council's annual meetings in Dubai from June 29-July 4.

Kevin Pietersen will be allowed to carry on playing his extraordinary 'reverse slog-sweep' after MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club), cricket's rule-makers, announced they would not be outlawing the 'switch-hit'.

"MCC believes that the 'switch-hit' stroke is exciting for the game of cricket," said a statement issued by MCC following a meeting at it's Lord's headquarters in London on Tuesday.

"Indeed, the stroke conforms to the Laws of Cricket and will not be legislated against."

Pietersen, who effectively became a left rather than right-handed batsman when using the shot to twice hit New Zealand medium-pacer Scott Styris for six during an unbeaten century in England's opening one-day international win at the Riverside on Sunday, welcomed the ruling.

"I am very pleased by the MCC's decision and I think it's the right one not just for me or England but the game as a whole.

"It's important that we as players are innovative and if this shot helps make cricket more exciting and entertaining for spectators then that has to be good for the sport."

Some critics branded Pietersen's shot 'unfair' because bowlers, unlike batsmen, have to inform the umpire with which hand they will be delivering the ball and from which side of the wicket or risk being penalised.

"I don't agree with the argument that it is unfair on the bowlers," Pietersen, training at Edgbaston where the second one-day international of a five-match series takes place on Wednesday, said in an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement.

"It's an extremely high risk shot and there will be plenty of bowlers out there who will think that it gives them a great opportunity to get me out," added Pietersen whose reverse sixes were the highlights of an innings of 110 not out, which propelled England to a 114-run victory.

His view was backed up by MCC which said: "MCC acknowledges that while bowlers must inform umpires and batsmen of their mode of delivery, they do not provide a warning of the type of delivery that they will bowl (for example, an off-cutter or a slower ball).

"It therefore concludes that the batsman should have the opportunity - should they wish - of executing the 'switch-hit' stroke."

However, MCC accepted that consequences remained for both the interpretation of the lbw and wide rules by a batsman attempting a 'switch-hit', saying that they would "continue to research and discuss these implications".

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori did his best Friday to allay growing security concerns about staging the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy in Pakistan this year.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has said he doesn't yet know if his side will travel to Pakistan for the September 11-28 event and raised the prospect of individual withdrawals even if the title-holders do decide to send a team.

"We don't know if we're going. And if we do go, we don't know if individuals are going to pull out," Ponting was quoted as saying in Australian newspapers.

"It just won't be Australian players. There will be a few other teams who will be thinking long and hard if the tour does go ahead.

"I'm sure a lot of the New Zealand players who have been confronted with this stuff before, in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, will have some pretty serious concerns."

Australia put off a March-April tour of Pakistan after several of their players hesitated after a series of suicide bombings in the run-up to Pakistan's national elections.

Vettori toured Pakistan in 2002 when a bomb exploded opposite New Zealand's hotel in Karachi.

But the left-arm spinner said that if the security arrangements in place when he returned to Pakistan in 2003 were introduced for the Champions Trophy this would calm a lot of fears.

"I was there when the bomb went off outside our hotel and I went back a year later on tour and the security they put forward that time was immense and overwhelming," Vettori said.

"I did feel safe so if they could promise that level of security it would appease a lot of guys," he added ahead of the third one-day international against England here Saturday.

New Zealand are set to discuss the security situation in Pakistan with their board chief executive, Justin Vaughan, when he arrives in London, where the final two one-dayers of this five-match series take place, next week.

England coach Peter Moores, in contrast to Ponting's very public concerns, said his team would take their cue from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

"At the moment we haven't discussed it and we'll wait to see what pans out," Moores said. "We've had other things to discuss so it's not been on the agenda at all at the moment.

"We'll wait and see what is said and if that's where we're going and we'll take our advice from the ECB."

ICC acting chief executive Dave Richardson said on Wednesday that Pakistan would host the Champions Trophy in September provided there were no safety and security fears.

But the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations chief executive Tim May was reported on Monday as saying "absolutely nothing" had changed in Pakistan since Australia abandoned its tour three months ago.

The Champions Trophy, this year's leading international 50 overs per side event, is due to start on the seventh anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks on the United States.

And former Australia off-spinner May said security risks to players and officials had also been "compounded" by the decision to hold the event during the Muslim religious festival of Ramadan "in such a landscape of unrest and volatility and opposition to western countries."

Shane Warne said Paul Collingwood would be known as the man who "did not show the right sportsmanship" after his failure to withdraw a run-out appeal against New Zealand.

England one-day captain Collingwood's decision to persist with an appeal against Grant Elliott, following the New Zealand all-rounder's failure to make his ground after being knocked over accidentally by bowler Ryan Sidebottom, sparked an angry response from the furious Black Caps.

Fortunately for New Zealand, Elliott's exit at The Oval on Wednesday did not prove decisive as they fought back to win a thrilling match by one wicket off the last ball and so take a 2-1 lead heading into Saturday's finale at Lord's.

Tempers were further calmed by mutual post-match apologies from Collingwood and New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.

But Collingwood was widely criticised for a failure to uphold 'the spirit of cricket'. And his insistence afterwards he'd only had a "split-second" to make up his mind was contradicted by Elliott needing at least two minutes of on-field treatment.

Collingwood, who was asked by English umpire Mark Benson if he wanted to go through with the appeal, could have recalled Elliott any time before the batsman crossed the boundary rope.

Things got worse for Collingwood when he was banned for four matches after England, for the second occasion under his leadership in the last 12 months, failed to bowl their overs in the required time.

Warne, who until last season was the captain of English county Hampshire and who recently led Rajasthan to victory in the inaugural Indian Premier League, said the fact Collingwood made the 'wrong' decision when given time to make up his mind would be held against the all-rounder.

"We all make mistakes on the field when things are tight and a decision is needed in seconds," Warne wrote in his column for Saturday's edition of Britain's Times newspaper.

"But what disappointed me was that he (Collingwood) had time to weigh up the options. Unfortunately it is something that he will have to live with.

"He will be known as the man who who did not show the right sportsmanship when he had the opportunity.

"I want to be constructive, not slaughter the guy. Yes, we have had the odd difference on the field, but he has my respect as a cricketer and a person.

"The big thing is that the captain runs the show. He is the one - not the coach - who determines how a team are remembered.

"Wins and losses are important, but so is the way you play the game."

An expert said Saturday that security in Pakistan for the biennial Champions Trophy needed to be fine-tuned, with several foreign players expressing concerns about touring the troubled nation.

Reg Dickason, a security expert hired by Cricket Australia (CA), completed his assessment of southern port city Karachi following the strong reaction of Australian players about competing in Pakistan.

"It's a reasonable start," Dickason said of his inquiry." Some fine tuning needs to be done and everyone acknowledges that. In time, the security situation will be enhanced."

Pakistan hosts the elite eight-nation event from September 11-28. Sri Lanka is the alternate if the International Cricket Council (ICC) deems Pakistan unsuitable to host the event.

With Sri Lanka in the midst of heavy fighting between government forces and rebels, South Africa was also selected as possible hosts, an ICC source told AFP on Friday.

The ICC will discuss an independent security assessment -- done last month -- during its meetings in Dubai starting Sunday, before making a final decision.

It was on Dickason's advice that Cricket Australia (CA) called off their national team's tour to Pakistan for one-dayers and Tests in March and April following a series of bomb blasts earlier this year.

CA agreed to reschedule the tour split into two visits -- one-dayers in 2009 and Tests in 2010 -- after improvement in security in Pakistan following February's general elections.

But renewed fears have put the Champions Trophy in doubt despite ICC giving an all-clear to Pakistan during last week's Trophy launch.

"You don't have to be Einstein to figure there will be some concern among our team," Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was quoted as saying in the Australian media. "We'll know a lot more about it after a security assessment."

Players from New Zealand and England have also said they were worried about safety in Pakistan, where government forces on Saturday launched an offensive against militants in the northwest and the country's top Taliban chief halted talks with the government.

Dickason, who said he met the Pakistan Cricket Board and some independent security consultants, said the board and others were working to improve security.

"I think everybody would like to play here and it is why Pakistan Cricket Board and others have put in so much work here.

"The Trophy is still two-three months away. There is still work in progress," he added.

Earlier, Malik added 90 for the opening wicket with Salman Butt (35) and another 129 for the second wicket with Younus Khan (59) to propel Pakistan who won the toss and decided to bat.

Butt and Pakistan were slow off the mark, managing just 58 runs off the first 15 overs. Once Butt went, caught off leg-spinner Piyush Chawla in the 22nd over, Younus and Malik upped the tempo.

Malik reached his sixth century, third against India, in one-day internationals off 104 balls. His last one-day century came against India at Lahore two years ago.

The Indians were scrappy in the field as they let off Malik twice in one over from Yusuf Pathan, first when Chawla grassed one with the batsman on 116 and then Gautam Gambhir five runs later.

Malik finally retired hurt after suffering cramp in his leg. He hit 16 boundaries and a six during his 119-ball knock.

Younus followed him in the next over when he holed out off Yusuf in the deep. He hit five boundaries during his 60-ball knock.

Virendar Sehwag punished Pakistan's bowling with an aggressive hundred to lead India to a comfortable six-wicket win in the final Group B Asia Cup match here on Thursday.

Sehwag smashed a 95-ball 119 and Suresh Raina hit a 68-ball 84 during their 198-run second wicket stand to help India overhaul Pakistan's 299-4 with 7.5 overs to spare.

Earlier, Shoaib Malik hit his first century as captain to help Pakistan post a challenging target.

However it proved a cake walk for India who were indebted to some lusty batting by Sehwag and Raina as the duo tore apart the home bowling which lost its bite after frontline paceman Umar Gul broke down with a side strain.

Without Gul, who limped off in the third over, the Pakistani bowling looked a shadow of the side which beat India by 25 runs in the final of the tri-series held in Bangladesh earlier this month.

Sehwag hit five boundaries and five towering sixes in his ninth one-day century before he holed out at long-off with just 68 runs left. Yuvraj Singh with a 47-ball 48 and Mahendra Singh Dhoni with unbeaten 26 saw the home team through in the 43rd over.

Raina was as ruthless as Sehwag, hitting 10 boundaries and three sixes during his 69-ball innings before he miscued a drive off paceman Rao Iftikhar and was caught at covers. The duo took just 149 balls for their partnership.

Raina made his maiden hundred in India's 256-run win over Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Both India and Pakistan reached the Super League stages of the tournament but India carry two points into the next stage by virtue of this win.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also qualified from Group A. The Super Leage starts from Saturday with India taking on Bangladesh.

Indian captain Dhoni said his batsmen clicked on "world's flatest track."

"It was a big total but the wicket was very placid and there was nothing for the bowlers. We were quite optimistic about chasing and Pakistan lost Gul and after that had not much to do," said Dhoni.

Malik agreed the loss of Gul was a blow.

"A target of 300 was defendable and we could have defended that but it was hard to come back after losing Gul," said Malik.

Left-hander Suresh Raina continued his rich vein of form, notching a hundred to steer India to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in an Asia Cup Super League match here Saturday.

Raina followed his maiden hundred against Hong Kong and 84 against Pakistan with an unbeaten 116 to help India overhaul Bangladesh's 283-6 with 6.4 overs to spare at the National Stadium.

For Bangladesh, Alok Kapali hit a maiden century but his brilliant work was spoiled by shoddy fielding, with three vital catches going down.

The 21-year-old Raina, dropped by Mashrafe Mortaza off Mahmudullah Riyad when on 16, took full advantage of the lapse, adding 139 runs for the second wicket with Gautum Gambhir (90) and then another 89 for the unbroken fourth wicket with Yuvraj Singh, who made 36 not out.

Gambhir, dropped on 56 by Farhad Reza off Mortaza, also punished the sloppy Bangladeshis with aggressive strokeplay.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised his team for another clinical win.

"Most of the time we are chasing and it's good that we have done it again. The wicket was flat once again," said Dhoni. "We must keep up the good work and play every game with this rhythm because it's never easy."

Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful blamed his fielders for the defeat.

"It (dropping catches) is part and parcel of the game but had we taken those catches we would have been in a better position. Raina and Gambhir played well."

The win boosted India's chances of qualifying for the July 6 final. They now have four points after carrying over two points from the first round.

Sri Lanka meet Pakistan in the second match of the Super League on Sunday.

The four remaining teams in the Asia Cup all play each other once at the Super League stage to decide the finalists.

Raina and Gambhir came together after Bangladesh paceman Shahadat Hossain dismissed Robin Uthappa (2) and Rohit Sharman (22) and they took the attack to the Bangladeshi bowlers.

Gambhir hit Mahmudullah over long-on for a six to reach his fifty off just 36 balls. He looked set for his hundred before miscuing a drive off Farhad Reza and was caught at mid-wicket.

Raina took 93 balls for his second one-day hundred. In all he hit eleven boundaries and three sixes during his 107-ball knock.

Earlier, Kapali lifted Bangladesh following a sluggish start after they had won the toss, putting on 112 runs for the sixth wicket with Mahmudullah (26 not out).

Opener Tamim Iqbal, with 55, made an early impression in an otherwise unimpressive start in which Bangladesh lost Nazimuddin (six) and Ashraful (20).

Iqbal kept one end intact and hit seven boundaries during his 67-ball knock, leaving the rest of the work to Kapali.

Kapali added 49 runs for the fifth wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim (22) and then lifted the innings during his 96-ball stand with Mahmudullah.

The 24-year-old Kapali, recalled after a gap of two years earlier this month, smashed Manpreet Gony for two sixes before taking a single to bring up his hundred off just 86 balls.

He smashed ten boundaries and five sixes during his entertaining 96-ball knock before he was caught in the final over.

His previous best one-day score of 89 not out came against the West Indies at Dhaka in 2002.

This was Bangladesh's highest score against India in all one-day matches, beating the previous best of 257-9 at Dhaka in 2004.

Zimbabwe Cricket managing director Ozias Bvute said he could not understand why the likes of South Africa and England had frozen ties with his organisation while Zimbabweans continued to compete at international level in other leading sports.

Cricket South Africa's action last week in cutting bilateral links with its neighbour, after Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of a presidential election in order to prevent his supporters being subject to fresh attacks by Robert Mugabe's regime, set off a chain of cricket events.

Ray Mali, the South African president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), moved to have the whole issue of Zimbabwe's status added to the agenda of next week's meeting of the global governing body in Dubai.

Meanwhile English officials, with the backing of the British Government, called off Zimbabwe's planned tour of England next year.

Government ministers also called for Zimbabwe to be excluded from the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup in England.

But Bvute, writing in a letter sent to all members of the ICC executive, said it was wrong to impose sporting sanctions for political reasons.

However critics, including former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower, have repeatedly argued that ZC's close ties with the ruling ZANU-PF party mean it is not an independent sporting body.

"We (Zimbabwe) are a full member of FIFA and are currently participating in a World Cup qualifying campaign," Bvute told BBC Radio on Saturday.

"We have a swimming programme which has produced Kirsty Coventry, a recent winner in the world championships, so it would be strange that the only sport to take action on so-called current worries is cricket when all the other world sporting bodies have not taken that stance."

Looking ahead to Wednesday's meeting, Bvute said: "I cannot speculate on the outcome but we have obviously noted the actions of others.

"Over the last few years there have been problems between England and Zimbabwe. This is not a new phenomena."

And as for the social turmoil within Zimbabwe, Bvute said: "I think at the end of the day that's a matter for the politicians to speak and decide on. We are not politicians and we are not qualified to speak on these issues."

Zimbabwe, which effectively suspended itself from Test cricket because of a collapse in playing standards brought about by a race row over selection remains an active one-day international side.

They have long enjoyed the support of India, cricket's financial powerhouse, and the Asian giant's stance in Dubai is likely to be critical in shaping Zimbabwe's immediate cricket future on the world stage.