Aussie manager says its a tough tour but coach is optimistic

The Australian team manager Steve Bernard has said that the side's 54-day tour to the Indian subcontinent is the 'toughest of all'. On the tour, Bernard said "it's the toughest of all, the toughest by far, Pakistan is a doddle by comparison".

The Australian coach John Buchanan talking to the Sydney Morning Herald was optimistic that his side would perform well. Quoting the daily, PTI reported Buchanan as saying "we want to go over there, want to win the series 3-0 and we go confident enough to believe we can do this. It is just how well we harness the tremendous amount of raw material at our disposal".

On the team, Buchanan said "the team is a very unified and harmonious group, a very important factor while we are there and the undoubted talent through the line." He added that the bowlers need to adapt to the conditions quickly saying, "The other factor will be how well our quick bowlers adapt to the conditions. That way, I think we can expose the Indian batting with the new ball, which would allow the spinners, Shane Warne and Colin Miller to come into their own."

Buchanan also added that the Australian players started discussing about ice baths, ice vests, nutrition aspects and type of training in New Zealand last year. Even while playing against the West Indies and Zimbabwe, their one eye was on India. "It seems the players just can't wait to be on Indian soil whatever be the distractions and conditions," Buchanan said.

Former stars to play in earthquake fundraiser in Chennai

The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), AC Muthiah said in Sydney on Sunday that former Indian and Australian stars like Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Chappell, Allan Border and Richie Benaud along with other cricketers would participate in a charity match in Chennai on March 23 to raise funds for the earthquake victims of Gujarat.

Speaking to Press Trust of India (PTI), Muthiah, who is in Sydney in connection with the International Cricket Council (ICC) Executive Board meeting, said "The charity match will be played after the last match of the Australia-India Test series."

Muthiah added "As most countries are playing somewhere or the other, it will not be possible to conduct a four nation charity match. So, we will invite past legends and present heroes from India and Australia to participate in the charity match."

Parthiv Patel to lead India U17s, Manvinder found overaged

The problem of over age of players has again raised its ugly head. The cricketer to suffer the axe is Manvinder Bisla who had earlier been named the skipper of the Indian team for the forthcoming ICC/ACC Under-17 Asia Cup slated to be held in Dhaka from February 15 to 25.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a press release stated that after being found overaged, Bisla has been replaced by Andhra Pradesh's ASK Verma while Parthiv Patel who was appointed the vice captain will now lead the side.

The team: Parthiv Patel (captain-Gujarat), ASK Verma (Andhra Pradesh), Shekhar Dhawan and K Rawat (both Delhi), Sachin Dhopure and Mohnish Mishra (both Madhya Pradesh), Deepak Chowgule and Stuart Binny (both Karnataka), Gaurav Gupta (Punjab), G Shankar Rao (Andhra), Rakesh Mohanty and Bignesh Mohanty (both Orissa), Devendra Singh (Uttar Pradesh) and Nikhil Rathod (Saurashtra). Coach: Roger Binny.

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