The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has announced that it is setting up a cricket academy in Chennai to nurture local talent. Tamil Nadu has reached the finals of the Ranji Trophy in the last two years, but the association is clearly not resting on its laurels, and has also decided to lay turf wickets in every district of the state.According to UNI, an Indian news agency, these initiatives were announced by N Srinivasan, the TNCA’s president, at the 74th annual day function of the association. Srinivasan, announcing the developments, said that “we will continue to strive for the development of the game”.Tamil Nadu cricket has seen a resurgence of sorts recently. Besides the two appearences in the Ranji finals, they have also had cricketers breaking through to the national team, most notably L Balaji, who made a positive impression on India’s victorious tour of Pakistan. Hemang Badani has also made a comeback to India’s one-day squad, and Dinesh Karthik, the young wicketkeeper-batsman, is being spoken of highly as a future prospect.

But for the Apartheid-era isolation, Ray Jennings would probably be remembered as one of the world’s great wicketkeepers, on a par with Rodney Marsh, Bob Taylor, Syed Kirmani, Wasim Bari and Jeff Dujon. Forced to play his cricket in isolation, Jennings was an integral part of a great Transvaal side – Graeme Pollock, Clive Rice and Vintcent van der Bijl were among the other stalwarts – that would have wiped the floor with most international opposition back in the late 1970s and early ’80s. After a successful if controversial stint in charge of Easterns, Jennings was pitchforked into the national spotlight as South African cricket continued its freefall. On the final day of the Kanpur Test, he talked about the road to recovery and the unique challenges that confront South African cricket:

First off, why would you grant an interview during a match?
During the match, the process is on its way. After the day’s play, I need time to myself. I have to energise, and keep my own head up. So I like to leave at about 6.30pm and switch off, and I belong to myself from then till the next morning. Most of the chats I have with players are from when I wake up till 6.30. I have enough support structures to handle what goes on in the middle.You’ve been with this team now for two months. Do you think your approach is working?
There’s no doubt [that it is]. I’ve got to lead from the front as well, to show the players the energy, the passion, the care and the love for the game. I could reject a tough interview but I don’t do that. Players can reject signatures, but we need to recreate the culture that the side does belong to the public. We need that type of support. A lot of cricketers have forgotten about the values and principles of life.You have a penalties-and-rewards type of training system. Does that work at this level?
Well, you can judge for yourself, watching the energy and commitment from the players. India were 204 for no loss at one stage, and could have gone anywhere. The two or three [training] games we played yesterday were to energise the side and make sure we enjoyed the match within our own parameters. We set targets, and if the players don’t get those targets, they get penalised by running round the field. It’s not “You’re a bad guy, so run around the field.” It’s a joke among the players to say “Look, I don’t want to run, you run,” and it creates a different type of dynamics within the side. It’s not about “Oh, you’re a naughty guy, so you run around like a schoolboy.” When I look at cricket at the moment, I think the players sometimes are bored. They play so much, they go through their routines at the same pace all the time, and you don’t see the energy and intensity at times when it’s needed. Look at the final day [at Kanpur]. We could have arrived at the ground this morning and gone through the motions. But we didn’t.Both you and your captain are intense individuals. Are there clashes as a result of that?
There’s absolutely none. Graeme Smith talks my language. What we’ve done really well together is that I back off and he takes control of the chats, and when he’s working hard I take control. I’ve enjoyed our association. He’s a hard guy, he wants to do it right, he’s methodical, he’s young, he’s exciting – he’s all that I believe I’m looking for in a captain.You must have observed this team before taking charge. What does Smith lack as a captain?
One of the areas we’re working on is his softness. At 23 years old, you walk on water. You believe you can’t be broken, you’re always go-go-go. A leader needs the qualities to be hard and to be soft. Take for example in the middle of a Test match, when things are really heated. You need that softness to go to a player and say “Listen, I’m feeling for you.” In the middle of trying times, Graeme has to show that softness to people. Sometimes, that softness can make you powerful. It’s not about getting things all the time, it’s also about learning to give. We’re working on his interviews as well to make sure that he’s genuine and honest.

You have six months on this contract. What are the short-term goals?
I think one of them is to make sure that the values and principles of life are implemented in the side, to make the guys realise that we are representing our country. We’re all well-paid, but we have to keep our feet on the ground and remain honest, genuine human beings.Is there pressure to implement those goals in such a short time?
Look, if I only influence two people, I’m going to be happy. I’d like to believe that when I finish my term in May, the players will miss my values and my energy levels in the side. Players have to realise that when they disappoint me, they disappoint their fellow players and such emotions start pulling the side down. This is about a group of people, it’s not about one individual. When a bowler bowls the ball without being committed, he’s letting the ten other guys, me, and all the fans, down.What would phase two be, if you got the chance?
That would be making sure that the people I’m working with are those who will remain with me for a period of time till World Cup 2007.You started this tour with the “love-and-care” mantra. What’s next?
The love-and-care approach would always remain in the side. You can see that the players are probably more friendly with the public than the Indian side. It saddens me when a 12-year-old kid comes up to you and asks for an autograph, and you’re too busy to do it. There’s a time to do it, and a time not to do it, I know, and the players must learn that. Love and care energises people.But what are your other philosophies?
Well, I’ve always said that talent is over-rated. You’ll pull a face when I say that, but when you get to this level, players are talented. It’s how you get that talent out of their bodies. It’s not talent that hits a ball, or bowls it, it’s energy you need. You also need understanding. If people can use their brains and their energy, the talent will come through.So you’re interested in the psychological aspect then?
Well, my brother is a sports psychologist. To me, cricket is about when to hit the ball, and what to do under pressure. Andrew Hall showed that, when he scored 163 despite having limited skills to open the batting. He showed the patience and the commitment, and that’s a skill that a lot of the younger players lack at the moment.

You said in an interview that changes in key positions could make the team suffer …
My point is that you can’t grow too many young guys too quickly. In a team of 14, maybe you should look at two. When you put in four, it becomes a problem balancing the side. You can’t come to India with too many young guys because it’s a special place to tour. I felt personally that I needed two or three experienced players around two or three junior players because the younger ones need to be leaning on the older ones out in the middle when the pressure hits. Unfortunately, I’m one of four selectors and they felt differently, and I have to accept such tough situations.What about the transformation policy? Gerald Majola was saying the other day that selectors should be adventurous.
I don’t think it’s got anything to do with transformation; it’s got to do with a vision of cricket. There was never a transformation issue in my thought pattern. It was more of “I don’t agree with you.”What’s your take on transformation, though?
Look, in South African cricket, that’s the policy and my take is that it’s something that society is dealing with, and I’m happy to be involved in it. We’ve got black players that are very talented and we’re going to be playing them. It’s the way you balance the side that worries me. It’s not a matter of transformation, it’s about balancing the side so that it gets the best opportunity to perform.What about taking on teams like India and England, and starting as the underdogs?
Well, when we came here, they said we’d be wiped out inside two or three days, and that hasn’t happened. Nothing scares me. That “failure feeling” is actually a nice one because it gets my adrenalin pumping. We’ll see what happens. The South African is like a wounded animal, and he will stand up and be counted. We’ve got a fighting spirit, a tradition of never making it easy for others. We might have eleven inexperienced players, but we will make our mark. We won’t lie down.

The Australian board has defended its policy in handling matters relating to sexual assaults despite failing to alert the Pakistani officials about the rape allegation levelled against one of their players. Peter Young, Cricket Australia’s public affairs manager, admitted that he had been informed of the allegation two weeks ago while “comparing notes” with the Victorian police force on dealing with sexual-assault claims.The meeting between Young and the police force was held after a manager from the Centre Against Sexual Assault – the crisis centre which the woman (who claimed she was the victim) contacted to lodge her complaint – had enquired about the boards’ procedure to deal with sexual-assault claims. Young said that though Cricket Australia had been informed of the allegation, the Pakistan team management weren’t alerted as the board was extremely busy with organising the charity game for the tsunami relief victims.”Clearly, we should have told them [Pakistan],” Young told . “I was told by this police officer, who was telling me about a third-hand conversation that no one was supposed to hear about. It is no excuse for not acting on other stuff, but the urgent priority was sorting out the tsunami match. If this happened in the off-season, it would have been handled in 30 minutes.Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, asserted that the recent events hadn’t affected the team’s preparation for the VB Series clash with Australia at the SCG. Inzamam termed the allegation as “a story” and added, “Everything is OK so far and we are looking forward. I think there’s nothing in it, there’s nothing officially complained [about] and the boys are not taking it seriously.”

The government of India has banned cricketers and other sports stars from displaying the national flag on any of their sporting equipments. The federal home ministry cited the Flag code of India which mentions that the tricolour should not be used on costumes or embroidered on cushions, handkerchiefs and dress material.The government decree has left many bemused including Sunil Dutt, India’s sports minister. “I personally feel the cricketers should use the tricolour as the national flag,” he told AFP. “It acts as a morale-booster. But I have to follow orders. It is the home ministry which takes decisions with regard to issues involving use of the national flag.”The announcement means that Sourav Ganguly will have to go without his usual pair of gloves with streaks of saffron, white and green. Sachin Tendulkar will also not be able to sport his helmet with the tricolour embossed in front. Tendulkar and Ganguly have agreed to follow any instructions from the government. Bishan Bedi, the former Indian captain, also backed the move and said, “The national flag is most important and should be duly respected. You can’t put the helmet with the India flag alongside your shoes. I don’t see it as a motivation tool, national pride or patriotism. It’s all in the heart.”But Yuvraj Singh could’t hide his disappointment. “I take great pride in playing with the national flag on the helmet,” he said. “It’s a different feeling altogether.”

On Tuesday, we asked you for your reaction to Telford Vice’s Round the World column, in which he commented on the South African public’s reaction to Kevin Pietersen’s return to the country. Here is a selection of your views – please keep them coming to feedback:

To really understand what lies behind South Africa’s selection travails, it is necessary to read Nelson Mandela (both biography and autobiography). If ever there is a shining example to the world about the virtues of a reconciliatory spirit, it is South Africa. Pietersen’s rage misses the point – one made vividly by Andrew Hudson a few weeks ago in Cricinfo … “in many ways, we are paying the price for the sins of our forebears…”. It would take an extraordinarily mean mind to begrudge affirmative-action policies for a few years to wipe out the sins of decades.Besides, how many places are truly reserved – three in the national squad, two of which are taken by Gibbs and Ntini, both fine candidates for a world squad. What lack of opportunities is Pietersen crying about? Or is it just a lack of belief? As a visitor to the World Cup last year, I was astonished at the number of South Africans – of all colours – who walked up to me, an Indian, and wished India luck in the World Cup final. If that is the South African way, may it live long and be a shining beacon to the rest of us. Suresh ShankarKevin Pietersen is no different to the thousands of other obnoxiousSaffers/Aussies/Kiwis who move to London on a dodgy work permit; mysteriously lose their accents while waiting for their luggage at Heathrow Airport; complain about the cold and the crowded Underground; earn a couple of pounds; laugh about the favourable exchange rate; and after one British summer declare themselves to be dyed-in-the-wool Pommies. The only difference is, instead of working behind a bar in Soho like most of the other expats, Pietersen is working as a professional cricket player. Dave WilliamsThis is the first sensible article that has been written about the race issue in South Africa. The fact of the matter is that black youngsters have to be encouraged to take up a sport they’ve long regarded as a vestige of apartheid. The system currently being used is not perfect, but it is far better than the so-called “merit” system, which is just another excuse to keep players of colour out of the game. White South Africans are migrating in ever larger numbers, as can be witnessed from the declining crowds of white spectators watching the matches. Until South African cricket can attract black and Asian spectators to the matches, and groom black and Asian cricketers for the national team, South African cricket will continue to decline. Michael SivapragasamMr Vice believes all whites would grab any chance to jump ship, but because they cannot, they feel anger against those who can who do and who succeed. I am not jealous of Kevin Pietersen’s new life overseas, but am very unhappy that he chose to leave South Africa entirely. Go overseas and play county cricket, make the money you are greedy for, get great experience to help your cause … but don’t play for a country that is not your own. Your dream is to play for your country, not any country. Michael JonesIf a black player is not good enough for provincial cricket, he has no option but to leave the game and look for employment somewhere else. The likes of Pietersen, however, can instead qualify to play for England because of a British passport. He should be grateful for the opportunity – Pietersen needs to find the humility of an Andrew Strauss. ZamaIf Pietersen was from Australia, England or any other sport-loving country, and chose to emigrate and play for a main rival in a much-loved sport, they will most certainly receive the same treatment, if not worse. It is not a case of racism, ignorance or stupidity. It is a matter of pride, a sense of belonging and patriotism. Jaco BurgerSouth Africans is a proud nation, with a rich history, albeit a troubled one, who are world leaders in many fields, not least of them reconciliation. White South Africans are the only people who have ever voted themselves out of power. Ours is the only African country to accomplish the transition from colonial-inspired white supremacy to majority rule without genocide. We are passionate about sport, and make no apology for that, but to claim that we are all racists is on a par with saying that all Englishmen are soccer thugs. Michael MullerBrilliant. I think this goes beyond mere cricket reportage into an anthropological commentary on the state of the Rainbow Nation. Cheers, and may the articles keep coming! R RajeshTelford Vice has got it wrong. White cricket supporters in South Africa are not prejudiced in favour of a white-only team. The only thing we want is a winning team, be it white, black or any mixture thereof. If it is black only, we will be behind it, singing its praises … as long as it is winning. We are upset with Pietersen because he could have been a great asset. Maybe he did not have the confidence to fight for a place. Ray Chowder

It’s very true what you say about South African cricket. The boardroom wars of the unions damage the image, and many a time the booing is not necessarily for a particular player, but more for the incompetence higher up in the chain. Selectors in this country first look to make themselves comfortable, only then do they focus their energy on the real task. Only now do we realise what our selectors turfed away. One man’s trash is another’s treasure. GarethI am reminded of Percy Sonn’s reply to Clive Rice’s reaction to the Ontong controversy in Australia four years ago: “Clive, you are part of the problem, feel free to comment if you want to become part of the solution.” Neither wants to embrace and be part of the new South African system, so they whinge about crime and affirmative action as their reasons for leaving. Colin JefthaKevin Pietersen might want to masquerade as a Pom, and if that makes him sleep better at night, then good for him. But somehow, deep down, I bet he wishes he could pull on a green-and-gold shirt instead. Once a South African, always South African. Billy StellingIsn’t it more simple? He is a professional cricketer and gets paid for playing the game. The more successful he is, the higher income he commands. In simple terms, he had an opportunity to play for England, and he took it. England remains the biggest draw to the game. Playing cricket for England is lucrative, perhaps more so than for any other country. Why shouldn’t Pietersen have a choice? Mark ScottI was shocked to read the article by Telford Vice. I lived in South Africa up to four years ago and can really not find myself in what he is saying. The statement is not true for the majority of white South Africans. He creates a blatantly subjective and negative perception. Koos JonkerThe problem with South African sport is that it has politicised itself to such an extent that it has forgotten that its teams are supposed to represent the best South Africa has to offer, in order to beat the best the opposition has to offer. Reinier WeersTelford, my man, you have missed the real South African cricket demographic somewhere in your analysis. Most have been overseas more than once, have family members or friends living abroad, or have returned from living overseas (the counter-diaspora). And most have woken up to the fact that South Africa is a far better place to live than the overcrowded, overcontrolled, overstressed, polluted socialist ghettoes that make up lots of first-world cities, where freedom is confused with the “right” to behave immorally. Pierre KleinhansSouth Africa is surely the only country where the captain and coach cannot decide who plays from one match to the next. I am more than happy to have a team with more than “the quota” of black players, but only if, like Makhaya Ntini and Herschelle Gibbs, they warrant the position. Billy StrongI think that Pietersen has behaved like an ungrateful spoiled brat, but I have no desire to join him in leaving South Africa. In fact I am fully in favour of affirmative action – especially if it gets rid of people like him! Bill CairnsPietersen’s lack of shame is what grates. The best that can be said for this unpleasant and over-rated player is that he is too shallow to realise what offence he gives. His evident passion for England, built up after four years in that country, after 20 or so years in South Africa, is a clear mark of this trait. Mike Zabaame I find it strange that white South Africans are so afraid to stay in the country. They say that there’s no future for them, and yet this season we had AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn making their debuts. Nothing much has changed since 1991 when SA was welcomed back to international cricket. Whites are still playing at the highest level and they still get all the best chances. If you are not happy, then please leave this beautiful country peacefully and don’t come back. Eugene VeldsmanSouth Africa has lost out on a great talent. If Pietersen’s talent had been nurtured and he’d been given a message that he had the potential to make it as a pro in South Africa, he may have stayed. Instead, he was perceived as a mediocre cricketer with limited prospects, thereby forcing him to look to peddle his wares elsewhere. Nevertheless, that does not justify his blatantly provocative behaviour on this tour – a diplomat he is not. Paul MirbachI am incensed by Telford Vice’s article. How dare he insinuate that we South Africans all abuse our domestic workers? I live in South Africa and can assure you that, in general, this is not the case. Working relationships are typically very amicable, but I think Vice may need to look at himself and his relationships when making such statements. He owes us an apology! David TannahillI am a South African now living in America. I love watching cricket and in particular South Africa, even though I am now an American citizen. I feel the attitude of Pietersen is totally uncalled for. I don’t know what point he is trying to make – I cannot believe that he can wipe out 19 years of his existence. I still reminisce for the good old days but realise things have changed and my kids have a better future ahead of them. I hope Pietersen grows up soon. Linda PotgieterPietersen is a brilliant batsman and people just need to accept the fact that he has chosen England over South Africa for whatever reason and accept it. Hassan BashirTell us what you think

Michael Vaughan will miss the first month of the domestic season, the England & Wales Cricket Board has announced. The ECB awarded Vaughan the break following England’s intensive winter tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa.This means he will play just two matches for his county, Yorkshire, before his England duties resume at the end of May, in the first Test against Bangladesh at Lord’s. But most other counties will be delighted by the amount of cricket their centrally contracted players will be able to play. James Anderson, who was a lost soul for much of England’s campaign, has been freed up to play in all matches for Lancashire, where he will attempt to rediscover his form and fortune.Vaughan, meanwhile, will compete for Yorkshire in the County Championship against Northamptonshire at Headingley on May 6, and will be available for their clash against Leicestershire from May 11. But then he will join his England side once more to play against Bangladesh and to compete in the Ashes series which starts in July.Some of the other centrally contracted players will also be allowed some time off. The left-arm spinner, Ashley Giles, will sit out of Warwickshire’s opener against the MCC. Steve Harmison, Andrew Strauss, Marcus Trescothick and Graham Thorpe will all concentrate on the County Championship, although they will be permitted to play in the C&G one-day tournament.It is likely that Mark Butcher will miss the start of the season after a wrist operation, but will then be available for Surrey. Andrew Flintoff, who is expected to sit out the Bangladesh Tests, can play for Lancashire once he has made a full recovery from his ankle surgery. The pace bowlers Anderson, Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard will be available for all of their counties’ games.Availability of centrally contracted players
James Anderson
Fully available for all county cricketMark Butcher
Available once fully fitAndrew Flintoff
Available once fully fitAshley Giles
Championship matches from April 13 and C&G Trophy on May 17Steve Harmison
Championship matches and C&G Trophy on May 17Matthew Hoggard
Fully available for all county cricket from April 13Geraint Jones
Available for all county cricket from April 17Simon Jones
Fully available for all county cricketAndrew Strauss
Championship matches from April 20 and C&G Trophy on May 17Marcus Trescothick
Championship matches and C&G Trophy on May 4 and May 17Graham Thorpe
Championship matches and C&G Trophy on May 17Michael Vaughan
County championship matches on May 6, May 11 and C&G Trophy on May 17

Ehsan Mani, the chairman of the ICC, suggested that the format of the Champions Trophy was likely to undergo changes in the near future to make the event more interesting. “Essentially, the name suggests what it is meant to be,” Mani said in an impromptu press conference at Eden Gardens, as India closed in on victory against Pakistan in the second Test.”Unfortunately, the last edition in England got diluted because too many weak sides played. We are looking at playing under a new format with only eight teams in the hunt so that we get to watch interesting cricket of a high quality. We are considering having the top five nations and the host nation making the grade directly, with two of the other four Test-playing nations coming through a qualifying competition.”The last tournament, held in late summer in England provided more one-sided matches than competitive ones, with teams such as USA getting thoroughly humiliated by the big guns.Mani also denied that the ICC was putting pressure on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with regard to tax exemption for next year’s Champions Trophy, currently allotted to India. “We have asked for tax exemption, there has been no threat from the ICC to the Indian Board,” Mani clarified. “Discussions are still going on with the Indian finance ministry. I met the finance minister too last month. In case there is a problem, Pakistan are ready to play hosts – Pakistan is definitely an alternative.”After the recent triangular series in Australia, Pakistan had made a request for neutral umpires to stand at both ends in one-day internationals, as is the case in Tests, but Mani said it was unlikely that request would be entertained at the moment. “The idea is to have the best umpires officiating. But having two neutral umpires in one-dayers will harm the chances of the domestic umpires coming up. That’s why we will persist with a domestic umpire too in one-day internationals.”Mani also defended umpires, who have come under some fire recently, and said that the ICC had proper systems in place in this regard. “We have remedial exams for umpires every year,” Mani replied. “There is no age limit for retirement for umpires, but we have fitness and other tests too for the umpires. Most importantly, we scrutinise all their decisions regularly. There’s a committee that twice a year checks to see if there is any specific problem with any umpire. That’s how we found that one Sri Lankan umpire repeatedly had problems picking the leg-stump line. We asked him to go back to domestic cricket and sort the issue out.”

Scorecard

Bangladesh enjoyed a third consecutive day of ideal acclimatization at Fenner’s. First, their 18-year-old seamer, Shahadat Hossain, bowled himself into contention for the first Test at Lord’s with figures of 4 for 33, and then, with a lead of 143, all five of Bangladesh’s top-order enjoyed valuable time in the middle, as the match petered out to a draw.After resuming on their overnight 190 for 5, Luke Parker and Josh Knappett extended their sixth-wicket stand to 134, before Parker was caught behind for 65 off Mashrafe Mortaza. That signalled the end of British Universities’ resistance, as Shadahat – the quickest of Bangladesh’s bowlers – got stuck into the tail. The final five wickets tumbled for 22, with Shahadat removing both Amit Suman and Monty Panesar for ducks.With more than two sessions of the day still remaining, the Bangladeshis could have contemplated a shot at a morale-boosting victory, but that was never in their gameplan. Javed Omar, fresh from a career-best 167 in the first innings, put his head down for a solid 39 and Nafees Iqbal chipped in with 46 – a breezier innings from a flashier player, but a mature performance nonetheless.Shahriar Nafees, the young left-handed opener who is seen as an outside bet for the Tests, then made an important half-century to atone for his first-innings duck, and shared in an 80-run stand with his captain, Habibul Bashar, whose 75 from 86 balls was the most authoritative innings of the day.Shahriar was run out shortly after completing his fifty, but before the close, there was just time for Rajin Saleh to familiarise himself with the conditions, as he finished unbeaten on 30. Bangladesh now travel down to Hove for the second of their three three-day warm-ups, with their spirits high and runs and wickets in the bank.

Keith Piper, the Warwickshire wicketkeeper, has been sacked by the county after he failed a drugs test and was ruled out of the rest of the season by being banned for four months. Piper’s position will be reviewed at the end of this season, but in the meantime the club will help him through a rehabilitation programme, including counselling, as recommended by the ECB panel which banned him last month.Last month Piper, 35, pleaded guilty to a doping offence involving cannabis after the first county match of the season, where Warwickshire played Glamorgan. Dennis Amiss, Warwickshire’s chief executive, said: “In the light of Keith Piper’s positive test for cannabis and the decision of the ECB disciplinary committee to ban him from professional cricket for four months until the end of September 2005, Warwickshire have terminated Keith’s playing contract for 2005 with immediate effect.”The focus now is on Keith’s rehabilitation programme to which Keith and the county club are fully committed,” Amiss added. “In that we will be supported by the ECB and the Professional Cricketers’ Association. We are aware of Keith’s positive response to a difficult situation and we are confident that the rehabilitation will be successful.”The ECB panel which banned him said at the time that if Piper wanted to return to county cricket he should also undergo drug counselling and undertake a drug test before September 30, which would be administered under the auspices of the ECB. The panel also added that Piper would “thereafter be target-tested six times in the following 18 months”. Piper, who had been playing mainly one-day cricket of late, was ordered to pay £250 (US$455) towards the costs of the hearing.In 1997, Piper failed an in-house drugs test for which he served a one-match ban. His fellow Warwickshire players Paul Smith, now retired, and Graham Wagg have also served drugs-related bans. Last season Wagg was given a 15-month ban by the ECB after testing positive for cocaine and, as a consequence, saw Warwickshire terminate his contract. On Sunday, Piper’s former Warwickshire captain Dermot Reeve, the retired England international, admitted that he was fighting cocaine addiction.

When the Bangladesh team steps onto the hallowed turf of Lord’s today, back home some thousands of miles away millions of eyes will be glued to television sets in anxious, nervous anticipation. But nowhere will they glow with as much pride as in a fenced-off complex which is roughly an hour’s drive from the capital, Dhaka.For the coaches, teachers and trainees of the Bangladesh Institute of Sports (BKSP), the historic Lord’s landing of the Tigers has a special significance. The XI to take on England will feature two players who are still students at the institute – Shahadat Hossain and Mushfiqur Rahim – and another one, Anwar Hossain, who is a recent graduate. In 1987 BKSP welcomed its first batch of cricket talents, some 30-odd dreamy-eyed seventh-graders, but until today, it has never had three of its products in the playing XI of the national team.Anwar, a fast-medium bowler, is appearing in only his second Test after two years in the wilderness. He has apparently shown more adaptability to English conditions than the tireless Tapash Baisya. Shahadat’s debut was inevitable after he made a pacey and hostile first impression against the British Universities in the tour opener. But the newsmaker so far has been the angel-faced Rahim.Picked originally as cover for Khaled Mashud, the 16-year-old Rahim, who barely exceeds five feet, was given a go in Bangladesh’s second warm-up match, against Sussex, and ended up batting better than any of his team-mates in that ill-fated game, including scoring the only half-century. Just to confirm it was not a fluke, he then smacked an unbeaten hundred against Northamptonshire, during which he even advised his 36-year-old batting partner, Mohammad Rafique, to “play the balls a little late” in order to get proper timing. That’s the uninhibited, confident gait with an unmistakable touch of innocence which sets him apart from other kids of his age. And there are some other traits in Rahim that money can’t buy.”He comes from one of the most reputed and affluent families of his district [Bogra],” says the BKSP’s cricket coach Mohammad Salahuddin. “He could have had all the comfort in the world. Instead, he has decided to shape his life through hard work. His work ethic is exemplary, and he is absolutely single-minded about pursuing his goals – being successful in cricket and career. Mind you, he is academically very sound too.”We have had individuals who have been far more talented than Rahim,” added Salahuddin. “But some have fallen by the wayside while others have not made the next leap forward. That is why he is different. He has not got distracted and hasn’t lost focus. His level of determination is much higher than the average trainee and he carries himself with dignity. He is very polite and disciplined. You won’t hear anything negative about him from anyone here.”Rahim was in Australia with the Under-19 side when the news emerged that he had been picked for the senior side, and he was suitably dumbfounded when Nazmul Abedin, the chief coach at the institute, dropped the bombshell. But Nazmul also foresees brilliant times ahead for Rahim. “I think he is a future Bangladesh captain. He has the attributes to go the distance.”While BKSP gave Rahim the scope to flourish his sporting gifts, his character was moulded under the influence of the Australian, Richard McInness, the outgoing High Performance Manager of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and coach of their Under-19 and A squads. McInness had a good idea how his pupil was going to react to the Lord’s adventure: “Obviously he’ll be excited but he won’t let it show. He will go about his business without letting the occasion get to him. That’s the kind of character he is. He is very, very professional, which is a rarity in someone so young.”