Some heads ready to roll

Azharuddin, a shy man and a devout Muslim with an unshakeable belief in fate, has always treated the twin impostors, triumph and disaster, with calmness.

Azharuddin, meanwhile, received support from Indian cricket Chief Raj Singh Dungarpur after the team8217;s World Cup campaign ended with defeat here on Saturday to New Zealand. 8220;I don8217;t think there is anything wrong with Azhar8217;s captaincy,8221; Dungarpur said. 8220;Azhar has done great service for the country for so many years. He has always been an introvert, why should that be put against him?

8220;Anyway, the decision to keep Azharuddin as captain is in the hands of the selectors, not the Board.8221;

LIKELY SUCCESSORS: Ajay Jadeja, Sachin Tendulkar. Jadeja whohas captaincy experience with Haryana and is seen as an extrovert and excellent communicator, is not an established Test player. Tendulkar might be ready to try again, although the death of his father may lead to the selectors giving him more time to rediscover his balance. Which might just give Azharuddin the breathing space he needs.

ANDREW KOKINOS

India8217;s second-round exit from the cricket World Cup claimed its first casualty on Sunday. Sources said the team8217;s Australian physiotherapist Andrew Kokinos8217; contract may not be renewed. 8220;Kokinos is out, he has not been much of a help to the players,8221; an Indian cricket board source said.Kokinos was hired from the Australian Institute of Sports after being recommended by former Test captain Ian Chappell in January 1997.

ARJUNA RANATUNGA

Sri Lanka have reportedly sacked Arjuna Ranatunga after the defending champions were knocked out in the first round. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka BCCSL has sought a clarificationfrom Sports Minister SB Dissanayake for reportedly asking, 8220;Arjuna Ranatunga to step down for the team8217;s disgraceful performance at the World Cup.8221;

BCCSL chief executive Dhammika Ranatunga, younger brother of Arjuna Ranatunga, argued that the board had not received any official communique from the minister. 8220;We can8217;t do anything going by the media reports,8221; he said.

Earlier newspaper reports quoted Dissanayake as saying to the BBC Sinhala Service Sandeshaya that he felt 8220;Ranatunga has made a lot of mistakes and it is time for him to step down as the skipper, though he could still remain a team member.8221;

LIKELY SUCCESSOR: A question mark hangs over the next Sri Lankan captain. The present coach Ranjith Fernando did drop a hint in his column in the The Indian Express by suggesting the names of Mahela Jayawardena and Chaminda Vaas.

ALEC STEWART

Joins the World Cup captains8217; casualty list in the next few days when he is sacked by England, according to media reports onSunday.

Newspapers said Stewart, who acted as England8217;s captain, wicket-keeper and opener in the tournament but struggled with his form throughout is facing the axe.

Chairman of selectors David Graveney said: 8220;You can8217;t pour all the blame for our early exit on one individual. 8220;If we change the England captain, it will be because we think that8217;s the right decision for the future not because we failed to qualify 8230; it8217;s all Alec8217;s fault. 8220;We all have to hold up our hands.8221;

LIKELY SUCCESSOR: Nasser Hussain. Regarded as a Test rather than a one-day player, was drafted into the World Cup at the last minute as a replacement and was one of the few players to perform well.

GORDON GREENIDGE

Bangladesh, despite winning two games including a historic victory over Pakistan, have ditched Gordon Greenidge.

LIKELY SUCCESSOR: Javed Miandad, former captain of Pakistan.