Zimbabwe to play opener at Indore

The first Test would be conducted at Delhi (November 18-22) while Nagpur is to host the second from November 25-29.

The Zimbabweans will then play a five-match limited overs international series with the home team before returning home.

The dates of the One-Day Internationals are: December 2, 5, 8, 11 and 14 and the venues are to be decided in a couple of days, according to sources in the Cricket Board (BCCI).

ACB ignores allegations
MELBOURNE:An unsubstantiated report in an Indian newspaper linking unnamed Australian cricketers with an international match-fixing scandal will be ignored by the Australian Cricket Board, officials said on Monday.

The report, published in an Indian daily, claims the Australians are named in a leaked copy of the report compiled by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

ACB Chief executive Malcolm Speed said here today he would be taking no action unless something more substantial emerged.

He said International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit was carrying out its own investigations and he was happy to leave it there.

“I have no reason to believe any serious allegations are made against Australian players,” Speed said.

Speed said a CBI spokesman had already said the leaked copy was not an authentic report.

He had tried to speak with Australian captain Steve Waugh today, but had failed to reach him.

“I have no reason to doubt any of the Australian players,” he said.

MacGill trying to push Warne out of Test side
SYDNEY:Leg spinner Stuart MacGill is probably the only Australian who wants leading wicket-taker Shane Warne out of the National Test cricket team.But he hopes to win a few more people over to his way of thinking by the end of the week.

MacGill, speaking at the New South Wales season launch ahead of this week’s Sheffield Shield match against Victoria in Melbourne, said it was up to him to make the most of his opportunity in a head-to-head battle with Warne. “I can see a couple of chinks in his armour he’s battling a pre-season injury and I have to make the most of my situation down there,” MacGill said today.MacGill outplayed a below-par Warne in their first head-to-head a one-dayer in Sydney when the Blues leg spinner caught and bowled his opposite number for one.

No goodwill for Goodwin PERTH: Former Zimbabwe star batsman Murray Goodwin has been dropped from the Western Australian side after only one game in which he hit a match-winning unbeaten 62.

Goodwin, 27, who returned to Australia two months ago, was axed on Monday from the State team to play South Australia in a Sheffield Shield clash at Adelaide Oval from Thursday.

This is despite his magnificently controlled, near run-a-minute knock against the same team in a One-Day Cup match his side won by three runs at the WACA Ground here last Friday.

Goodwin had been made 12th man for Western Australia’s initial first-class game of the new season, but must have believed he had forced his way back into the line-up permanently after his outstanding performance in limited-overs clash.