Bennett King, the West Indies coach, is willing to take his share of the blame for his team’s crushing defeats in the Tests and one-day internationals against South Africa. King, who took over the coaching position ahead of the VB Series in Australia, has said that his side is committed to improve.”I’m prepared to take the blame for a lot of the stuff because we’ve had to try and come in in a very short space of time and play Test cricket and one-day cricket, and we’ve worked the boys hard in that time,” King was quoted as saying in The Trinidad Express. “We’re pushing them harder. I offer no excuses there. And that’s why I said I’m not blaming my players for feeling tired when they come into matches, that’s my fault. To be honest, they’ve fronted up in matches and they’ve been tired, physically, which probably goes into their mental side as well.”I wasn’t expecting anything different,” he said. “The results, even though they won the ICC, you have to look at the history over the last three or four years. It’s been a tough road for the West Indian fans and the cricketers themselves. I’m pretty realistic about where we are at the moment.”West Indies, who lost the Tests 2-0, slumped to their first one-day series whitewash at home when South Africa won the fifth one-dayer by seven wickets in Trinidad. “We’ve got to find a way where these players understand the requirements that are needed for international cricket. And that’s my responsibility. Yep, we take some losses but, in the long term, what we are working towards is that there are going to be a lot more smiles rather than a lot more disappointment.”King pointed to the inconsistency of the batsmen as being the main reason for the team’s failure. “I still believe that Chris Gayle at his tender age and Ronnie Sarwan at his tender age, they’re still only 24, 25 and when you look around the globe with cricketers, people are starting to come into their own by the time they are 27, and they are actually playing much better when they are in their 30s…I’m not asking people to be patient, I’m asking people to be thoughtful which is what we ask our players to be.”King was vocal about the state of regional cricket in the Caribbean. “Some of the bowling issues for me stem from regional cricket,” he continued. “How much time do you need to develop some of these people for international cricket? We’re going to have to keep them in there and people are going to have to suffer through some bowling spells that may not be quite as good if they are the people we’re gonna target to lead West Indies into the future. We’ve gotta take a trusting approach and be prepared to spend large amount of times so that they learn.”However, West Indies have very little time to reflect on their performance, as they face another tough challenge when they play Pakistan in three one-day matches and two Tests, with the first one-dayer beginning tomorrow in St.Vincent. “It’s very, very tight,” he said. “There’s a lot of things we want to do with the players and we need to do with the players and when you’ve got back-to-back series like this…it’s hard to get the work into players that we want.”

Surrey have been docked eight points for ball-tampering during their Championship match against Nottinghamshire, at The Oval earlier this month. There will be a further nine-point deduction, suspended until May 31, 2006, which will come into effect if Surrey or any Surrey player is found guilty of ball-tampering in the next 12 months.Gerard Elias QC, the chairman of the ECB’s discipline committee, issued a statement today, saying that even though the umpires officiating at the game warned Surrey about the condition of the ball, further ball-tampering occurred.Surrey accepted that there had been ball-tampering, and launched an internal investigation, but where unable to establish the guilty party. Elias said: “The report indicated the club’s intention to apply its own internal disciplinary procedure to reflect the serious view the club takes of such a blot on its reputation and that of cricket in general.”Surrey’s chief executive Paul Sheldon added: “This whole incident has been a huge disappointment to the club, and it wishes to offer a full and final apology to everyone who has been affected. The firm and decisive action taken indicates how seriously the ECB and the club have treated the case. It clearly shows our determination to ensure that this cannot be tolerated in the game. As stand-in captain, Mark Ramprakash handled a very difficult situation with characteristic professionalism. We can now draw a clear line under the whole issue and put the matter behind us.”The ECB took into account Surrey’s admission and prompt action when deciding on their punishment, but an eight-point loss will still hurt them in a tight top division of the County Championship.Meanwhile, on a busy day for disciplinary issues at the ECB, a hearing has been announced into Steve Kirby’s conduct during the Championship match between Glamorgan and Gloucestershire at Cardiff on May 6-9. Glamorgan complained that Kirby roughed up the ball when it was hit into the car park, but Gloucestershire maintain that it was just natural wear and tear. That hearing will take place on June 6.

Zimbabwe Test player Gavin Rennie gave Matabeleland a flying start on the first day of their Logan Cup match against Midlands at Queens Sports Club on Friday.Rennie, in poor league form so far this season, scored a century in his first match for his new province as Matabeleland closed on 373 for seven from 100 overs on the first day. He found support from Andre Hoffman who fell seven runs short of a century.Matabeleland captain Mpumelelo (‘Pommie’) Mbangwa won the toss and opted to go for the runs first. The opening partnership of Rennie and Mark Vermeulen produced only 40 runs. The hard-hitting Vermeulen hit a quickfire 29 from just 15 balls, which included five fours, before he was dismissed by pace bowler Campbell Macmillan, caught at mid-off by Raymond Price.Rennie was joined by another hard-hitter, Charles Coventry, and the two put on 106 for the second wicket. Coventry was the second Matabeleland batsman to be dismissed when he fell to left-arm spinner Raymond Price, caught by Dirk Viljoen for 45 off 63 balls. The 19-year-old CFX Academy graduate had his moment of reckoning when he smashed a six off Price.Matabeleland went to lunch in the driving seat with 178 for two from 34 overs, with Rennie unbeaten on 83 while Barney Rogers was on 18. Rogers was to depart for 30 runs four overs after lunch when he nicked a Macmillan delivery to be caught behind by wicketkeeper Alester Maregwede.Hoffman joined Rennie in the hunt for the runs and the two put on 89 runs for the fourth wicket. Rennie in the process reached his century off 156 balls with 19 fours.Rennie was to be the fourth wicket to fall when he was given out leg-before wicket to right-arm spinner Douglas Marillier. This brought to an end a fine innings by the left-handed batsman which saw him smash 120 off 177 balls, which included 24 fours.Hoffman was continued with his heroics and together with Mluleki Nkala put 87 for the fifth wicket. Hoffman appeared on course for a century before he was given out leg-before wicket to pace bowler Travis Friend for 93 runs which came off 174 balls.Sean Ervine claimed his first wicket when he had Mluleki Nkala adjudged leg-before wicket, sending him back for 37 runs. Friend was to strike again when he had Gavin Ewing caught behind by Maregwede for four runs.Wisdom Siziba, usually a top order batsman, is surprisingly batting down the order. He was unbeaten on one at the close, while Mbangwa was on two. Friend and Macmillan were the pick for the Midlands bowlers with two wickets each.

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The fading light at Sydney towards the end of the second day’s play did what Zimbabwe’s bowlers couldn’t – put an end, for the time being, to Ricky Ponting’s outstanding innings. When Ponting and Steve Waugh accepted the offer of bad light, Australia were 245 for 3, 63 runs behind Zimbabwe’s first-innings total of 308.Ponting, unbeaten on 137, dominated the last two sessions with an innings full of quality strokeplay. His precision and timing proved unstoppable, and any of his 19 fours or two sixes could have been the shot of the day. His strokes off the legs were punishing, while he used his feet well against Ray Price and Gavin Ewing, with spectacular results. One of his sixes was nailed absolutely straight and sailed high in the stands behind the bowler.His 50 came off 51 balls, and he brought up his century off the first ball he faced after tea when he cut Ewing to the boundary. It was his 18th Test century, and when he smashed a six off Price with his next scoring shot, it brought up his 5000th run in Tests.

Australia’s run-rate was better than a run a minute for most of the day, although Zimbabwe attempted to slow it down by their shabby over-rate. Had they not gone off for bad light, there was every chance that play would have extended well beyond the normal finish time.Zimbabwe’s day started well, though, as they reached 308, courtesy of some spunky batting by Andy Blignaut. Dropped by Damien Martyn at third slip off Brad Williams, he made Australia pay with some bruising blows. And Australia’s misery was compounded by another injury worry with Brett Lee leaving the field with an abdominal muscle strain. It was later revealed that the injury will keep him out of cricket for a month, preventing him from touring India.The rousing stand between Blignaut and Price put together 53 before Andy Bichel provided the breakthrough when Price was caught by Williams at mid-off for 20. Blessing Mahwire was then dubiously given out caught behind by Adam Gilchrist off Bichel, giving him his fourth wicket and bringing Zimbabwe’s innings to an end.Blignaut, who finished with an unbeaten 38, then had an immediate effect with the ball. Justin Langer lobbed a drive off the splice of his bat to Heath Streak at mid-off (7 for 1), and Matthew Hayden came back down to earth when snapped up by Stuart Carlisle close to the wicket (51 for 2). But Ponting came out and showed his intent from the start, driving on the up through the off-side, and flicking off the legs when the bowlers strayed in line.Blignaut’s inconsistency of line and length was his downfall. While quite capable of bowling a wicket-taking delivery, he was also guilty of bowling too many loose balls. Heath Streak was still struggling for his rhythm and he rarely troubled the batsmen, conceding 58 runs from his 11 overs. Twice, though, mix-ups between wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu and first slip resulted in edges passing between them with neither attempting the catch.Price did manage to slow the free-for-all, and his dismissal of Damien Martyn – trapped lbw for 32 – was worthy reward for an accurate spell. He ended the day with respectable figures of 1 for 58 from 20 overs. But with Ponting on the attack, and Waugh efficiently accumulating runs, Zimbabwe have a tough day ahead of them tomorrow.

Australia plans to spend the lead-up to Trent Bridge in reverse-swing protection mode as the batsmen try to find ways of countering England’s stunning use of the tactic. Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones have combined for 29 wickets in the first three Tests and have regularly confused the opposition order with their wild movement.Simon Katich, who has 143 runs in six bats, and Adam Gilchrist, who collected 120 with a top score of 49 not out, have struggled to absorb the method and Ricky Ponting said after his 156 at Old Trafford that he would prefer going in early than dealing with the middle-order danger. “There is no doubt it is the most difficult time in the game to bat,” he said in the Sydney Morning Herald. “I would take facing a brand new ball that’s swinging than facing a 10-over-old ball that’s reversing the way it has in this game.”Ponting said Flintoff had used the tactic well and made it tougher by going over and around the wicket. “He swings it both ways as much as anyone in the game,” he said. “And he does it at 90 miles an hour. `Gilly’ is in the same boat. Any of the left-handers that he has had a chance to bowl to in the last couple of Tests he’s really troubled.”Mark Taylor said in the batsmen should try not to strike so firmly when the ball was swinging. “They’re so used to hitting the ball hard and hitting boundaries,” he said. “When you’ve got a couple of quality bowlers and they’re swinging the ball late it’s not always possible to bat that way.”Taylor said Allan Border tried a short back-lift to Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis to counter the movement. “The best way he found was almost to play French cricket at times,” he said. “A really short back-lift and just hit the ball in the gaps and pick up ones and twos and deflect the ball more so than try and hit it.”As well as looking at it from a batting perspective, Australia’s bowlers will also try to find a way of copying it. “We’ve got to work out how we can do it better,” Ponting said. “There is no doubt in the last couple of games it’s played a key role.”Michael Vaughan said Jones had always been able to move the old ball and he was teaching his team-mates. “Some of our bowlers are new to reverse-swing and controlling it,” he said. “Simon is helping all the bowlers. In both games we have used it very well.”Australia have arrived in Scotland and will train today before a one-day match at The Grange tomorrow. Ponting told the batsmen had to start turning starts into big scores.”There haven’t been any real extravagant shots that have cost us our downfall, we’ve just made little mental errors more than anything,” Ponting said. “Matty Hayden probably has got 30 every time he’s batted in the series, Justin Langer has been a bit the same, Damien Martyn has made 20 every time, so guys are getting in and getting starts – we’re just getting out from there.” The fourth Test begins at Trent Bridge on August 25.

Jermaine Lawson, the West Indian fast bowler, has got some breathing space from the International Cricket Council over his suspect bowling action. Lawson, 23, was pulled up for a dodgy bowling action for the second time in his career during the first Test in Colombo recently but the ICC felt his action fell within the prescribed limits.”That is the formal position. They have found that his deliveries on average are within the 15 degrees,” said Phillip Service, the Jamaica-based territorial development officer of the West Indies Cricket Board, to CMC Sports. “He has passed the test. However, we need to be continually aware that this is the second time he has been reported so he needs to maintain his fitness on one hand and also be reminded of the various things we worked on during his remediation.”Lawson had to undergo an ICC-mandated independent analysis of his action by Dr.Paul Hurrion, the London-based biomechanics expert. He was also excluded from the 28-man training squad for Jamaica for the President’s Cup in October. However, Service added that Lawson was free to continue his career.Lawson, who has taken 50 wickets in 12 Tests, also had his action reported by the ICC in 2003 after the Test series against Australia.

The annual Prime Minister’s XI tour match has been switched from January to December 2 and will be played against West Indies at Manuka Oval in Canberra. Cricket Australia said scheduling changes forced the rearrangement of the fixture, which is a tradition dating back to Sir Robert Menzies and was re-introduced by Bob Hawke in the 1980s.West Indies will play their first game of the three-Test tour against Queensland in Brisbane, starting on October 27, before the first Test at the Gabba on November 3. The second Test begins at Hobart on November 17 before the series finishes at Adelaide.Tickets for the tour match at Canberra will be available through ACT Cricket from October 4. Mark Vergano, the ACT Cricket chief executive, said the game would give local residents an opportunity to see international stars in action.

Still influenced more by allround potential than actual performance, the West Indies selectors yesterday included Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Smith in their 15 for the three Tests tour of Australia October 27 to November 29. The squad was revealed on several radio stations on internet sites while the media awaited the official announcement from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).Samuels, 24, and Smith, 22, both had exciting debuts when first brought into the Test team but their careers have since had as many stops and starts as a maxi-taxi at rush-hour. Their selections are likely to have been advanced most strongly by head coach Bennett King. It is a clear challenge for him and his staff to mould their precocious talent into the finished product, just as Duncan Fletcher and his men have done with Andrew Flintoff, a kindred spirit on the England team. Their native Australia is an ideal starting point. Eight of those who withdrew from the team to Sri Lanka in July and August because of the long-running dispute over tour contracts have predictably returned following the compromise agreement between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Wavell Hinds, Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards and Corey Collymore bring experience and, in Lara’s case, extraordinary class to a team left emaciated by their controversial absence in Sri Lanka. Lara, at 36 still at the height of his powers, is on his fourth tour of Australia, Shivnarine Chanderpaul on his third. Both as batsmen with outstanding records and as leaders, they carry heavy responsibility in a series against opponents keen to reassert their dominance after their loss of the Ashes in England in the summer. The two have been on opposite sides of the fence in the contracts dispute, Chanderpaul assuming the captaincy when Lara opted out of the first Test against South Africa last April and standing against the WIPA position to lead the team of reserves to Sri Lanka. How they relate to each other and the guidance each gives to the younger members will be a critical factor in determining how the team performs on the field. Runs from both and more consistency from Sarwan, the lone right-hander in the top six, Gayle, Wavell Hinds and Devon Smith is another key factor to being competitive. Constrained by the absence of reputable spinners, the selectors have stuck to the established policy of an attack of five fast bowlers supplemented by the bustling medium-pace of the two Dwaynes, Bravo and Smith, and the stop-gap off-spin of Samuels and Gayle.Jermaine Lawson, his questionable action now cleared by the ICC, is the tallest and fastest of the speed men. Providing he overcomes a recent minor heel operation, as he is expected to, he should be a handful for Australian batsmen, as he was the last time they met (7-78 in Antigua in 2003) and as he was against the Sri Lankans in July (11 wickets in two Tests). Tino Best and Daren Powell gave him telling support in Sri Lanka and the pacy Edwards (6-38 against Pakistan in his last Test) and the wily Collymore (11-134 in his last) are back to challenge for Test places. All are right-handers. The injury that has eliminated Pedro Collins’ left-arm swing is a setback and would have brought two other left-handers, Ian Bradshaw and Deighton Butler, into consideration.The most interesting choices are Samuels and Smith. Samuels, the elegant right-hander, headed the batting averages in Tests when despatched as replacement for the injured Chanderpaul in the 2000-01 series in Australia. He was aged 19 with one first-class match to his name. A knee injury and inconsistency have combined to limit him to 19 Tests in the interim, the last two years ago against Sri Lanka. He averages 29.13 with a solitary hundred, a classical 104 against India at Kolkata in 2002 that highlighted his obvious natural talent. Smith’s entrance was even more spectacular – 100 off 93 balls against South Africa at Cape Town on debut. Such devastation has been beyond him in his six subsequent Tests in which he has failed to pass 50 as opponents exploited a slack defence Ryan Hinds, the left-handed batsman and spinner, is another player who has not delivered on his early promise. He has had only nine Tests since his first appearance in 2002 and has drifted further out of consideration. Given the role Ashley Giles’ left-arm spin played in England’s Ashes triumph over Australia in the summer, delivered from over the wicket and aimed outside the right-hander’s leg-stump, Hinds could have been a key all-rounder at No.6 had the selectors been able to rely on his fitness.

Throughout Australia’s dominance of world cricket, there has been much talk of the batting genius of Ponting, the broadening skills of Martyn, the determination and luck of Langer, the relative decline of Hayden and the striking purity of Gilchrist. The batsmen have broken records in huge volume, increased their scoring pace to unmatched levels and returned more newspaper and magazine column inches than their bowling counterparts. It is true that dynamic and aggressive batting have been significant ingredients of Australia’s table-topping position. Other countries manage it only in spits and spurts – and, until this year, not consistently against the world champions. However, what is regularly overlooked is the performance of quality bowlers and Glenn McGrath, the attack’s durable and outstanding leader.Old timers would say “batsmen save games, bowlers win them”. The one-day contest has bent that maxim out of shape, but when it comes to the longer format very little has changed. Yes, Australia score quickly. Yes, they give themselves more time to bowl out the opposition. But – it is an important but – they must still knock over their rivals twice. Having a quality leg-spinner is handy; owning the bowler of the century is much better. But before Shane Warne gets the ball, the swing, seam and snarl of McGrath and his first-class sidekicks come into play. It is something that has happened with astounding success for more than a decade.At 35, McGrath looked at the start of the Ashes series, like a well-preserved middle-aged fast bowler rather than a greybeard having his last tilt at the English windmills. Not many international pacemen bowl into their mid-30s. A small number such as Courtney Walsh and Sir Richard Hadlee have become legends at a similar age, but they are the exceptions justifying Rule 1a of the quick brigade: “The more overs you bowl, the faster you will fall apart.” For most of his career McGrath has kept himself together. While his colleagues have fallen to deteriorating backs, knees and shoulders – repetitive strain injuries are common in teenagers, not just 35-year-olds – McGrath’s recent weakness has been the ankles.From mid-2003 McGrath was forced into a 12-month hiatus due to problems with three bone spurs causing unbearable pain when he put his left foot down. Two operations were required and while his comeback was reportedly aborted on many occasions, McGrath was happy that it went to plan. However, by the time of his selection for the Sri Lanka Top End series in July 2004 there were doubts over his powers of recovery – except from the man himself.The decision was controversial as his main gallops were limited to an end-of-season Pura Cup match, the one-day tour to Zimbabwe and a warm-up against the Sri Lankans for the Northern Territory Chief Minister’s XI. McGrath’s performances were not impressive, but as a veteran of more than 400 Test wickets he had up his sleeve a benefit-of-the-doubt card. Already a couple had been played, but he was entitled to another and the national selectors agreed. Fast bowlers rely on their legs and they gain strength from matches, not just the nets. McGrath needed more work and, most importantly, had to test his vital feet, which would carry him to the crease and support the pressure of up to 20 times his body weight at release.Bleeding toes and aching ankles are part of the job description, but he had to know if his cleaned-up bones could sustain the Test load. While struggling to find quickly the death-and-taxes rhythm, McGrath openly doubted his ability to make a full comeback aged 34. In his initial outings his pace was down on the modest 130 kph he usually bowls; it was not the only thing that had seemingly diminished. The hitherto infallible radar was finding the middle of the bat instead of the edge. As he hit the crease he looked to be decelerating, he was lacking energy, his body was creaking and the results were poor. Pundits saw all the signs of rust and retirement.

Who would begrudge the most successful Australian seam bowler of all time a cup of tea and a good lie down? He had surely earned it. But that was not his way. McGrath soldiered on with the kind of self-belief that is at the core of any real champion. The recovery improved, the pain in the ankle faded and he was rapidly back to his best. In his first Test innings he took five wickets against Sri Lanka and then passed 450 on the unfriendly pitches of India, where a serious drought that started the year before he was born ended. Back in the southern hemisphere he destroyed New Zealand with 27 home-and-away wickets at 17.29 and sandwiched career-best figures of 8 for 24 against Pakistan in Perth. Each series was won and there were no longer arguments about his health. The feeling was so good that he even hit 61 not out against New Zealand at the Gabba.The body that had been brittle as a NSW rookie had become resilient through hard work with Kevin Chevell, his fitness training mentor who had once again whipped him into shape. Through the programme the thigh, hamstring and calf strains that beset the pigeon legs have been eradicated. McGrath’s work ethic has always been strong; his training load, just like his bowling, might embarrass a Benedictine monk. Kostya Tszyu and Mike Tyson recently realised that comebacks on the edge of the age envelope were not easy, but McGrath showed they were possible with a steel-trap mental approach.There was also another incentive: his Cricket Australia contract ranking dropped while he was injured and his earnings and ego were affected. Money certainly acts as a carrot to the contemporary cricketer and McGrath makes millions from the game. Players of not-so-long-ago would retire so they could earn a living that didn’t require the body to be a temple rather than spend months or years recuperating and rehabilitating. McGrath had the support of Cricket Australia’s medical team, the board and a full-time contract that allowed him to train, recover and still pay the mortgage. He used the resources well. The dedication and discipline came as no surprise – the completeness of the comeback surely has.Leaving for England with 499 wickets, he became the second fast bowler to step to 500 at Lord’s in July. Only then did his body begin to betray him. What had helped propel McGrath so far is an advantage that few other bowlers have carried. Simply, it is simplicity. The simplicity of his action, his bowling mechanics, is a large part of this successful comeback. He puts a minimal amount of stress on his body because he has an action that doesn’t have a lot of stress points. He doesn’t bowl fast because he doesn’t try to bowl fast, therefore the pressure on his frame is low. McGrath’s front leg – the left one – rises only centimetres above the ground in delivery. The true fast bowlers such as Lillee, Thomson and Hogg had theirs almost parallel to the turf, spikes pointing menacingly at the trembling batsmen. This position created huge strain on the hamstrings, groin and the back.McGrath has a principally front-on action with almost no trunk rotation so his back has been preserved. When he delivers he uses all of his 183 cm height with a braced and extended front leg: there is little impact on the crease because of that lack of leg-lift, the long, tensile arms rotate smoothly and the whip-cord wrist keeps the seam perfect and adds the maximum pace. It is a beautiful and simple movement, the Swiss watch of the timekeepers and the Ernie Els of golf. Perhaps it is the deceptive yet stealthy action that has batsmen not quite cocked to repel another line and length delivery. The term “false sense of security” comes to mind, but how could any rational batsmen feel secure with `Pigeon’ creeping to the crease?Tactic-wise McGrath’s methods are similarly simple. He hits the wicket hard, unlike the kissing-the-pitch and sliding-along styles of Brett Lee or the late Malcolm Marshall. This way he makes the margins for error larger and the “good length” a wider concept. Aiming just outside off-stump, he lands the ball on the seam almost every time, increasing the chances of late movement, and in between delivering a loose ball every leap year waits for batsmen to err. He has been helped by wonderful support bowling and some of the best fieldsmen and catchers of all time, who contribute to the never-slackening pressure. The quality of his opponents could be legitimately questioned with strong arguments pointing to the decline in world batting standards, but his victories over the superstars of any era – Lara, Tendulkar, Kirsten, Fleming et al. – are significant.

McGrath, who grew up in Narromine in central NSW, comes from an uncomplicated rural background where hard work and perseverance were essential for survival in a harsh and unforgiving climate. They are conditions similar to elite sport. While the dash and flair of Australia’s batsmen are up in neon lights, McGrath has helped haul the side to the top with his simplicity, hard work, adherence to a fundamental yet almost unique bowling discipline and wonderful tactical sense. He is the true colossus of the early 21st century bowlers., Hardie Grant Books, RRP $55, is available in bookstores.

Sri Lanka named middle-order batsman Jehan Mubarak as the replacement for the injured Chamara Kapugedera for the three-Test series in India.The 18-year-old Kapugedara was ruled out after suffering a lateral ligament sprain on his right knee during a routine training session in Banglaore on Sunday. As the injury would take at least two weeks to heal, the management decided to send him home and summon Mubarak.Kapugedera was picked for the tour on the strength of his school and Under-19 level. He was not expected to play in the Tests but had been included to give him exposure to the senior squad.Meanwhile, scan reports on Marvan Atapattu have come back as negative and he will be fit to play in the first Test against India later this week. Atapattu had been forced to withdraw from the three-day practice game against an Indian Board President’s XI with a stiff back.