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“Taj President. Call me anytime”, came the text message, minutes after I asked Hemang Badani if we could have a word before the Ranji Trophy Final. With the big game starting only on May 4, Badani could have been at his Chennai home, putting his feet up, playing with his 10-month-old son Hrishit and enjoying a lazy May-day lunch. Instead, he was in Mumbai, impatient for the game to begin.You would expect Badani to be keen. The Wankhede Stadium has done more for him than for most Mumbai cricketers. It was here in 2000 that Badani first exhibited his hunger, and ability, to bat at the highest level. In a tense match that Tamil Nadu eventually lost, Badani drove, threaded and whipped his way to a career-best 162 in the Ranji Trophy semi-final. His captain, Robin Singh, made 183 and Tamil Nadu threatened to walk away with the game. Threats, however, don’t work when Sachin Tendulkar is around. Tendulkar played with passion and verve to carve out 233, and Tamil Nadu were beaten – by one man.This time around, though, there’s no Tendulkar to worry about – he’s away getting medical attention in America.”Even the last time,” says Badani, “we were so close to winning. It was always touch and go, even with Sachin [Tendulkar] batting so well. He stole the game away from us, but we did ourselves no favours with our fielding. He was dropped in the slips – a sitter – when he was just 34 and we also missed a few run-out chances late in the innings.””Even after all that, we were never too far away from winning. You know as well as I do that a few decisions went against us,” adds Badani with a rueful chuckle. Perhaps he is speaking of the time S Mahesh had Santosh Saxena trapped plumb in front, only to be denied by the umpire, when Mumbai still needed a run to take the all-important first-innings lead.But despite Tendulkar’s absence, there’s still plenty for this Tamil Nadu team to mull over. The brisk medium-pace of Ajit Agarkar and Avishkar Salvi, on a wicket that has been relaid recently, could ask a few questions of Badani and his team.”I’ve played with Ajit [Agarkar] since the Under-16 level and I know his game really well,” said Badani. “We first toured England together as teenagers for Star Cricket Club and we go back a long way. Salvi is another one to watch out for, with his height and the bounce he generates.””They’ll prepare a wicket that has something in it for the mediumpacers. Their best spinner is Sairaj [Bahutule] and he’ll be wondering how to bowl to all the left-handers in our side. So you would have to say that Agarkar and Salvi are the biggest threats. But we’re not scared, or worried about them,” a confident Badani says.You have to believe Badani when he says so. Despite being out of the Indian team in recent months, he has been discussed at every selection meeting. “The frustrating part about playing for India and then being dropped is the fact that you know you can perform at that level, and you still have to sit out. Whatever anyone might say, there’s a huge gap between playing domestic cricket and playing at the international level. You can make all the runs you want in domestic games but only when you make them at the highest level do you really know that you have it in you,” says Badani.Tendulkar certainly thought Badani had it in him. It was after that memorable 1999 Ranji semi-final that he marked Badani out for higher honours. “Sachin spoke to me after the game and told me one thing. You have a fantastic downswing and follow-through, he said. Whether you’re going through a bad patch or not, never change that. This will make all the difference at the highest level.”Badani will walk out to the middle on the fourth of May with those words in mind. “It could be a very big match for me. I feel this could be the best thing that happened to me – something that needed to happen. If I can make a hundred, and help Tamil Nadu win … ” he trails off. He doesn’t have to say more. You know what he means: this match could be the one that propels him back into the Indian team.

Graeme Hick’s 200 not out against Durham at Chester-le-Street saw him become the first batsman to score Championship centuries home and away against all other 17 first-class counties.He also equalled the highest score made at the six-year-old Riverside ground, Darryl Cullinan having made 200 not out for South Africa against Durham in 1998.The 117th century of his career also took Hick level with Don Bradman as he held the Worcestershire innings together before declaring at 356 for nine, 13 behind.Play began half an hour late and a further 17 overs were lost with Durham on 69 for two in their second innings. They returned at 5.30 for nine overs and finished on 99 for two with Martin Love on 45.Hick saw two partners run out when he was on 99 and was then almost out himself as he edged Nicky Hatch via the oustretched fingertips of Love, the only slip, for the two runs which took him to 101 off 157 balls.Matt Rawnsley survived 23 overs and contributed 17 to a ninth-wicket stand of 99 before he was also run out.Hick drove his only six off Graeme Bridge to reach 200 off 238 balls. He also hit 26 fours, many of them pulled disdainfully through mid-wicket and his fourth 50 came off only 23 deliveries.On 68 overnight, his only real mistake came on 88 when he miscued a drive off Bridge and Jimmy Daley ran back 15 yards from mid-off to get under the ball, only to let it slip through his hands.Gary Pratt was responsible for two of the run-outs, but with Danny Law suffering from a sore toe the already depleted Durham attack posed few problems for Hick on a flat pitch.

Pundit Alex McLeish has been reacting to rumours linking Scott Brown with a return to Celtic in a coaching role, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Brown news

Brown officially parted ways with Aberdeen earlier in the week, less than a year into his player-coach deal at Pittodrie.

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It didn’t take long for news to surface over a possible Parkhead return, with The Scottish Sun claiming the Hoops would be willing to create a coaching pathway for their former captain.

There could be a role in the senior academy and B-team for Brown, while Celtic are also on the lookout for a new coach for their Under-18 side.

The Latest: McLeish reacts

McLeish, who contributes for BBC Radio 5 Live, was asked by Football Insider for his thoughts on the links regarding Brown.

This is what he had to say in reply, labelling it as a ‘great idea’ by the Hoops.

“If he feels the urge to hang up his boots, then it kind of smacks of common sense, Celtic giving him an opening.

“I think his desire is to become a coach and possibly a manager in the future. First, Scott has to retire.

“For Celtic, I’m sure it’s a great idea to bring one of the legends back to the club in a coaching capacity. If they’ve got the space, then why not?”

The Verdict: Hoops need to act fast

If Celtic want to bring Brown back to Glasgow, they may have to act fast, with Leicester City and former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers already offering him a quick return to coaching in the Midlands.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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Ange Postecoglou seemed open to the idea of the 36-year-old returning to Lennoxtown when talking on Thursday, however, it doesn’t look like Brown will be short of options. It could be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks, as Brown looks “to focus on his coaching development”.

In other news: ‘Seems that’ – Journo now drops more Parkhead exit news on ‘horrendous’ Celtic ‘waste of money’. 

	David Morgan, Ray Mali, Sharad Pawar and Malcolm Speed at the 2007 annual conference at Lord’s © ICC

The ICC annual conference will be held in Dubai this June, ending a 99-year association with Lord’s.Cricinfo has learned that the decision to abandon London as the host venue was taken by the majority of the ICC executive board at the opening of the IPL in Bangalore last week after claims by Peter Chingoka that attempts by him to obtain a visa to enter the UK had been blocked.Although there was no formal meeting held in Bangalore, only two or three board heads were absent, and when Chingoka flagged that he had not been successful in obtaining a visa, it was agreed to switch the get together to the ICC headquarters. A formal announcement is expected in the next few days.A spokesman for the MCC, who host all events at Lord’s, told Cricinfo the club was aware of the decision.The annual ICC conference has been held at Lord’s since the first meeting in 1909. The decision to relocate this year casts a shadow over plans to centre the ICC’s centenary celebrations on Lord’s, and unless Chingoka is allowed into the country – and given the hardening of the line against anyone associated with Zanu-PF, that seems unlikely – then the loss of the conference could be the first in a chain of events moved from the UK.The ICC’s centenary celebrations next year are due to be centred on Lord’s, and there is also scheduled to be a bilateral tour by Zimbabwe followed by the ICC World Twenty20.

Timy May, chief executive of the the world player’s assoctaion backs the WIPA© Getty Images

The prime ministers of Grenada and Barbados will mediate in a meeting between the representatives of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the players association, to help to find a resolution with the ongoing contracts dispute. The meeting is scheduled to start at 1130 local time in Grenada.Dinanath Ramnarine, the president of the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), welcomed the intervention of Dr Keith Mitchell, Grenada’s prime minister, and Owen Arthur, Barbados’s prime minister. “We consider that the dispute is capable of being resolved once a process of dialogue is resumed and we hope that your initiative is able to facilitate this,” Ramnarine indicated in a press release. “A failure to arrive at a satisfactory resolution of this issue can do irreparable harm to West Indies cricket”.Mitchell himself concurred: “Given the vital importance of cricket to the social and economic development of the Region, I felt it was essential to have this matter resolved in the most amicable way possible.”Ramnarine has received support for his stance against the WICB from Tim May, the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association. “It is ridiculous to suggest that players should agree to give away the right for third parties to use their image and attributes for advertising and promotional purposes without any financial consideration,” he said. “[They are] conditions that no group of players or player association could possibly accept.

Errol Alcott’s days of watching Glenn McGrath at training have finished © Getty Images

Alex Kountouris, the former Sri Lanka physiotherapist, will replace the long-serving Errol Alcott in Australia’s set-up this summer. Kountouris worked as Alcott’s understudy for the past three years – he toured South Africa and Bangladesh with the squad early in 2006 – and is currently with the Australia A side for the Top End Series.Alcott resigned last month after more than 20 years as the side’s physiotherapist to take up a role with the South Sydney rugby league club and Michael Brown, the Cricket Australia general manager of cricket operations, was pleased with his replacement. “[Alcott’s] are big shoes to fill but there is no doubt we’ve found an excellent successor,” Brown said. “Alex handled a collection of demanding situations and injuries on the recent tours of South Africa and Bangladesh, and it is clear that he is already creating a positive environment in the changing room.”Kountouris spent seven years with the Sri Lanka squad, including being part of the 1996 World Cup win, and began assisting Alcott in 2003. “It is a fantastic honour to be given this responsibility and a really exciting challenge,” Kountouris said. “Errol has done an outstanding job with the team for a long time and I look forward to continuing to implement the structures he has developed.” Kountouris, who worked in soccer before moving to Sri Lanka, has helped develop the Master of Sports Physiotherapy course at Melbourne’s Latrobe University and is currently researching fast bowling injuries for Cricket Australia.

Shane Warne: “Everyone’s had an opinion, and I’ve loaded the bullets on a few occasions” © Getty Images

Even by Shane Warne’s soap-operatic standards, this past month has been turbulent in the extreme. Another sordid tabloid exposé led directly to the break-up of his ten-year marriage, surely the worst-possible preparation for the intensity and emotions of an Ashes series. And yet, for all his off-pitch problems, Warne was adamant that he could put the bad thoughts to one side and raise his game to another level for the challenges ahead.”I’m pretty keen and anxious to get into the Tests,” Warne told a press conference at the Australian team hotel in South-West London. “Obviously this has been a difficult period of my life, but I’ve just got to deal with it and get on. I’ve been having my good days and bad days, and some days it can be hard to move on, but there’s really nothing more I can do. I just hope to enjoy the series and make it one of my best ever.”Warne and controversy go together like Lord’s and Australian Test victories, but now, in the twilight of his career and with nothing left to hide either on or off the pitch, he was in particularly candid mood. “I couldn’t give a rat’s **** what people think of me or say,” he said. “Everyone’s had an opinion, and I’ve loaded the bullets on a few occasions, but unfortunately we live in a society that’s pretty judgmental about what you do in your life.”That is as true for Warne’s cricket as it has been for his private life, but his attitude to both is phlegmatic. “My bowling is how it is,” he shrugged. “It’s different from how it was when I first started, different from what it was five years into my career, and different again from four years ago.”In the old days we used to bat first every time and I’d get to bowl into the fifth-day footmarks. These days there aren’t so many five-day Tests, so there’s not as much spin on offer. Plus we often bowl first these days, so I need other ways to get wickets on first-day pitches. That’s where I think I’ve improved, I’ve learned to adapt a bit better, and seeing as I’ve just had one of my best years ever, I think I’m going okay.”Warne, however, wasn’t deluding himself as to the ravages of time, and has had operations on his right shoulder, spinning finger and left knee as testament to his 15 years at the top. “Physically, it would be impossible for me to still be at my absolute peak,” he admitted. “There aren’t many days when something isn’t hurting, but I feel as fresh as a nearly-36-year-old can feel. When you get to this age it’s all about management, you can’t go to the nets and bowl hour after hour after hour – you have to save as much as you can for the games.”But after every game I’ve played, someone has either said: ‘he’s not as good as he was’ or ‘he’s getting better with age’. That opinion changes no matter what, so all you can go on is results, and in the last year as successful as at any stage. Whether I’m a better bowler or not, who knows? I guess you’d have to ask the batsmen that, not the people watching.”With three Ashes tours and six consecutive series wins to his name, Warne accepted that he would not be seen again in a baggy green in England. “I’m not going to be around in four years’ time,” he said. “It’s sad in a way, but it’s also very enjoyable because for the first time in eight series, I honestly believe England have got a chance.”They’ve got two matchwinners in [Andrew] Flintoff and [Steve] Harmison and, if Kevin Pietersen takes to Test cricket like he has done in one-dayers, then he could be phenomenal. It’s a brave decision and good one from the England selectors, because he’s the most dangerous player in England.”But overall, Warne was in a reflective mood, and accepted that this series would prove to be one of his greatest challenges, for more than just the cricketing reasons. “We’ve got five Tests in eight weeks and human nature is bound to take over for periods,” he admitted. “Looking back over the years it’s generally been the case that the tougher the situation the better I respond.”But nothing like this has ever happened in my life before, and I have to deal with as best I can. It’s not the way I wanted it to be, but I’ve just got to concentrate on my cricket and be there for the guys, because at the end of the day, that’s my job and, much as I see it as a hobby and a passion and a love, I have to turn up no matter what.”

Regrets? He’s had a few. Waqar Younis bows out© Getty Images

Press conferences, especially pre or post-match, can be many things; routine, mundane, ritualistic. But almost without exception they lack in occasion, meaning and magnitude. All the better, then, when one comes along that evokes a rush of wistfulness and longing, such as that which marked the end of Waqar Younis’s illustrious career.Looking comfortable and relaxed in a snug-fitting beige top with jeans, with family in tow, Waqar’s press conference marked the close of a period in which Pakistan’s fast bowling richness rivaled, in quality if not quantity, that of the Caribbean pace attacks in the 1970s and `80s. While Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami struggle to match up, it merely sharpens the nostalgic images of Waqar’s contribution to Pakistan’s success for much of the swinging `90s.He may not have been the granddaddy of reverse swing – Sarfraz Nawaz will undoubtedly put in his two cents here – but he became its most glamorous and potent poster boy. Nobody, not Imran, not Wasim and certainly no-one from the current crop of Pakistan pacers, exploited a battered old ball and 90mph pace, with the "threading a needle" accuracy, as devastatingly as Waqar did. He may not have had the variety of a Wasim (very few do) but if he was a one-trick pony, then what a trick it was. And like his partner in swing, Wasim, his retirement will also evoke a curious and unsettling blend of sadness and relief.Sadness, definitely, for at his peak, the Burewala Express was a magnificent sight and a destructive force. Sadness, because we will most likely never see another spell like the one Waqar bowled at Durban in 1992-93 against South Africa – a spell which, incidentally, he recalled as one of his most memorable. Coasting along at 159 for 1, chasing a seemingly inadequate 209, Waqar scythed through a batting line-up including Andrew Hudson, Hansie Cronje and Daryl Cullinan, picking up five wickets for 25 runs.Sadness, because if bowlers in the `90s, as Gideon Haigh has argued, are becoming less ambitious and have been "taut, trained, restrictive and repetitive," then Waqar’s attacking raison d’etre was a glorious rejoinder to that notion. Sadness because of the bombast he brought to the game – while his economy rate in Test cricket was 3.25 and in ODIs, almost 5, his strike rates were among the best of all time (43 in Tests and 30 in ODIs) – if he wasn’t giving away runs, he was taking wickets.But there is also relief; because like other Pakistani cricketers, he too stayed on considerably past his peak. Although he developed into a bowler of some nous and skill in his latter years, his effectiveness was never the same. Relief because, as he said himself, he left the game with regrets – some, like the ’92 World Cup were unavoidable and thus more painful, but some, like his ongoing rivalry with Wasim, were avoidable and thus annoying.Relief also because his involvement in player politics brought an era of rampant factionalism and controversy within the Pakistan team. And relief because, during his captaincy, Pakistan lurched from disaster against Australia in Sharjah, to shame in South Africa in the World Cup.What lies ahead for Waqar? At the press conference, he revealed that an autobiography, predictably and depressingly tell-all in nature, was in the works. Then the media or maybe even, as is strongly rumoured, a stint as bowling coach for the national side. Probably, as is increasingly popular, it will be a combination of both. His success in what PCB Chairman Shahrayar Khan calls his "second innings" will depend heavily, however, on the who’s and how’s of the PCB power paradigm.His retirement undoubtedly book-ends an era in which, along with Wasim, he was more often than not the difference between a mediocre Pakistan and an extremely dangerous, if inconsistent, version. He began by stating that, for once, at a press conference, he wasn’t under any pressure. Thankfully, for once, we too were present at a press conference with some meaning.

*Trent Bridge to host Twenty20 Cup Final*The pop world and cricket joined forces today when the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced the music line-up for county cricket’s revolutionary Twenty20 Cup competition.Established bands ‘Atomic Kitten’ and ‘Mis-Teeq’, as well as emerging Irish boy band ‘D’Side’, will play in front of live audiences at Twenty20 Cup matches while a re-mix of 10CC’s ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ has been selected as the theme tune for the tournament.Atomic Kitten, the all-girl band with a string of top 20 hits, will play at the Finals Day to be held at Trent Bridge on Saturday 19 July – the first time that a pop band has ever played at a major domestic cricket final in the UK. Supporting Atomic Kitten will be ‘United Colours of Sound’, who have re-mixed the old 10CC song ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ to become the signature tune of the competition.Mis-Teeq, meanwhile, will entertain spectators on the opening day of the competition, Friday 13 June, at the Hampshire v Sussex match at the Rose Bowl. They will be supported by D’Side and United Colours of Sound. A capacity 9,000 sell-out is anticipated for the match, which will be televised live by Sky Sports.Stuart Robertson, ECB Marketing Manager, said, “We fully expect capacity crowds at both the Hampshire v Sussex match and the Finals Day, not to mention many of the 45 group matches.”Ticket information

• Tickets are now available for all Twenty20 Cup matches and details can be found at www.ecb.co.uk/twenty20
• Tickets for the opening game at the Rose Bowl can be bought today. Tel. 0870 243 0291. Ticket prices are £15 for adults and £10 for under sixteens.

Band information
Mis-Teeq – made up of three girls Alesha 23, Sabrina 23 and Su – Elise 20 – are a UK garage / R’n’B band who have had four top ten singles to date. Their debut album Eye Candy, reached number five in the album charts earlier this month. The band won the ‘Best Artist’ award at last year’s UK Garage Awards.Atomic Kitten – the Liverpool trio have had 11 hit singles to date including one of the biggest hits of 2001 ‘Whole Again’ taken from their number one debut double platinum album ‘Right Now’. The girls became the UK’s biggest female act of recent years when they simultaneously held number one spot on both the singles and album charts, a feat only ever achieved by a female artist before by the Spice Girls. Their current album ‘Feels So Good’ has sold in excess of 600,000 copies.D’Side – are already following in the footsteps of two other famous Irish five-piece boybands (Westlife and Boyzone) by launching their career by winning ‘Best New Act’ at the Smash Hits Awards. Their debut song, ‘Speachless’, went into the top 10 last Sunday.Twenty20 Cup – background information
The Twenty20 Cup, the first brand new competition for county cricket since 1973, replaces the old Benson and Hedges Cup. It is cricket on fast-forward – 20 overs-a-side bouts contested over just two hours 45 mins and staged during the longest summer evenings in June. (Opening matches are on Friday 13 June). With games generally starting at 5.30pm, the action is conveniently timed for the post-school and office audiences.The 18 First Class Counties are split into three regional groups of six teams each, with the three group winners and the best runner-up progressing to a Finals Day at Trent Bridge on Saturday 19 July. Aside from the on-pitch action, off-the-field entertainment will include live bands, replay screens, BBQ zones and karaoke machines, with musical instruments and fancy dress codes encouraged to help create the perfect evening out.A new prize money structure will be implemented to encourage both team victories and individual performances. The Twenty20 champions will receive £42,000, the runners-up will get £21,000 and the losing-semi-finalists £10,000. Extra incentives will also be made to the best performing individuals with cash prizes of up to £1,500 going to the best performing batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders.npower is the first official partner of the Twenty20 Cup. More official partners are anticipated.Match details and ticket information can be found at www.ecb.co.uk/twenty20

Australia ended their triumphant Ashes summer with a convincing win over England at the AMP Oval today by an innings and 25 runs to record a resounding 4-1 series victory.A near capacity crowd turned up to see England try and stave off defeat, but instead watched Australia’s bowlers snaffle up the nine wickets required for victory, with Glenn McGrath and man of the match Shane Warne again posing the biggest challenges for the Englishmen.McGrath picked up the last duo of Jimmy Ormond and Phil Tufnell to finish with 5-43 and topped the bowling for the series with 32 wickets. His leg-spinning partner took a remarkable 11 wickets in the match – the first time, surprisingly, he has taken ten wickets or more in a Test outside Australia. He ended the series just one wicket behind McGrath with 31 wickets, this last match producing 11-229, as he overtook Curtley Ambrose’s 405 Test wicket haul.The ninth wicket partnership between Darren Gough and Jimmy Ormond survived 19 overs and put on 58 runs including some powerfully struck drives from the Yorkshireman who produced his best score since he made a half-century against Australia at Sydney in 1995, 49 Test matches ago.It was an entertaining stand, which kept the crowd enraptured and postponed the Australians’ victory celebrations. But after playing with defiance in his first Test, Ormond, who was growing in confidence, edged the ball behind to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.His place was taken by Tufnell, who received a standing ovation and some enthusiastic applause but the Middlesex spinner faced one bouncer from McGrath and was then caught by Warne at first slip with the next delivery to complete what had been inevitable from early on in the day.The last wicket fell at 3.32pm and it brought to an end an excellent npower Ashes series, which proved to be an uneven contest between a developing side and what could go down in history as the finest cricket team ever.Glenn McGrath was chosen as Australia’s man of the series by England coach, Duncan Fletcher, while Mark Butcher was selected by Australian coach John Buchanan, who also praised Andy Caddick’s efforts.Afterwards Nasser Hussain commented: “I have been very proud of my team in the last couple of games and even before then they have showed a lot of character.”As coach Duncan Fletcher said to us in the dressing room, we have got someyoung lads that have come in and there is no point looking anywhere else apartfrom them Australia for the standards that are required.”Steve Waugh was, naturally, delighted with the win.”We did play very good cricket, there is no doubt about that,” he admitted. “Weplayed well from day one. We batted superbly, bowled very well and our fielding was probably the only one that was down a little, but overall it was a great performance by all the guys.”