You could never accuse of Brian Lara of lacking in timing. And if his retirement announcement was made without customary flourish, it didn’t lack drama. It was the most delectable of late cuts: perfectly conceived and deftly executed, it left those in its presence breathless.There was no gasp, because it took time to register. He dropped it in casually, just after he had finished answering his last question and when notebooks were being put away. He leaned forward, almost as if he was preparing to leave, and whispered these words into the microphone: “I gave extensive consideration to this. I want everybody to know that on Saturday I’ll be playing my last international match.”Journalists turned around and looked enquiringly at each other. Did I hear it right? Did he say merely international or was there a one-day before it. Some rushed to the dais to confirm it with Imran Khan, the West Indies media manager, who nodded his head. Some shoved miniature bats and notebooks to be autographed. But Lara had made it clear that there would be no further questions, and none were asked.The very first question had been about his future and Lara had cut the questioner off. “This is about today’s match,” he had said firmly, and had repeated the refrain whenever the subject had veered towards it. However, he had fielded other broader questions, about West Indies cricket, about Ramnaresh Sarwan – the leading contender for the captaincy – and one about how he would like to be remembered. Given what transpired, the question now seems prescient though, to be honest, it was asked in the context of his one-day career.Lara’s answer was typical of him. He didn’t bother mouthing platitudes about service to the country and the game. “I would like to be remembered as someone who came out there and tried to entertain.” That was the truth about Lara. It was his essence. Over a 17-year career, lots of his relationships – with the board, with selectors, with the media and even his own team-mates – were stretched and tested. But one bond remained unshakable, that between a conjurer and his spellbound audience. You fell for him instantly, and were hooked for life.With hindsight, it is obvious now that the press conference had so many touches of a farewell. “I am also proud,” Lara said. “I have been knocked down so many times, as a player and as a person, and I have had the strength, I suppose that has come from my parents, to be able to pick myself each and every single time and go out there in the face of adversity and try my best and perform. I didn’t read it up in a book. It’s deep down and it’s part of my family trait.”Time and again during the press conference, Lara was provoked to bring his dispute with the administrators in the open. He refused the bait. But what he left unsaid, said a lot. “Whoever is the new captain must receive the support he deserves.” When asked if he received the support he needed, he merely said it was no time to cry over spilt milk. Success in the international arena, he said, depended on much more than the 11 players on the field but, when pressed further, he insisted that “this was not the forum to discuss this”.There will be another press conference in a couple of days, and Lara will surely be there. This time though, his inquisitors will be much better prepared.

Out of nowhere, Sri Lanka have become the soul of the World Cup. India and Pakistan went a long time ago, and now with the hosts gone, Sri Lanka who play a band of cricket that fuses subcontinental artistry with contemporary ethos, have emerged the sentimental favourites for the neutrals. So much so that if they manage to beat New Zealand in Jamaica, they will be accorded the status of the home team in the final at Kensington Oval. And the man who helped them win their first World Cup believes that they have it in them to go all the way.Dav Whatmore, whose coaching experience in the subcontinent spans over a decade, says Sri Lanka have turned a corner because they have been able to strike a combination versatile enough to compete with the home team when they tour abroad.”They go to a country that has a bit of bounce and they have got the boys who can play the part,” Whatmore told Cricinfo. “You’ve got to have, as much as you can, a square peg and a square hole. Trying to fit in any other shape is always fraught with a bit of danger.”Sri Lanka have the most varied bowling attack in the current World Cup. Chaminda Vaas brings left-arm swing and experience. He can move the new ball both ways, and bowl a variety of cutters with the old one. Lasith Malinga brings skiddy, explosive pace delivered from an unnerving angle; Dilhara Fernando gets them to rear, with Sachin Tendulkar all at sea with one which cut in sharply off the pitch; Farveez Maharoof hits the pitch hard and gets the ball to deviate off the seam; and Muttiah Muralitharan has added to his considerable armoury a devious scheme to bowl doosras to right-handers from round the wicket.”To me, one of the biggest differences in Sri Lankan cricket has been finding the right balance,” Whatmore says. “They have multi-skilled boys who can fit into different roles without weakening any department.” It has helped that in Murali and Malinga they have two freaks, one a legend, the other fast acquiring a reputation for turning matches. “Good luck to them. These are players who come along once in a lifetime. The challenge is to keep them injury free.”

The other significant factor, according to Whatmore, is that Sri Lanka are blessed to find in Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, two senior players who combine well in leadership roles. “They are pretty intelligent boys who have a reasonable idea of how to go about things and keeping it stable.”They gel pretty well, together with a foreign coach, they have been able to keep their injuries down to a minimum. It’s an important area, and they are reaping the rewards for that.”They have also been fortunate that Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu, two former captains, have come back from injury and banishment to provide support in fostering a healthy dressing-room atmosphere. “It’s all about creating a good team spirit and even though Sanath is not the leader any more, he has things to offer.”In the last 12 months Jayasuriya has blasted 1316 runs at an average of 50.61 and at a strike rate of 109.75.”For him to re-enter the group and appear to be so happy and calm and produce these performances is the result of the team spirit that has been created by the leaders,” Whatmore points out. “Sanath is a leader as well in certain areas. So is Murali.”Murali is one of the greatest competitors I have ever known. Whatever happens, he gets on that field and he just wants to win.”Even more than batting and bowling, their commitment is evident on the field. Despite being the oldest members of the side, Jayasuriya and Muralitharan abound with enthusiasm, diving, chasing and pouching up catches. The catch that Muralitharan took, running behind from mid-off, to dismiss Sourav Ganguly in Sri Lanka’s first-round encounter with India, looked much simpler than it was because Muralitharan was so quick to it.”Murali has never done anything slow,” Whatmore says, smiling. “He is always 100 miles an hour, even with his mouth, he has got all fast twitch fibres in his body. He will never change.”And even though training was never Sanath’s favourite pastime, he has also got a good acceleration. And above all, they are both good team men.”This will be Sri Lanka’s second appearance in the semi-finals since their first win and their former coach believes that they are best equipped since 1996 to win the cup.

Brian Lara believes West Indies will now have a chance to rebuild their ailing fortunes without being overshadowed by his presence. Lara, who will be watching the team take on England at Lord’s, hopes a largely youthful squad led by Ramnaresh Sarwan will thrive away from the glare of publicity he generated.”After 1995 we sort of went downhill,” Lara said. “It doesn’t matter how many runs one person puts together. We want to get partnerships and get 400 runs on the board. One person can’t get 400 runs on the board if there is nobody at the other end.”Maybe the disparity between my achievements and how the other guys were looked upon was a problem. My expectation is that the team raise a bit and rally round Ramnaresh Sarwan. You don’t need a group of superstars, you need a team working together to bring you better results.”Lara said it would feel strange to be at Lord’s and not be taking the field. “I saw the covers and the greenery and it was tough,” he said. “Thursday will be emotional for me. But at the end of the day it’s not the reason I play cricket because I want to play at Lord’s. I really want to see West Indies do well. We’ve got to move on.”However, Lara said he hadn’t given up on the idea of playing first-class cricket. “I’m still physically fit and still capable of playing so I’m not going to rule that out,” he said. “I am not going to put on 10 or 15 pounds and forget about the game.”Lara said his international retirement had been hastened by West Indies’ early World Cup exit. “I thought we were making a lot of strides in the one-day game, getting to the ICC [Champions Trophy] finals in 2006 after winning it in 2004 was a stepping stone,” he said.”I thought I can exit and continue to play Test cricket which honestly is the game I love the most. We went a bit backwards and physically I don’t know what else I could have done to really make a difference.”Lara said the key problem was the domestic set-up in the West Indies which didn’t convert youthful talent into Test match standard players. “I still believe West Indies has the best Under-15, Under-19 talent,” he said. “It’s just the infrastructure doesn’t go hand in hand with that and international cricket. That’s where the problem lies.”Should anyone at Lord’s need reminding of Lara’s achievements all they have to do is visit the MCC Museum behind the Pavilion where a special exhibition charting his career is being staged. Among the exhibits is the bat with which Lara scored 213 against Australia at Kingston.Also included is the bat with which he made 375, then the record Test score, against England at Antigua in 1994. The bat has been signed by his then team-mate Curtly Ambrose: “375 not enough Brian”. However, the bat with which he scored 277 against Australia in Sydney in 1993 is missing. “At age 23 I don’t know what I did with that bat,” Lara said. “Maybe we can have an international request to have it back.”

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.

ScorecardAt last a cricket match takes place in Worcester. But that was as much as Worcestershire had to celebrate as they sank easily against the might of Sri Lanka A, who eased to a seven-wicket win with 88 balls to spare.This is the second win in two since Sri Lanka A’s tour began earlier this week with victory against MCC. It was similarly comfortable this time, at Worcester Royal Grammar School, after the home side limped to 176. Ray Price was the topscoreer with 49, before he succumbed to Akalanka Ganega, one of three victims.The bowler combined well with Ishara Amerasinghe, who also took three, to blow away the top order. At one stage Worcestershire were hanging by a thread at 26 for 5.Sri Lanka A lost three wickets in reply, with Dilruwan Perera topscoring with 74 and Jehan Mubarak contributing 48 not out.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

The three-match one-day series followed a predictable script asSri Lanka wrapped up the second ODI and the series at the R PremadasaStadium in Colombo with a five-wicket win. The victory was fashioned by aruthless bowling performance, starting with Lasith Malinga’s incisiveopening burst, followed by Sanath Jayasuriya’s finishing touches,restricting Bangladesh to 137, a score few teams can realistically defend.Under overcast skies, the Bangladesh batting imploded for the second gamein succession. It was a good toss to win for Mahela Jayawardene as theseamers uitilised the damp pitch and overcast conditions to repeat theirdemolition of the top order. With their backs to the wall in terms of theseries, the start was hardly auspicious as the openers failed to lay thegroundwork, failing to adapt to the ball swinging in both directions andkicking off a good length.Malinga prised out both openers in quick succession, varying his length inboth dismissals. Shahriar Nafees’s patience ran out when he attempted acheeky glance down to third man off a good length delivery outside offstump, resulting in an edge which was taken comfortably by Jayawardene atsecond slip.Tamim Iqbal was subdued for 16 deliveries for his three and was dismissedwhile playing all around a Malinga yorker, beaten for pace. The strategyof promoting Mushfiqur Rahim up the order didn’t pay off as his stintlasted a mere four deliveries. A victim of another rude wake up call byMalinga, Rahim was caught off guard by one that kicked on him just shortof a good length and a big outside edge was snapped up acrobatically byKumar Sangakkara to his right.The second Powerplay produced just six runs, as the batsmen failed to getthe ball past the infield and the runs came at a crawl. The miserlyMaharoof gave no freebies in his opening spell – conceding just 11 runsoff eight overs – accounting for Tushar Imran.Aftab Ahmed and Mohammad Ashraful dropped anchor and added 61 afterBangladesh had tottered to 26 for 4 in the 15th over. Aftab’s knock of 47was one completely out of character given his propensity to attack fromthe word ‘go’. When Ashraful departed for 29, Aftab and Shakib Al Hasanseemed to get another partnership going, pushing the singles withregularity once the spinners came on.However, indiscretion on Shakib’s part brought Sri Lanka back in businessas he was bowled by Malinga Bandara while attempting a slog sweep. Aftabsquandered an opportunity to get a fifty when he pulled straight tomidwicket, giving Jayasuriya his second scalp.

By then, Bangladesh hardly looked like crossing 150 and the nature of thedismissals that followed was just a sad reflection of an innings which hadlittle entertainment value. A run-out, followed by desperate loftsstraight down fielders’ throats ended the innings in the 47th over.Jayasuriya reached a personal milestone when he wrapped up the tail,reaching 300 ODI wickets.Chasing a modest 138, Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga were off in a rush,adding 43 for the first wicket and it was wayward fare from the Bangladeshseamers which contributed to the racy start. Syed Rasel and ShahadatHossain failed to land the ball on a good length roundabout the off stumpunlike their Sri Lankan counterparts and instead sprayed it wide and toofull.Fielders patrolling point and cover were given an early work-out asTharanga drove and cut with privilege and freedom. Shahadat wasn’t sparedin one over in which he conceded three consecutive boundaries offTharanga’s blade, all square of the wicket in the off side. However, hewas rewarded the minute he landed the ball on the right length – short onoff stump – forcing Tharanga on the backfoot and getting it to slantacross the left hander with a faint edge going through to Rahim.Jayasuriya meanwhile took on Rasel and lofted him for successiveboundaries, down to long-off and long-on respectively, and the targetseemed one mighty blow away. Rasel then had his moment, albeitcontroversially, when he beat Sangakkara’s bat with a full deliveryoutside off and the look on Sangakkara’s face suggested that he wasn’t toopleased.Bangladesh’s spirits rose again after a double strike sent back Jayasuriyaand Jayawardene. Bowling short and wide, left-arm spinner AbdurRazzak bowled to his field and got Jayasuriya to slash hard outside theoff stump straight to point. Agile catching at midwicket by Aftab sent back Jayawardene and for a change, the heat was on Sri Lanka.After a few quiet overs – Tillekaratne Dilshan was scoreless for 16 balls- Chamara Silva cut loose. He lashed two boundaries off medium pacerFarhad Reza, including a fierce slash over backward point and waltzed downthe track to Razzak. The sparse crowd in the high-capacity stadium turnedvocal as Sri Lanka strolled home with 113 balls to spare.

Cecil Abrahams, who played with Basil D’Oliveira’s South African non-racial team against Kenya in the 1950s, has died in Manchester aged 75.He was a fast-bowling allrounder who played club cricket for Trafalgar in Cape Town and Western Province under the auspices of the South African Cricket Board of Control (SACBOC).Abrahams left South Africa to play in the Lancashire Leagues, where he played with much success for Milnrow, Radcliffe and Oldham.Gerald Majola, CEO of Cricket South Africa, said: “On behalf of Cricket South Africa, I would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Cecil Abrahams.”He was an outstanding all-round sportsman, and cricket is most grateful that he chose our game as his main sport. Apartheid denied him the chance to reach his full potential as a South African international cricketer, yet he has left a mark that history will record for posterity.”

Dream start, nightmare finish
Coming back into international cricket after a while, Virender Sehwag had a dream start: the first ball he faced was a trifle short, and Sehwag played a short-arm flick so effortlessly that it was easy to wonder why he had been kept out of the side for so long. The answer wasn’t long in coming: the third ball he faced, his first from Mohammad Asif, did all the things that bother Sehwag – it pitched on a good length, came at a lively pace, and nipped back enough to beat the middle of the bat and take the inside edge. At least Sehwag can’t complain about encountering unfamiliar situations on his return.Uthappa hits back
For nine overs, India danced to the tune of Pakistan’s fast bowlers, especially Mohammad Asif. Then, in the tenth, the batsmen called the shots, albeit briefly. Robin Uthappa first walked down the wicket and creamed Yasir Arafat over long-off for an exquisite six, and then pulled him off the front foot for another. The Indian flags, which easily outnumbered the Pakistani ones today, finally got an opportunity to make their presence felt.The rain dance
To drizzle or not to drizzle? That seemed the perennial question through the first couple of hours of the game. Play started on time, but soon the weather gods decided to intervene, but in such a manner that everyone was kept on tenterhooks, with the covers coming on, going off, coming on,going off, and then again. Once the covers had only managed to travel halfway up to the stumps when the drizzle stopped, and it was time for play again. It served the Pakistan cause nicely, though – twice a wicket fell off the first ball after resumption.b>The last ball
Mahendra Singh Dhoni consulted with almost half the team and then decidedthat the entire team would be in the inner ring, then had a change ofheart and off went Gautam Gambhir to the cover boundary, then finallyraced around to backward point. The entire exercise took at least a coupleof minutes, before Sreeanth charged in and pitched it short. Misbah’s weakstroke couldn’t pierce the infield, and we had the second tie in Twenty20internationals.The Misbah factorWith Pakistan seemingly out of the contest, Misbah-ul-Haq produced thekind of blitz which silenced all the questions which had been raised overhis selection. There were two powerful blows off Harbhajan, but the shotthat showed he had a cool head came off Ajit Agarkar, when, with 18 neededoff eight balls, he coolly moved across his stumps and scooped one overfine leg for four. No fuss, little effort, maximum reward.The comeback kid
Irfan Pathan hasn’t had a whole lot to celebrate over the last year, buthe had a veritable blast here. His first ball produced a wicket – even ifit was a run-out – and after three dot balls it got even better, as YounisKhan chopped one onto his stumps. Pathan leapt up in delight, and the hugesmile that flashed across his face showed just how much he was enjoyinghis comeback.

Shoaib Akhtar, handed a 13-match ban and a fine for various disciplinary breaches, has said he is looking forward to the series against India in November, a tour he will be available for after serving out his ban.”I want to go to India as it will probably be my last tour,” Shoaib told a television channel in Lahore. “I’m 32 now and I don’t think I’ll have an opportunity to go back in four years’ time. I just want to repeat what I’ve achieved there, [like] getting Sachin [Tendulkar] out off the first ball. I want to recall those moments.”Shoaib’s ban includes the seven matches of the ICC World Twenty20, the two Tests and the first four one-dayers against South Africa. Shoaib said he was not looking to play the fifth ODI against South Africa in Karachi as he wanted to get some match practice before returning to international cricket. “I’m match-fit but I don’t know about my match-bowling”, he said.”I want to play a four-day game at least before getting back. [I’d like to] bowl about 30-odd overs in a four-day game. I don’t want to stretch myself to the limit before starting to bowl again.”Shoaib was also optimistic about his career ahead. “If I play another 80-odd ODIs in the next four years I can end with 400 wickets. That’s my goal. The same with Tests – if I play another 35-40 Tests I could get 300-plus wickets.”It would be nice to look back and say I have done something for my country and maximised my talent.”

Scorecard

The Sri Lankans’ Test preparations suffered another severe wobble when their top order collapsed for the second time in the tour match against Queensland. After folding to 5 for 45 in the first innings, the visitors were in more trouble at 4 for 55 as they tried to overhaul the 85-run deficit created by Andy Bichel’s muscular century.Ashley Noffke continued his fine match when he raced through the openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu before Michael Vandort and Thilan Samaraweera added to the tourists’ pain. They finished the day at 4 for 62, still 23 runs behind, and will rely on Mahela Jayawardene (22) and Chamara Silva (2) to ease the headaches of a side already missing Kumar Sangakkara with injury.Jayasuriya began the tour with a century on a flat surface in Adelaide, but he has struggled with the pitch’s pop at Allan Border Field and managed only three runs for the game. Noffke, who captured five victims on Friday, forced him to fend a lifting ball to Clinton Perren and he departed to similar dismissals on both occasions.The exit of Atapattu, who was lbw to Noffke for 7, was less of a concern as he has performed strongly in both games, but Michael Vandort missed an opportunity for a meaningful contribution when he went for 26 to an excellent legside take from Chris Hartley. At least the Sri Lankans have an idea of what they will face at the Gabba from Thursday after dueling with a high-quality attack.Shaun Tait’s elbow injury means Mitchell Johnson is a virtual certainty for the first Test even though he has struggled for wickets in this match. He took one on Friday and was again out-bowled by Noffke, who had 2 for 8 off six overs in his opening spell. Bichel chipped in late to dispose of Samaraweera and complete a satisfying day of personal achievement.Bichel smashed seven sixes, the most in a first-class innings for Queensland, and 11 fours as he led the Bulls from the early-morning trouble of 4 for 60 to relative comfort. Entering at No. 6 in a bowler-heavy line-up, Bichel started the day cautiously but expanded his repertoire as he got comfortable and reached three figures shortly before tea.”I was a bit lucky today, I got away with a few things, but it worked for me,” Bichel said. “I’m feeling quite comfortable with the bat in my hand and I hope that continues.”The rescue mission of 125 from 168 deliveries ended when he top edged a sweep off Malinga Bandara, who suffered the most bruises from Bichel. Taking advantage of a dropped chance at mid-off on 18 and a run-out escape, Bichel hit freely and rushed to 99 with two sixes in a Bandara over before flicking a single to midwicket for his century.A couple of mistakes in the field did not help the bowlers, who were unable to shut down a pesky lower order despite regular movement off the pitch. Farveez Maharoof was the most successful with 3 for 72 while Bandara picked up 2 for 89 and Jayasuriya claimed the final two wickets as Queensland were dismissed for 285. Maharoof was unlucky, forcing numerous plays and misses, and eventually gained a reward when he had Hartley caught behind for 8 after Noffke had fallen for 34.Bichel and Noffke, who lost a ball with a six over mid-on, combined for an 80-run stand before Johnson and Bichel added 94 in quick time to pass the Sri Lankans’ first-innings total of 210. Johnson may have struggled for impact with the ball over the opening two days but he contributed a lively half-century to complement the work of Bichel.Maharoof, who was pleased with his return, said there was a lot of work to do on the final day. “Whoever gets in just has to bat on,” he said. “You can’t do that much on this wicket, the only thing you can concentrate on is playing down the line and occupying the crease. The first day the pitch was a bit spongy, but it’s dried out a bit and it’s taking off from a length.”