Sanath Jayasuriya has been recalled to the Sri Lankan Test side after reversing his decision to retire. The selectors met this afternoon, after Jayasuriya indicated a willingness to make himself available for Tests again, and decided to send him to England as soon as possible.Jayasuriya met with Ashantha de Mel, Sri Lanka’s new chairman of selectors, on Wednesday morning to discuss his possible return. The decision has been ratified by the Sports Ministry and although Jayasuriya’s travel details have not been confirmed he is likely to arrive in the UK midway through the first Test.”Jayasuriya indicated a willingness to make himself available for Test cricket again and we decided to send him to England as soon as possible,” de Mel told AFP. “Sanath can’t reach England in time for the first Test. But he will have enough time to acclimatise and get himself focussed for the second and third Tests.”The muddled scenario is an unwelcome distraction for a young team that ought to be using this tour to build for the future, and their coach, Tom Moody, admitted that the uncertainty would probably be weighing on the minds of his probable openers, Michael Vandort and Upul Tharanga.”I suppose it’s something sitting in the back of your head, ‘is he coming, isn’t he coming?'”, said Moody. “But we in the senior group are encouraging the younger players to stay focused on the opportunity they’ve got. They need to concentrate on that, there’s no point looking over their shoulders.”Whether it’s a senior player coming back or a younger player knocking on door, it makes no difference,” added Moody. “The pressure’s the same, and you need to take the opportunities when they come. We’ll just concentrate on our game. England go into contest as favourites, but there’s no point worrying what their expectations are, that’s irrelevant. We’re going in to win the contest, with spirit and self-belief.”Duleep Mendis, Sri Lanka’s chief executive, denied a report appearing in that claimed that the decision to send Jayasuriya to England had already been made, saying that he first needed a letter confirming that Jayasuriya had reconsidered his decision to retire. “At this stage I have not received a letter,” Mendis said. “When I do, the selection committee will have to meet to confirm and then his selection would have to be ratified with the sports ministry. Only then could arrangements be made for him to join the England tour.”Jayasuriya retired from Test cricket in April, midway through a home series against Pakistan, when the previous selection committee, headed by Lalith Kaluperuma, communicated their plans to blood new openers during the England Test series. Jayasuriya was offered the chance of a dignified farewell Test or an unceremonious sacking.But de Mel, appointed last week, made it clear that he wanted Jayasuriya to reconsider his decision to retire: “When the selectors knew that Marvan [Atapattu] is not going to make it to England with his back problem they should have continued with Jayasuriya. He just played a county season in England last year and and is the only Sri Lankan to have scored a double hundred in England. What more credentials do you want?”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked its Indian counterparts to postpone the first match of the annual clash between India’s Ranji Trophy champions and the winners of the Quaid-e-Azam (QA) Trophy till September.The inaugural tie of this series was to be played between Uttar Pradesh and Sialkot for the Mohammad Nissar Cup from May 4 to 8 in Dharamshala but Shaharyar Khan, the PCB Chairman, wrote to the Indians asking for a postponement.Shaharyar requested the Indians on the grounds that players from Sialkot would be busy with Eurasia Cup being played in Abu Dhabi and league cricket in England and it would be better of if the match is held in September. The Indian board, naturally, had no objections to this request and have changed the schedule of the inaugural clash of the national champions.However, the change has come as good news for even the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) who would’ve even been forced to field a second-strength side. “Our players have already left for England, “Rajeev Shukla, General Secretary of UPCA said. And some would’ve been resting before the West Indies tour, so it is better that we’ve the match at the start of the next season.”The Indian Board will now decide on a date and venue at the next working committee.”Earlier we had scheduled the match at Dharamshala since the heat in May would’ve been unbearable. But now we’ll have to choose some other place,” added a BCCI official. The annual match between the two domestic champions was agreed upon after the PCB put forward this proposal to Sharad Pawar regime after they took charge last year.

The possibility that Sachin Tendulkar will join the Indian squad for the Test series against West Indies starting June 2 in Antigua has increased after yet another promising day – his fourth in a row – of training at the MRF Pace Academy in Chennai.He spent 90 minutes working out in the hotel gym and then did a series of ‘tubing’ and ‘pilates’ exercises at the Academy as Andrew Leipus, the former Indian physiotherapist, watched on.Batting in the nets for 30 minutes, Tendulkar drove, pulled and swept the bowlers who were not bowling flat-out.On Wednesday, Tendulkar had trained for four hours, batting for two 45 minute-sessions in which Lakshmipathy Balaji, the right-arm seamer seeking to regain a place in the national team himself, and other Academy bowlers bowled to him from a shortened run-up. Though he didn’t bowl, Tendulkar practiced catching – chest-high ones as well as high catches. He threw back the ball using his left hand and at times when he used his right hand, he threw it under-arm.”I am very happy about the workouts and batting practice,” Tendulkar told the Press Trust of India. “Things are looking to be falling in place.”

Dennis Lillee made a guest appearance at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane yesterday, but the former Cricket Australia bowling coach is not planning a return to regular work with the organisation. Troy Cooley invited his old mentor and team-mate to speak to the group and it was the first time Lillee had gone back to the set-up since his angry resignation from his 15-year position two years ago.The fallout still lingers after Lillee’s role with Cricket Australia was initially halved from 30 days a year to cut expenses and then disbanded. “I am helping Troy who asked me to have a look at the lads and he’s a great mate so I gratefully accepted,” Lillee said in .The paper reported that when Lillee was asked whether he hoped it would lead to a fresh relationship with Cricket Australia he said: “No”. “It’s not a matter of mending the ways, it’s that no one ever sent me a letter saying anything – the last thing I heard over the airways was that I didn’t have a job … there is a way of doing things.”After the Ashes loss last year the national-team structure was reviewed and one of the key recommendations was more specific coaches. Cooley was poached back from England, where he had a crucial influence on the 2005 result, as the Centre of Excellence’s bowling mentor and one of his early duties was to entice Lillee back for a look at the winter squad, which includes the Australia A fast men Brett Dorey, Shaun Tait and Ben Hilfenhaus.”I’m doing this for Troy and the boys, no one else,” Lillee told the . Despite James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, saying the organisation was open to Lillee “playing a role”, Lillee said he had not been approached about a possible return.Lillee also spoke about the Ashes series and said Australia’s chances of reclaiming the urn had improved with the knee injury to Simon Jones. “If they have Jones out and we have all our guys fit, then I think we could turn the tables,” he said. “I think the bowlers are going to be the key.”With Glenn McGrath planning a comeback at the Champions Trophy in October, Lillee said Australia’s attack leader of the past decade should step back into his old role. However, he said it was important for McGrath to be properly prepared and suggested a county stint in England.”The way he performs with work under his belt seems to make it logical he would like to get in a lot of good solid work before the series starts,” Lillee told the . “Quite frankly, if you’re Brett you’d be quite happy to bowl at the other end to the great man.”

Percy Sonn, the ICC’s president, has cancelled the executive board meeting to brief the directors about the events of the last week which was scheduled for next weekend. Sonn has spoken to the those concerned in the past few days and is satisfied that they understand the process sufficiently.”The original intention was to seek legal advice concerning the executive board’s powers but I do not believe it is necessary to obtain that advice,” Sonn said in a statement on Sunday. “We have processes in place to deal with Code of Conduct matters and we should not seek to interfere with it.”There has been much speculation over the past few days about whether the executive board has the power to overturn a properly laid charge by the umpires,” he continued. “That speculation would only be bound to intensify ahead of the weekend and so by canceling the meeting it will allow everyone to get off that particular topic and focus on the cricket to be played this week instead.”Reacting to the news Shaharyar Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, said: “We understand the need for the hearing to go ahead for the reasons explained by the ICC president Mr Sonn. In the meantime, we are delighted at the chance to get back to playing cricket, starting with this afternoon’s Twenty20 against England and with five one-day internationals to follow.”The date for Inzamam-ul-Haq’s hearing will be confirmed in due course but it is likely to be in the second half of September.

The Champions Trophy was the brainchild of Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was ICC president in the late 1990s. It had a dual aim of spreading the game to emerging nations and raising money for the ICC in between World Cups, thus enabling it to pump more cash into those fledgling cricket countries.The first tournament, labelled as a mini World Cup, was staged in Dhaka in October 1998 and raised more than £10 million. The second, in Nairobi, was a commercial success although the crowds stayed away. By the time the 2002 event was held – and there was disquiet as it was so close to the World Cup five months later – the idea of playing in developing nations had been ditched (in fairness, options had already been exhausted) and as revenue-generation was the main raison d’etre, it needed to be in one of the main countries as this allowed the format to be expanded.In 2004 the jamboree moved to England and it became clear the format of group games led to too many meaningless games. By the time the 2006 tournament in India came into view, the event was under fire from some quarters, and at one time there were even hints that India might decline to take part in 2008. They did not, but against the rapid growth of Twenty20, the Champions Trophy grew more unloved, other than by the money men, with each passing event.1998-99 Bangladesh
Winners: South Africa
Runners-up: West Indies
No. Countries 9
All matches were played at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka, but the slow and low pitches produced some poor cricket. Severe flooding threatened to cause the whole show to be moved to India, and it only got the go-ahead at the 11th hour. As it was, Dhaka was the third choice after Disneyworld (Florida) and Sharjah. Some sides were less than enthusiastic about the whole venture – England got dispensation to send a virtual 2nd XI – but that was more than compensated for by massive crowds which flocked to games, even though Bangladesh weren’t invited to their own party. The knock-out format, with eight matches compressed into nine days, fuelled the locals’ excitement. South Africa won by beating West Indies in the final, although Wisden noted that “it was thus a tournament in which the winning really was less important than the taking part.” However, not one journalist from either finalist attended the match.2000-01 Kenya
Winners: New Zealand
Runners-up: India
No. Countries 11
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
The second event included Bangladesh – on the verge of joining the Test-playing countries – and hosts Kenya. The format remained a straight knock-out – and the Nairobi Gymkhana, which had received a million-dollar refurbishment ahead of the event, hosted all games. But unlike Dhaka, local interest was poor and crowds were dismal. “The only sadness was the lack of local interest, and the suggestions of match-fixing that subsequently surfaced in the Anti-Corruption Unit’s report to the ICC,” reported Wisden. “While India’s matches attracted decent numbers of ex-pats, indigenous Kenyans were noticeable by their absence throughout. Critics blamed high ticket prices (up to £20) and excessive bureaucracy. One thing was certain: the tournament should have done more to promote cricket in East Africa.” New Zealand surprisingly beat India in the final, thanks to Chris Cairns’s 102, but it was a one-off success – their next 13 ODIs produced 11 defeats and just one win.2002-03 Sri Lanka
Winners: India/Sri Lanka
No. Countries 12
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
The proximity of the World Cup, less than five months later, poor organisation and a revised format that meant most group matches were all but pointless, took the sheen off the event, and more surprisingly the public stayed away despite low ticket prices. The pitches were slow and low – which was anything but good preparation for South Africa – and with the monsoon looming, the heat and humidity were intense. The ICC also decided to use the tournament to experiment with technology (Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik became the first victim of an lbw decision deferred to the third umpire). While it was useful for lbws (where the only referral was whether the ball pitched outside leg stump) it proved almost useless for disputed catches. The ICC abandoned the trial soon after. Sri Lanka and India only sent full-strength sides after contract disputes were settled at the last minute, but Sri Lanka made it to the final after a popular win over an unpopular Australia. However, they shared the trophy with India when both attempts to finish the final were washed out by tropical storms. “In the end, the two false starts summed up the tournament,” Wisden concluded. “Half-baked and inconclusive.”2004 England
Winners: West Indies
Runners-up: England
No. Countries 12
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
The growing weariness with the event (Wisden described it as “the tournament that veers between being the second most important in world cricket and a ludicrous waste of time”) was unchecked with it being held so late in season that cricket was all but forgotten by the media. The continuation with the format that had been so flawed in Sri Lanka did not help, and the inclusion of the USA – a ragbag of past-its and never-weres – just added to the feeling that this was a pointless exercise. Apart from the final and India’s matches, attendances were again dire. “In keeping with the strained relations between the ICC and the hosts, the ECB, recriminations were muted but inevitable,” wrote Matthew Engel. “It is not easy to apportion blame precisely for this fiasco, but between them the two governing bodies constituted a deadly combination.” Those spectators not put off by high ticket prices, early starts and autumn weather experienced the ICC’s ambush-marketing policing in its full glory as drinks and t-shirts were confiscated. The ridiculous nature of the corporate stranglehold was underlined by the fact that punters could not buy England shirts at club shops because their sponsors – Vodafone – were rivals of one of the official “partners”. The final, which witnessed a remarkable comeback by West Indies to defeat England in almost pitch darkness, offered scant consolation after such a poor competition. “The main memories will be of cold and wet, of organisational disasters,” Wisden concluded, “and of the general sense of a doomed competition that did cricket far more harm than good, all of which was obvious and avoidable.”2006-07 India
Winners: Australia
Runners-up: West Indies
No. Countries 10
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
The fifth edition, held five months before the World Cup, will be best remembered for Australia’s eventual capturing of the one piece of silverware that had previously eluded them. High-priced tickets kept Indian fans away, Diwali season was also a distraction. Un-subcontinental pitches meant there was little cheer for the hosts as well as other teams from the subcontinent. With the termination of the monsoons just prior to the tournament, the pitches had not settled, and provided bounce and lateral movement – something the Australian bowlers, notably Nathan Bracken, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson – utilised to the hilt. In a way, the pitches provided more even contests between the bat and ball, as opposed to the batsman v batsman game that ODIs in India were threatening to become. “The one that New Zealand and South Africa played on in Mumbai was a real shocker, with the top coming off at the start of the second innings,” noted . Though USA and Kenya did not feature from the previous tournament, a qualifying round meant the number of matches increased from 15 to 21. The steady performances of Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and West Indies took them to the semi-finals. Events in the lead-up to the final between Australia and West Indies were forgettable at best. “The pitch problems jolted Raj Singh Dungarpur, the chairman of the Cricket Club of India, which owns the ground, so much that he offered to move the final to another venue,” wrote. “The organisers were having none of that, though, and Andy Atkinson, the ICC’s pitches consultant, was drafted in: he used polyvinyl acetate, an industrial adhesive, to bind the pitch together.” Nonetheless, Australia’s took the crown in style, winning by eight wickets under the D/L method. “Damien Martyn, who had batted so beautifully in the victories over England and India, once again played his part with a classy unbeaten 47, but it was Watson who ensured that the reserve day would not be needed as Australia’s travelling support celebrated yet another triumph.” A perfect shot in the arm before the Ashes, which they would go on to win 5-0.2009-10 South Africa
Winners: Australia
Runners-up: New Zealand
No. Countries 10
Cricinfo site
Originally intended to be played in Pakistan in September 2008 but with several countries expressing major concerns over security there, the ICC was forced to postpone the tournament and then reschedule it a year later in South Africa.While there were few genuinely nail-biting games, the quality of cricket was high and the consensus was that it had helped stem, if not reverse, the slide in the competition’s credibility, although crowds were healthy only at select games; South Africa’s games, the Pakistan-India tie and the Pakistan semi-final.Australia successfully defended their title, beating New Zealand with something to spare in the final; New Zealand had upset the form book by defeating Pakistan in the semi-finals, aided by poor umpiring and dropped catches.2013 England
Winners: India
Runners-up: England
No. Countries 8

For some people, it has never been in sharper focus that cricket is aone-ball game. Sourav Ganguly has one Challenger Trophy to create the kindof sensation and spectacle that will force a change in fortunes and launch him back into the Indian one-day team. It’s still a long shot, butthe middle-order is far from settled – and performances in the last twoone-day series have left the door ajar – though not quite wide open. There is immense pressure that Ganguly step on to the field as the day before the tournament indicated.Although his team play their first match only on Monday, he was the firstplayer to arrive for practice on Saturday. As he walked out the smallclusters of onlookers gathered in the stands, the net bowlers, and even someof the ground staff broke into spontaneous applause and shouts cheeringhim. He settled down and had a long net, and looked confident enough,playing some of his trademark lofted drives. A few balls did go off thebat, but that tends to happen when you bat for 45 minutes in the nets asGanguly did.The second man to whom this Challenger Series for the NKP Salve Trophyassumes far bigger proportions than just any domestic one-day tournamentis Zaheer Khan. After being initially dropped from the team, reportedly due to his attitude, he forced his way back for thePakistan tour with a strong showing in domestic cricket. Now, he’s donethe same, picking up 78 wickets from 16 matches for Worcestershire in theCounty Championships.To a lesser degree the tournament is also significant for Ashish Nehra,Lakshmipathy Balaji and Hemang Badani. With Irfan Pathan struggling toregain his form of old, there’s bound to be a few people looking closelyat the fast-bowling options at hand, and if they’re fully fit, bothBalaji, with his ability to swing the ball, and Nehra, with his bounce andsharpish pace, could be welcome additions to the side. Badani has been outof the side now for ages, but the comeback of Dinesh Mongia is enough toraise hopes of one more shot at the big league.What gives the tournament the extra edge is the fact that almost allmembers of the Mohammad Kaif-led India Green, believe they should beplaying for India, and most have done so at various junctures. It is thisteam that will give India Blue, the main team, a serious run for itsmoney. With a batting line-up that includes Ganguly, VVS Laxman andBadani, Parthiv Patel behind the stumps, and Nehra and Balaji in thebowling side of things, they could easily pull off an upset.For the members of the Red team, led by Y Venugopala Rao, the outing is achance to signal that they too are around. There are a number of cricketerswho are being spoken of with regard by people in the know, and theseinclude Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai batsman, TP Singh from Railways, C Raghuof Karnataka, who bats in the middle-order and bowls offbreaks, and SBadrinath, an energetic batsman and fielder.There has been the odd shower in the past few days, but that is notunusual for the time of the year. The MA Chidambaram Stadium, however, isin good condition to deal with the rain, if it’s only a matter of apassing shower. The outfield has been redone specifically with the aim ofimproving drainage, and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association officials wereconfident that, barring a deluge, the tournament should progress withoutmajor disruption. If anything, the heat will be a factor, which makes bothplaying in the first half, in the baking heat, and under lights indraining humidity, a tough ask.

4 – The number of times England have won scoring 270 or more batting second in an ODI174 – The second-wicket partnership between Gayle and Dwayne Bravo. It’s the second-highest for that wicket for West Indies against England – Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan had added 187 at Lord’s in 200451 – Chris Gayle’s batting average in ODIs against England. This was his second century against them in 13 games.19.06 – Gayle’s ODI bowling average against England. In 13 games he has taken 18 wickets73 – The number of runs West Indies scored in their last ten overs, despite having nine wickets in hand6 – The number of centuries Gayle has scored in ODIs that West Indies have lost. Only Sachin Tendulkar – with 11 such knocks – has made more hundreds in defeats, while Marcus Trescothick has six as well50 – The score made by both England openers. It’s the first time in the history of ODIs that both openers from a team have scored exactly 50148 – The number of runs Kevin Pietersen had scored in his eight previous ODI innings before this match

What on earth is Michael Vaughan doing in this England team? That was the question that everyone was asking at the end of an inconclusive day at the WACA, but it was one that Vaughan himself was not permitted to answer. England’s injured captain emerged unscathed (we believe) from his first day in the team since the tour of India in February, and even took charge for a two-over spell when Andrew Strauss had to leave the field. But to what end, no-one was quite able to fathom.Instead, after requests for a post-match interview were turned down by the ECB, it was left to Sajid Mahmood to speak on Vaughan’s behalf. “He’s still vocal, still his usual self. It’s good to have him back,” said Mahmood, who produced a decent but inconclusive spell of 2 for 61 and spent most of his time fielding various enquiries about the form and fitness of a man he has never played under in Test cricket.It’s becoming a recurring theme on this trip, because Vaughan’s presence in Australia is veering towards the supernatural. He’s the captain without a voice, the minister without portfolio, the familiar face among the anonymous rookies of the ECB Academy. And the harder the ECB attempt to play down his presence, the more they stir their own pot of innuendo.And so, we ask again, what on earth is Vaughan doing in this match? It’s a reasonable question and it deserved a reasonable answer, especially given Duncan Fletcher’s suggestion to the BBC yesterday. “There’s not enough cricket between now and the third, fourth and fifth Tests,” said Fletcher, “especially cricket where he has to stay in the field for a long time, probably two days standing on that leg, and for a long innings. So until he can do that and he’s confident in his knee we won’t consider Michael Vaughan.”So here instead, courtesy of the ECB, is Mahmood’s take on the situation: “He was a huge success in the Ashes last year, and to have him back in the field was great for the lads.” So, given that all we are can to do is speculate, Vaughan must be out there geeing up a dispirited side and getting them back on track for the last three Tests. I bet that’ll do wonders for Andrew Flintoff’s sapping morale. After all, leading by inspiration is meant to be his one true talent as a captain.Make no mistake, Vaughan deserves sympathy for his plight and admiration for his refusal to bow to what has long seemed the inevitable. Like Jonny Wilkinson, his rise and fall is a tale lifted straight from a Greek tragedy – the glory of his finest hour giving way instantly to pain, suffering and recriminations. But there is a time and a place for such a public show of single-mindedness, and right here, right now – on the eve of England’s make-or-break moment in an Ashes series – is emphatically neither.Before the tour began, those in the know – most of whom are in and around the press box and the England camp – were scoffing at the prospect of Vaughan making an Ashes comeback. Many in fact questioned whether he would ever be seen on a cricket field again. Now, however, who knows what we are to believe. England have already shown themselves to be obsessively fixated with the team of 2005. Is it really so improbable that Vaughan is about to be parachuted into the fray?

After all, the damage has already been done on this trip. Mahmood, Chris Read and Monty Panesar were whipped out of a winning side and left to simmer on the sidelines, smarting at such a public show of no-confidence from an administration that remains perversely loyal to its non-playing captain. “It’s been frustrating,” admitted Mahmood today, just as Panesar admitted to Cricinfo on Thursday and Read to anyone within earshot. Panesar’s display today was remarkable – it was skill blended with relief blended with fury when he snatched his jumper back after an appeal was turned down. His desperation to impress seemed to dent some of his unbridled love for the game. And that is as sad as it is wrong.Vaughan is not a quitter. That much is abundantly clear, and so there is a perverse logic in having him hanging around so close to this Ashes squad, so close to their final, final, chance. But that’s all it is. Perverse. In days gone by, before he lost faith in the men at his disposal, Fletcher would have backed his captain to the hilt – publicly, privately, and everywhere in between. And by captain, I mean Flintoff, who had to reiterate last week that he had been put in charge for all five Tests, and not Vaughan. Just in case Fletcher has forgotten.Instead, Fletcher has thrown a hospital pass to his active captain by blaming him, through a mysterious source at The Daily Mail, for the selection disasters at Brisbane and Adelaide. Rumours, rumours. But now, what’s this we read today? ” It was the right choice to make [Freddie] captain and I’m not sure if he’s getting the side he wants,” said a certain Shane Warne in his Times column today.Shane Who? Amid all the bickering, the struggle for the Ashes seems to have been forgotten. But at least we now know that Mahmood “put the ball in good areas” and “felt in good rhythm in the nets”. All hope is not yet lost.

Scorecard
Bangladesh A sneaked a one-wicket win over Zimbabwe at Mirpur, but only thanks to a last-wicket stand between Mohammad Shahzada and Enamul Haque jnr. Coming together with the score on 109 for 9 – still nine runs short- the pair calmly guided their team home in a match in which no batsman ever came to terms with a pitch criticised for its uneven bounce.Zimbabwe had seemed to be heading to defeat when Bangladesh A, who resumed on 29 for 1, progressed to 63 for 1 in the first half hour. However, with only 45 runs needed, the innings fell apart as eight wickets went down for 46 runs, with Zimbabwe’s bowlers finally showing a resolve which had been missing among their batsmen.Anthony Ireland took 3 for 38 – taking his match haul to 10 for 74 – while Graeme Cremer chipped in with 3 for 25 as in the space of 27 overs Zimbabwe went from certain defeat to likely victory. But Shahzada and Haque ensured that Bangladesh A had the final say in a low-scoring contestThe closeness of the finish could not mask the humiliating nature of the defeat for Zimbabwe, twice dismissed for under 150 in the match. Sean Williams, who struggled manfully with the bat, and Ireland were the only men to emerge with any credit in a lacklustre performance from a team that has lost 12 ODIs in a row.The two sides meet again in a four-day match starting at the same venue on Friday. It represents the last chance for Zimbabwe to salvage anything from a tour which has seen almost all the signs that they might have turned the corner cruelly crushed.