Cricket: India and Sri Lanka unsettled in lead-up to triangular tournament

By RICHARD BOOCK

The New Zealand cricketers are looking relatively problem-free as they prepare to start their 2001-2002 season in Sri Lanka.

The key word here is relative.

Whatever concerns the side might have over the fitness of Dion Nash or the apparent lack of match practice are starting to pale into insignificance compared with the problems facing hosts Sri Lanka and India - just days out from the opening match of the one-day tournament.

India are under pressure after a surprise loss to the West Indies in the final of the triangular tournament in Zimbabwe.

They have lost star batsman Sachin Tendulkar with a foot injury and have had to place captain Sourav Ganguly under heavy police guard after kidnapping threats from an extremist militant group.

Ganguly has reportedly been placed under "category Z" security.

On arriving at Calcutta, he was surrounded by plainclothes policemen, whisked from the airport under armed escort and taken to his family home, which was patrolled by carbine-toting security forces.

Tendulkar, one of the most punishing one-day international batsmen in the world, was the man-of-the-series in Zimbabwe, but has been forced to withdraw from the Sri Lanka tournament because of a worsening foot complaint, leaving India slightly more vulnerable than usual.

The Indians have made three changes to the one-day squad who competed in Zimbabwe.

Left-handed batsman Amay Khurasiya has been recalled to replace Tendulkar, and Delhi left-arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi and batsman Yuvraj Singh come in for Harvinder Singh and Dinesh Mongia.

Meanwhile, hosts Sri Lanka have run into a king-size problem after their sports minister apparently took exception to the line-up selected for the tournament, and refused to ratify the combination.

Sri Lankan Sports Minister Lakshmann Kiriella reportedly questioned the omission of Thilan Samaraweera from the squad.

He was unhappy that the off-spinner had not been given a chance after impressive performances against Pakistan A.

While seeking the official sanction of the Sports Ministry is normal practice in Sri Lankan cricket, the rejection or questioning of the squad at Government level is not, although there is precedent for Kiriella's actions.

In 1994, the Sports Minister was required to mediate in a dispute over the omission of Aravinda de Silva for a Sharjah tournament after he failed a fitness test.

Whatever happens on that front, the New Zealand squad are fairly settled in comparison.

This is despite question marks hovering over the top-order batting, the seam bowling and the problems associated with starting an international tournament with only minimal match practice.

New Zealand, who will play at least six matches in the tournament and possibly the final as well, will square off against Sri Lanka in the opening game of the tournament on Wednesday.