Cricket: Mourning Kumble withdraws

By RICHARD BOOCK in Bhubaneswar

Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble has withdrawn from tonight's one-dayer against New Zealand following the death of his father in Bangalore.

The veteran wrist-spinner evidently informed the Indian board of his unavailability on Tuesday and is expected to rejoin the team for next week's match against Australia.

Unlike the New Zealand side, who were hobnobbing at the luxury Hyatt Regency in Mumbai on Tuesday, the Indian side had a full practice at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium, and appear likely to make at least a few changes to their line-up.

The suggestion is that Kumble will be replaced by left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, who played in the warm-up game against New Zealand at Rajkot, and that the left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra will be brought back.

"The team have expressed shock over Kumble's bereavement," said coach John Wright. "Our deepest sympathies are with his family."

Wright said Kumble's absence would "probably" give Kartik an opportunity to play as "he did a very good job against the West Indies last time and has always done well, given the chance".

New Zealand, who were scheduled to arrive in Bhubaneswar, near Cuttack, yesterday afternoon, reportedly tried to arrange a practice in Mumbai but called it off when their request for a police escort to the ground was turned down.