Indian cricketers face longer wait for contracts Most of the top cricketing nations already have it and the senior Indians players have been demanding it for quite a while. But the contract sytem for Indian cricketers, which was expected to be finalised by February 28, will now, in Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) president Jagmohan Dalmiya’s words, be delayed by a “month or two”. "ICC has given us some details to be included in the players' contracts - things like clauses on doping and education about anti-corruption," Dalmiya said, while explaining the reasons for the delay. "There were suggestions from team coach John Wright and physio Andrew Leipus that a clause on physical fitness of the players be also included in the terms and we are looking into that." Dalmiya also said that the BCCI has agreed to give senior players the “required rest” during what will be a hectic one year for the Indians ahead of the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. There are already plans for rotating players as part of the preparations for the mega-event. "Yes, that system will start from the one-day series (against Zimbabwe)," Ganguly told the PTI. "About 20 players will form the nucleus for the World Cup."

Confident India aiming to whitewash Zimbabwe The last time India and Zimbabwe clashed at Delhi, the Indian capital witnessed a comfortable home team win. With star batsman Andy Flower struggling to recapture the scorching form that saw him score runs by the bucketful until recently, the visitors are expected to fare even worse this time around. They are up against a buoyant Indian team who look unstoppable. With latest recruit Sanjay Bangar succeeding in the most glorious fashion, Sourav Ganguly is suddenly faced with a problem of plenty. Bangar, for one, has though sealed his place in the eleven. "He (Bangar) provides the right balance to the team. If he does well consistently, he is going to solve a lot of problems for the team," the Indian captain told pressmen after nets on Wednesday morning. VVS Laxman, on the other hand, cannot take his place in the eleven for granted after his failure at Nagpur. Virender Sehwag has been in fine form, and his being the hometown boy too means there would be a lot of pressure on the Indian think-tank to ensure that he is played in place of the struggling Hyderbad stylist. Ganguly admitted that it will be a very difficult call to make. “No one produces a 281 every other day. He (Laxman) is class player. There is absolutely no doubt about that," the Indian captain said, explaining his dilemma. With the track expected to aid spin, the Indian eleven that will finally take the field on Thursday, would be expecting to complete the series whitewash. “We will go for 2-0 win. We played the last game well and are looking to continue that effort," Ganguly said.

Towards a fitter India That the Indian team is among the least fit teams in the world is a fact which has been staring every cricket lover in the face for a long time. After John Wright’s public pronouncements on the issue at Nagpur, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally woken up to the need to address the problem. “The team will have a dedicated physical trainer in place before they leave for the West Indies in April," Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the BCCI, told pressmen. He added that the primary objective of the new fitness coach would be to ensure that the Indian team achieved peak fitness levels by the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. Adrian Le Roux,a South African fitness trainer, is reported to be the front-runner for the post.

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