Karachi, Jan. 04 : As Sri Lanka continues to delay the announcement of the tour itinerary, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has once again assured that security will not be a problem during the home series against the Lankans .

"VVIP security arrangements will be made for the Sri Lankan team that is expected to play two Tests, three One-day Internationals and a twenty20 game during the tour of Pakistan," The News quoted a PCB official, as saying.

Karachi, Jan. 4 : The National Stadium of Karachi (NSK) could soon be getting a major face lift which would put the stadium on the list of some of the world's classiest cricket arenas, such as Lord's and the Melbourne Cricket Stadium (MCG).

The Director General of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Javed Miandad, with a dream to change the face of the National Stadium (NSK), has ordered renovation work at the NSK.

"My dream is to transform the National Stadium into a cricket facility that is second to none. National Stadium is one of our major Test centres and I want it to look as good as Lord's or the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)," The News quoted Miandad, as saying.

Sydney, Jan 4 : Cricket Australia's chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch has asked critics to give selectors a chance to arrest the team's slump.

Hilditch made no excuses for recent series defeats by India and South Africa, but says the selectors intend to return the team to golden days, the Herald Sun reported.

"We are paid to pick players and teams on our experience, to get the right mix for a coming game, series, tour and the future. We just have to back our own ability at all times," Hilditch said.

Sydney, Jan 4 : Commenting on Australia's cricketing woes after series' losses to India and South Africa, former New Zealand cricketer Craig McMillan has said that Ricky Ponting's captaincy is suffering from "the mediocrity around him."

Writing a column for the Sunday News, McMillan said: "Their captain Ricky Ponting is a great batsman and one of the best to ever play Test cricket. But when he was captaining the side with Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath in it, he was on autopilot."

London, Jan 4  Ashley Giles should be made stand-in England coach in the West Indies while a permanent successor of Peter Moores is head hunted, according to a leading UK daily.

Assuming that Managing Director of England Cricket Board Morris cannot reconcile skipper Kevin Pietersen and coach Moores, the idea is gaining ground that Ashley Giles should take the team to the Caribbean as the temporary or emergency coach, The Telegraph reported.

Giles, an Ashes winner, England selector, a member of the last England team to win in the West Indies, and someone who has had a lengthy playing relationship with Pietersen.

He has almost everything except the experience of coaching, limited as he has been to one season in charge of Warwickshire.

Melbourne, Jan 4 : Former Test selector John Benaud has called for an overhaul of Australia's selection panel, and said that legend Shane Warne would be the ideal candidate to lead a new era.

Criticising the current selection panel, Benaud labelled the national selectors "too conservative" and believes Andrew Hilditch, Jamie Cox or David Boon must be sacked.

The selection quartet of Hilditch, Cox, Boon and Merv Hughes has been pilloried in the wake of South Africa's series win, with the panel particularly under fire for selecting an injured Andrew Symonds for the Boxing Day Test, the Daily Telegraph reported.