Sydney, Dec. 4 : Everyone knows that Australian captain Ricky Ponting has been Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh’s bunny in almost all the series that have been contested between the two countries since 2001, and if Ponting does go through with his `horses for course” strategy, he would probably have to bar himself from facing the Indians anywhere on the cricket field.

At least, that is what former Australian fast bowler Damien Fleming thinks. Fleming told the Sydney Morning Herald that in cases where a horses for courses policy has been followed in the past, it has always been the bowlers, rather than the batters, who have been made the whipping boys.

Johannesburg, Dec. 4 : Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola has said that the controversial selection policy on coloured players is set to be scrapped in three years after the resounding success within the national side, which now fields top performing non-white players ranked among the world''s best.

Plans have been made to continue the "target transformation policy" - often referred to as a "quota system" - for the next three years before discarding it for merit-based selection.

"The goal is to get merit-based selection at all levels of cricket," Majola told the Sydney Morning Herald last night.

Lahore, Dec. 4 : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that if the England cricket team resumes its tour of India, it will send out a ‘positive signal for cricket in the subcontinent.

PCB Chief Operating Officer Salim Altaf told reporters here on Wednesday that it would also clear the path for the Indian team’s tour of Pakistan in January and February.

Lahore, Dec. 4 : The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will meet in Colombo on Friday to discuss the impact of the Mumbai terror attacks, and the consequences for subcontinent cricket.

Melbourne, Dec. 4 : Top cricketers of Australia have said that they are ready to take on their Cricket Australia bosses over the issue of more pay and wanting less public exposure.

On the pay front, international and state players currently share in a quarter of all revenue, with Cricket Australia recording a total revenue of more than 146 million dollars in
2007-08, up 26 million dollars from a year earlier.

London, Dec. 4 : England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen has been able to persuade key all-rounder Andrew Flintoff to undertake the tour of India in spite of fears in the minds of players following last week’s terror attacks in Mumbai.

According to The Sun, Pietersen talked Flintoff into ignoring his safety concerns and agreeing in principle to appear in the two-Test series that begins from December 11.

Fast bowler Steve Harmison has also agreed to play on. Injured fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom will be the only absentee.