Dubai, Jan. 14 : Australia's Matthew Hayden, who has just retired from representative cricket, can now look back on an international career that puts him in the top 10 Test batsmen and top 20 ODI batsmen of all-time, according to the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings.

Hayden's highest Test rating of 935 came during the Ashes series of 2002-03 and puts him level in 10th position with South Africa's Jacques Kallis and just behind four others, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and a West Indian triumvirate consisting of legends Clyde Walcott, Viv Richards and Garry Sobers.

Dubai, Jan. 13 : The best of the best in women's cricket have been named in the provisional squads for the ICC Women's World Cup 2009 to be held in Australia from
7 to 22 March.

In ICC events, participating teams are expected to submit their provisional squads 60 days prior to the start of the tournament while the teams are expected to name their final 15-player squads 30 days before the first match.

Dubai, Jan. 13: ICC General Manager - Cricket and former South Africa wicketkeeper David Richardson has congratulated the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for celebrating its Catch the Spirit week during the triangular one-day series in Mirpur.

Dubai, Jan. 13 : The South Africa team was fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during its 52-run defeat against Australia in the first Twenty20 International (T20I) in Melbourne on January 11.

Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the fines after Johan Botha's side was ruled to be one over short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration, an ICC statement to the press said.

In accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing over-rate penalties, players are fined five per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sources have alleged that fast bowler Mohammad Asif did carry a small amount of opium when he was detained at the Dubai airport last year.

The official documents of the Public Prosecutor's office maintain that Asif cannot travel to Dubai.

It may be here recalled that after playing the inaugural Indian Premier League, the fast bowler had to spent 19 days in detention for possessing banned drugs.

Documents sent by the Public Prosecutor's office in Dubai proved that Asif had been deported last June for possession of 0.24 grams of opium.

Dubai - France midfielder Franck Ribery took the wheel of the Bayern Munich team bus and knocked over two signs outside the players' hotel in Dubai - but the incident hasn't dented his standing with the German champions.

"Franck wanted to have a bit of fun," said coach Juergen Klinsmann, relieved that the prank only caused minor damage.

General manager Uli Hoeness was meanwhile left to smooth over the incident with an angry hotel management, while team-mate Tim Borowski admitted the players were slightly shaken by the unscheduled spin around the hotel on Thursday.