Cape Town (South Africa), Apr. 16 : Former Australian leg spinner and captain of the IPL franchisee Rajasthan Royals, Shane Warne, has praised the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for selecting former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower as the England cricket team director.

"England have taken a step in the right direction by appointing Andy Flower, and I think the new job title as team director is the right one," Warne wrote in The Times newspaper.

Cape Town (South Africa), Apr. 16 : South African vice-captain Jacques Kallis, who was omitted from the first Twenty20 World Cup on home soil nearly two years ago, may be a shock inclusion in the South African squad for the second Twenty20 World Cup to be held in England in June.

There are now strong rumours that he may make the Proteas’ squad of 15 for the tournament in England, reports the Die Burger newspaper.

In the past 24 months, Kallis has played in only two of the Proteas’ 14 Twenty20 games and in the past year he was only involved in one of South Africa’s six Twenty20 games.

Mvezo, South Africa  - When Mandla Mandela arrived in the home village of his grandfather Nelson 18 months ago to take up the position of "nkosi" (traditional leader), the locals just laughed - and wagered he'd be gone by the next day.

Instead he's now a candidate for the country's national parliament, following in his famous grandfather's illustrious footsteps.

Draped in a lion skin, Mandla - a 35-year-old politics graduate - had been solemnly installed as chief of the Tembu clan at Mvezo, Mandela's homestead in the Eastern Cape, six months beforehand.

Johannesburg, Apr. 15 : South Africa have backed off-spinner Johan Botha as a key player in their Twenty20 World Cup plans despite him being placed under the scanner for suspect action.

The International Cricket Council says Botha, who was also reported following the Sydney Test of January 2006, has been cited following Monday''s fourth one-day international against Australia in Port Elizabeth.

Cape Town (South Africa), Apr. 15 : Bangalore Royal Challengers coach Ray Jennings has said that he is confident that England batsman Kevin Pietersen will show his class as the skipper of the side during the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and "doesn''t care a damn” about the star batsman’s controversial reign as England captain.

Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif will be a part of the second season of the T20 extravgtanza, not as a player but only as a spectator!

"Asif will be going to South Africa to watch a few matches of the IPL," said the bowler's management company.

Asif, who already left for London on Tuesday for a two-week stint, will fly to South Africa to watch a few IPL games.

In IPL first season Asif had played for Delhi Daredevils. However, he was banned by the IPL after he tested positive for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone.