Abu Dhabi, Nov 13 : Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar missed the first one-day match against the West Indies here after pulling his left calf muscle during a practice session.

Team manager Yawar Saeed said that the latest setback in the 34-year-old bowler’s injury-prone career was not serious.

“We are not treating it as an injury, it’s just a calf muscle pull and we will reassess his injury on Wednesday and then on Thursday before deciding when he can take the field,” said Saeed.

Sydney, Nov. 13 : The New Zealand cricket team see captain Ricky Ponting as the key to their chances of beating Australia in the two-Test series that gets underway from tomorrow.

New Zealand paceman Chris Martin, who will lead a likely four-pronged pace attack on the hard and fast Brisbane surface, said Ponting''s wicket remained the key for the tourists.

Hobart (Tasmania), Nov. 13 : The Tasmanian Parliament is debating Ricky Ponting''s captaincy of the Australian cricket team.

Sports Minister Michelle O''Byrne has put a notice of motion to the house regarding the leadership qualities of the Apple Isle''s favourite son, who is under fire for his handling of the losing Test series in India.

London, Nov. 13 : Believe it or not, former England football star Paul Gascoigne is set for a shock comeback, playing in next season’s FA Cup.

Gazza, 41, is being lined up to appear in a team made up entirely of former Cup winners. He will join a host of former aces in a non-league side that will be entered for the game’s most coveted trophy.

Sydney, Nov. 13: Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has received strong backing from Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland over the over rate debacle in the fourth Test against India.

Speaking at the launch of Ponting''''s Captain''''s Diary 2008, Sutherland backed Ponting''''s decision to bowl spinners and part-timers in a bid to reel back a slow over rate when wickets were needed to salvage the series, ultimately lost 2-0.

Sydney, Nov. 13: Though it is ranked seventh among Test-playing nations, New Zealand has said that it has the firepower to knock the Australian top order over.

Black Caps pacer Chris Martin was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying that Australia were finally beatable without Warne and McGrath, citing the side''s inability to dismiss India in the failed Test series.

He said that his side is planning a similar bowling strategy to that used effectively by Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan to rattle the top order.