BULAWAYO, 29 February 2004 — Sean Ervine removed both openers as Zimbabwe ripped through Bangladesh’s middle order batting, before rain forced an early end to play on the third day of the rain-delayed second Test yesterday. Bangladesh, 1-0 down in the two-Test series and put in to bat, limped to 88 for five in 37.1 overs. Play had started an hour before lunch under gathering storm clouds, after the first two days were wiped out without a ball being bowled because of a wet outfield.

Bangladesh openers Hannan Sarker and Shahriar Hossain survived a testing spell of fast bowling by Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak to reach the interval on 24 without loss. They took 51 balls, however, to score their first runs off the bat as Streak and medium pacer Douglas Hondo generated swing through the air and seam movement off the pitch.

The pair upped the tempo in the afternoon and had put on 64 for the first wicket before Hossain drove at a wide delivery from fast bowler Ervine and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu for 31.

Three overs later, Habibul Bashar drove at a Streak outswinger to be caught by Travis Friend in the gully for four. Bangladesh, who have lost a record 21 Tests in a row, then slipped to 73 for three two balls later when Sarkar was bowled around his legs by Ervine for 25.

Mohammad Ashraful scored one before driving at a delivery from fast bowler Friend and was caught, after a juggle, by Stuart Carlisle at first slip. Seven balls before rain halted play, Rajin Saleh edged a drive off Hondo to Friend in the gully to depart for six. At tea, Manjural Islam Rana was five not out with Mushfiqur Rahman yet to score, Ervine ending the session with figures of two for 26 in nine overs.

India Tour Opt-Out Clause Unlikely — Dalmiya

Any decision by India to call off their Test tour of Pakistan because of crowd trouble would be made only after consulting the government and players, cricket board President Jagmohan Dalmiya said in New Delhi yesterday.

Dalmiya added it was unlikely such a scenario would arise but he did not directly respond to a request by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday that India relax a condition in the memorandum of understanding regarding an aborted tour.

The PCB had wanted India to soften a clause that allowed their players to return home on security grounds, which would leave the Pakistan board unable to claim any compensation. “We’ve told the Pakistan Cricket Board the responsibility of security rests with the Pakistan government,” Dalmiya told a news conference.

“We have told them such an eventuality (crowd trouble) would not arise but, if it does, our decision will neither be emotional nor taken in a hurry. We will be consulting our government and the players. We expect the series to be played in the right spirit.”

India named Ratnakar Shetty as the national cricket team’s manager and Amrit Mathur as its media officer for next month’s tour of Pakistan, but declined to send a bowling coach.

“There was never any discussion that we needed a bowling coach for Pakistan,” Dalmiya told reporters after a meeting of the BCCI working committee here. Shetty, who is the BCCI’s joint secretary, and Mathur were part of the three-man Indian delegation that visited Pakistan earlier this month to study security and players’ arrangements at various venues.

Pakistan Secures Contracts Worth $21 million

Pakistan, meanwhile, has secured sponsorship and television deals worth $21 million for the next month’s historic cricket series against India, a top cricket official said yesterday.

“We have deals of around 1,200 million rupees with some seven million dollars coming from the Indian companies ... the sum is more than what we expected,” Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan said in a press briefing.

South Korean electronic giant Samsung, which has a huge share in India, won the title sponsorship of the series for four million dollars while Hero Honda will co-sponsor the series for $1.49 million. Dubai-based TEN Sports (Taj Entertainment Network) paid $13.3 million for the television rights to the series.