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Kevin Pietersen has warned the hectic international cricket schedule and theprospect of impending fatherhood could cut short his England career.The 26-year old batsman is due to wed his pop star fiancée Jessica Taylor inDecember. But before then he is likely, if fit, to play in 11 Tests, the Twenty20World Cup in his native South Africa and several ODIs.So congested is England’s fixture list that they are due to fly to South Africa the dayafter their seventh ODI against India in September. “There is a lot of cricket being played these days and time will tell how fatherhood changes my attitude,” Pietersen, who would like to start a family, told July’s edition of the magazine.”I don’t like spending time away from my family, I don’t like it at all, especiallysince I met Jessica. All these future tours that just get chucked in here andthere, they don’t make me happy.”There are so many exciting things to look forward to in life other than cricketand I’ve changed a heck of a lot both as a person and a player.”However, he insisted he still had ambitions as a cricketer. “I’ve always said I want to be a great player – the best I can possibly be – and if that means I end up as one of the best players around then that’s just how it is.”A lot of people have criticised me for getting ahead of myself but it’s just my ambition. That’s the way I’ve been brought up, to challenge myself.”Pietersen, who scored a Test-best 226 in the second Test against West Indies at Headingley last month, is set to play in the the fourth and final Test of the series starting at Chester-le-Street on Friday.

ScorecardNamibia are facing a crushing defeat at the hands of Ireland despite an incredible bowling performance from Ian van Zyl, who finished with the stunning figures of 8 for 34. However, Trent Johnston continued his outstanding match with a vital 71 as Ireland built a lead of 78 before blowing away the Namibia top order for the second in the match.van Zyl had brought Namibia back into contention with four more wickets before Ireland edged into the lead. He removed Eoin Morgan early and at 87 for 7 equal first innings were on the cards. But Johnston found able support from the No. 10 Paul Mooney and the pair added 58 priceless runs.Johnston was ninth out after a 121-ball innings as van Zyl wrapped up proceedings with two in two balls. van Zyl’s previous record of two wickets in two matches put this performance into context.Namibia, though, couldn’t respond to his heroics as their top order floundered against the Ireland seamers. Johnston grabbed another brace, to add to his first inning six-wicket haul, while Mooney carried on his productive day with two of his own.The match was hurtling towards a conclusion, but Kola Burger brought out the long handle for the second time in the game, smashing five sixes in his 21-ball cameo. His biffing carried Namibia into a slender lead, but if Ireland can avoid poor weather on the final day they should have few problems wrapping up the win.

Sri Lanka could pose a major threat to Australia’s supremacy in international cricket after picking Tom Moody as their new national coach, says skipper Marvan Atapattu.Sri Lanka are second behind Australia in the one-day rankings, but Atapattu hopes his team will now be able to threaten their position and put up a strong performance in the 2007 World Cup under Moody.”We are now No. 2 on the ICC’s one-day rankings. We need to go one notch up to get to the pinnacle and hope we’ll be able to achieve that with the new coach,” Atapattu told AFP on Tuesday. “He [Moody] has been part of a great team and has been highly regarded as a coach. I hope with his fresh ideas we’ll be able to achieve a higher level of consistency.”Moody, 39, who played significant roles as an allrounder in Australia’s World Cup triumphs in 1987 and 1999, was named as Sri Lanka’s new coach last week. Moody immediately set his sights on the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, saying his aim would be to make Sri Lanka more competitive, especially away from home.”Our main focus obviously will be on the World Cup,” Moody said last week. “I’d like to think that the journey between now and 2007 is a process towards a successful campaign in the West Indies. “We as a team should achieve one of the top three positions in Test standings and in order to get there we need to improve on our form at home and away. That will be one of my main areas of concern.”Moody, who played eight Tests and 76 one-dayers, will arrive here next month to prepare Sri Lanka for two home Test matches against the West Indies in July and then a triangular one-day series also featuring India.Chaminda Vaas echoed Atapattu’s sentiments, saying Moody’s presence will make the team stronger. “I appreciate his desire to succeed,” said Vaas. “He’s very young and aware of the requirements of the modern game. He knows how to get the best out of players. I’m sure he’ll enjoy his stint with the Sri Lankan players who will benefit from him a lot. What I like most about him is his preparation ahead of a game. I’ve been part of the Worcestershire dressing-room for a couple of months and I feel he’s a coach with a difference who will have an impact on the Sri Lankan side.”Vaas is currently playing county cricket for Worcestershire, where Moody is director of cricket, but with a “getaway” clause which will make him free to take on the new job. Moody was also in the running to coach India before losing out to his compatriot Greg Chappell.

Western Province 217 and 62 for 1 lead KwaZulu-Natal 187 (H Amla 78*, Henderson 3-27) by 92 runs
Scorecard
Western Province reclaimed the initiative in the SuperSportSeries final at Newlands, as KwaZulu-Natal were bowled out for a mere 187 in their first innings. By the close of the second day, WP had extended their lead to 92, with nine wickets still standing.Natal had resumed on 33 for 1, and found the going just as hard as their opponents had on the first day. The two Amla brothers proved how difficult it was, scoring just 14 runs in a partnership that lasted for 14.1 overs.On a bowler-friendly pitch, Hashim Amla showed a lot of patience to held the innings together with an unbeaten 78, while Claude Henderson, in his last first-class match in South Africa, took 3 for 27 and was ably assisted by all the Province bowlers.Bad light once again caused an early finish, although with 21 wickets in two days, one wonders if this final will last the full five days.

PERTH, Feb 28 AAP – New South Wales’ ambitions of making the Pura Cup cricket final lifted dramatically today as it moved towards outright points over Western Australia at the WACA Ground.WA was still in deep trouble at 3-216 in its second innings, despite a spirited unbeaten fourth wicket stand of 140 between Chris Rogers (89) and Marcus North (69).The Warriors still needed another 92 runs to make the Blues bat again at the end of the second day.And with second-placed Victoria struggling against Queensland at the Gabba, the Blues are on track to be equal points with the Bushrangers heading into the final round.The star-studded Blues are peaking at the business end of the season and look in ominous shape after securing the ING Cup trophy last Sunday.NSW host Queensland next week while Victoria play the Warriors at the MCG in what looks likely to decide the Bulls’ opponents for the final starting March 14.The Blues totally outclassed WA with some tight bowling and outstanding catching today while some undisciplined batting from the home side only aided the visitors’ cause.Resuming at 3-353, Steve Waugh closed the Blues’ first dig at 8(dec)-418 before dismissing the home team for a paltry 110.WA’s opening reply started disastrously, slumping to 3-28 at lunch after wicketkeeper Brad Haddin’s spectacular catch to dismiss Murray Goodwin (2) and captain Justin Langer’s (22) reckless stroke against burly Don Nash.The Test opener had hit a four over point the previous delivery and was attempting the same shot which flew into the safe hands of Mark Waugh in slips in the final ball of the session.Steve Waugh’s decision to bring on rarely-used medium pacer Greg Mail (4-18) proved an inspired one.The 28-year-old right-armer further stamped his mark on the match, backing up his 90 in the first innings with a four-wicket haul from just 6.1 overs.Mail had only bowled 15 overs in 26 first class outings before today, taking just two wickets for 51 runs.However his gentle out-swingers troubled WA after Stuart Clark (3-38) and Nash (2-28) had ripped through the top order.Forced to follow-on, Langer (33) came out in a hurry with his first seven scoring shots all boundaries in the second innings.But the left-hander again fell to NSW left-armer Doug Bollinger (2-36), who Waugh hinted before the match had the wood on the 59-Test veteran.Murray Goodwin (4) exited soon after but not before swinging his bat in disgust at his stumps after playing on to a Nash (1-8) delivery.ACB-contracted batsman Michael Hussey (12) continued a disappointing summer by feathering a catch down the leg side to Haddin for Bollinger’s second.However Rogers and North’s partnership handed WA a glimmer of hope at the end of an otherwise ordinary day for the Warriors.

Daren Ganga’s fourth career first-class century was the highlight of the finalday of the four-day match between the West Indies and Kenya which ended in adraw at the Mombasa Sports Ground on Sunday.Ganga made 105 as the West Indies batted through the last day of the match,reduced to three playing days following the washout on Saturday. In reply toKenya’s first innings total of 290, the tourists were 403 for 8 when play wascalled off half an hour early at 5pm yesterday.Four other West Indian batsmen reached their half-century yesterday. ChrisGayle, continuing his outstanding form from the Zimbabwean leg of the tour,made 84, sharing an opening partnership of 160 with Gayle. Both fell to thebowling of Steve Tikolo, Gayle’s wicket the result of a superb running catch atthe long-on boundary by Martin Suji. Ganga’s 105 came from 213 balls andincluded 15 fours.Wavell Hinds made an even 50, wicketkeeper-captain Courtney Browne 56, and allrounder Neil McGarrell 54 not out. Best bowler for Kenya was the captain,Maurice Odumbe, who bowled 41 overs of off-spin in the West Indian innings totake 3/71, including the wickets of Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan (18) and MarlonSamuels (17). Odumbe also took the catch to remove Leon Garrick for a duck.Tony Suji and Collins Otieno Omondi were the remaining wicket-takers for Kenya.Kenya and the West India will play a three-match series of one-dayinternationals at various grounds in Nairobi on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

Zimbabwe batsman Mark Vermeulen has been banned from all cricket by Zimbabwe Cricket after it emerged that he had engaged in a racist tirade on social media during which he referred to black Zimbabweans as “apes”.”Racism is abominable and there can be no defence for it,” said a statement released by Zimbabwe Cricket. “Mark Vermeulen has been banned from participating in all cricket activities, after he owned up to repulsive remarks that reflect racism, prejudice and plain ignorance. We find Vermeulen’s Facebook comment distasteful and unacceptable, particularly for a senior sportsman who should have learned from playing in Zimbabwe and abroad that there is no place for racism in sport.”Vermeulen had posted his comment in July, on a thread underneath an article posted on Facebook about Prosper Utseya’s letter to the ZC Board, which alleged that racism persisted in Zimbabwean cricket. Though Vermeulen subsequently deleted the comment, a screenshot eventually made its way into the public sphere, again on social media.ESPNcricinfo has seen the screenshot of the comment, which talked of “white people” having “fxxxd up the apes’ lives”. “If we… had never educated them, Prosper wouldn’t be having these problems,” it said.As the reaction to his comment gathered steam online, it is believed that some members of Vermeulen’s domestic franchise, Mashonaland Eagles, insisted they would boycott any team with Vermeulen in it. The administration of the franchise met today to decide how to respond, and this evening it was confirmed that Vermeulen has been banned from all cricket activities by Zimbabwe Cricket.Vermeulen had issued a public statement, which was reproduced in local newspapers today, and which he called an apology. In it, Vermeulen said that he had apologised personally to Utseya and that “he accepted my apology”.”I know my comments were over the top and I apologise to all that I have offended,” continued Vermeulen’s statement. “But as a cricketer, it’s how our minds work… It was not meant in a menacing way. It was just a chirp that often happens out on the field of play and as men, you take the blow on the chin and get on with the game.”Behavioural and disciplinary issues have long been a problem for Vermeulen, with trouble surfacing as early as his high school days in Harare in the mid-1990s. He was banned from representing his school, Prince Edward High in Harare, for walking off with the stumps after receiving a poor lbw decision and locking himself in the changing room.His fierce desire to succeed as a cricketer led to a Test debut in 2002, but two years later he was struck on the head by a bouncer from Irfan Pathan at the Gabba, during a tri-series in Australia. The injury, which replicated one he had suffered in 2003, when he was struck on the head by fast bowler Travis Friend while batting in the nets, required urgent surgery, and Vermeulen’s behaviour became increasingly erratic. He was banned from playing cricket in England for ten years after an altercation with some spectators during a club game and, most infamously, he burned down Zimbabwe’s cricket academy in 2006 in retaliation for being overlooked by the national side.Vermeulen was acquitted of charges of arson in 2008, on the grounds that he had been suffering psychiatric problems, including partial complex epilepsy and impulsive behaviour disorder, ever since his injury in Australia. Remarkably, Vermeulen returned to international cricket with a one-day half-century against Bangladesh the following year, but his form tailed off and, though he played for every domestic franchise in the country in his efforts to win a national contract, it seemed his days as an international cricketer were over. Yet Vermeulen was called upon once more in 2014, re-selected by coach Steve Mangongo and convener of selectors Givemore Makoni, for a one-off Test against South Africa. There had also been talk that Vermeulen was hoping to win yet another recall for the upcoming series against Bangladesh.