MELBOURNE, Feb 26 AAP – Shane Warne’s statement announcing his decision not to appeal his suspension and responding to criticism of his evidence by the ACB doping committee.”After much advice from a lot of different and various people I have decided not to appeal the 12 month suspension.”Although I find this penalty very harsh and I am extremely disappointed that this has happened, I have decided that I no longer want to put my family under even more stress. Enough is enough.”This has been the toughest two weeks of my life and I have decided that it is best for all concerned to try and move on the best way we can.”I have made a simple and innocent error of judgement. I take full responsibility for my own actions and yes, I should have checked with someone, I should have known better.”Not appealing is a very, very tough decision for me to make because I have been a professional cricketer for the best part of 15 years and would love to be back playing as quick as possible. But in the end to go through this again every single day for possibly the next three weeks or so is just too much.”I have decided to accept the decision of the committee on the chin and try to move on and deal with it the best way I can.”I want to repeat again that I have never taken performance enhancing drugs and never will.”It was proved by expert evidence in the hearing that fluid tablets do not enhance performance. They would not have aided recovery from the type of shoulder injury I had and would not mask any other substances.”I am also disappointed that the committee has said that my evidence was vague and unsatisfactory. Both my mother and I gave honest accounts under oath to the best of our recollections. The fact that this has been brought into question is unfair.”As I said I have been playing professional cricket for the best part of 15 years and will now be looking at other work opportunities over the next 12 months.”Looking to the future I can say that I am definitely going to give it my best shot to get back to the top and will continue to train hard, work on my bowling and experiment with new deliveries.”One positive out of this situation is that I hope no other athlete makes the same innocent mistake as me.”I will try to get through the next 12 months the best way I can and try to move forward at this very difficult and tough time. The people who know my know what I am about and that I am strong enough to get through this. The support of my family, friends, team-mates and sponsors has meant a lot to me and I would like to express my gratitude and thanks.”

In a two day pre season friendly match against Sussex at Hove, Worcestershire’s batsmen showed good form in reaching 342 for 6 off 85 overs. On a cold day interrupted by one shower, all the frontline batsmen reached double figures on a good batting track.Captain Ben Smith top scored with 76 off 89 balls, closely followed by Vikram Solanki with 74 off 93 balls. Other scorers were Stephen Peters with 55, David Leatherdale with 54n/o, Anuarg Singh with 31, Graeme Hick with 17 and Kadeer Ali with 15.The Sussex frontline bowlers all struggled except for Robin Martin-Jenkins who took 3 for 69 off 15 overs. Kirtley, Davis and Innes each took a wicket.The County’s bowlers will take centre stage today including new overseas signing Nantie Hayward together with Mark Harrity and Chris Liptrot. Hayward arrived in the Country on Tuesday morning for his first season in County Cricket.Worcestershire’s photocall will take place at New Road this Friday at 9-30am.The inter-squad match scheduled for Saturday at New Road has been cancelled. The inter squad match scheduled for Wednesday 16th April at Ombersley CC will go ahead.

Is it right that we should be playing cricket while a war rages in Iraq? I have agonised over this and come to the conclusion that we should not allow the war-mongers to disrupt normalcy, wherever possible. It weakens their power to hold the world to ransom.I am glad that the Sharjah tournament is going ahead though I am disappointed that South Africa has chosen to opt out because of “security concerns.” South African players would no more have been in danger than the players from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Kenya.”Security concerns” is too general and too glib. New Zealand used it to avoid playing in Nairobi and was only too keen to accept the advice that was given to it by the US Embassy. In the end, it were New Zealand themselves who paid the price for their timidity. England refused to play in Zimbabwe for political reasons, the same Zimbabwe that has been persuaded to send its team to play in England this summer.In agreeing to tour England, Zimbabwe has taught a lesson to England that sports should be kept out of politics. England’s main concern, of course, was money. Had Zimbabwe cancelled the tour the ECB would have been out of pocket by several millions pounds. Thus this can be considered as aid in reverse.Pakistan has been a victim of “security concerns” and the Australians refused to tour Pakistan and the series, both Tests and one-day had to be played at neutral venues. Ironically, the one-day series was played in Nairobi, a venue that New Zealand considered too dangerous.The Indians have now formally cancelled their tour of Pakistan. One would like to know why the ICC is being so timorous? India is a member of the ICC and if it continues to flout its decisions, surely the ICC is bound to examine whether India should continue to remain a member of ICC. But even more important is the seeming indifference of the Indian cricket public to what is a wholly political decision.India and Pakistan played each other in the World Cup and the heavens did not fall. India beat Pakistan and there was rejoicing in India and there was disappointment in Pakistan. That’s about all. By not playing cricket against Pakistan, outstanding disputes between the two countries are no nearer being resolved.It is not Pakistan cricket that is being hurt but Asian cricket. The Asia Cup had the potential of becoming one of cricket’s most prized tournaments, second only to the World Cup. The Asian Test Championship too had got off to a good start and has all but been abandoned.The World Cup showed how the people of the cricket world could be brought together. All the security measures taken, at great cost, proved to be unnecessary. The final of the World Cup was played when the war against Iraq had started, two contrasting image. We know which was the enduring one and the hopeful. The Indian cricket board must try harder and must put more pressure on its government to resume cricket ties with Pakistan.The absence of South Africa devalues the Sharjah tournament somewhat but it provides Kenya a chance to show its mettle. And in a way, it provides the new-look Pakistan team a relatively easy passage though it will still be up against Sri Lanka. Given our preoccupation with the war in Iraq, I am not certain how closely the cricket will be followed.Pakistan’s poor performance in the World Cup has almost been forgotten though occasionally an article appears or a letter in a newspaper. It is just as well. The decision of the PCB to ‘rest’ senior players has been well received though the implication that they were somehow responsible for Pakistan’s grief in the World Cup remains unsubstantiated and is a bit rich.I have written this before but the average age of the all-conquering Australian team is in the vicinity of 30-years and Australia has brought back Steve Waugh and Justin Langer. By the time that the next World Cup will come around in 2007, almost all of the present Australia team will be replaced.But Australia is not likely to make the same mistake that had the West Indies. The West Indies sacked their senior players in one fell swoop and it has not been able to re-build. The West Indies have tried several captains including Richie Richardson, Courtney Walsh, Brain Lara and Jimmy Adams, finally settling for Carl Hooper.Team building or re-building has to be undertaken in phases, on a case by case basis. Rashid Latif’s deputy is Yousuf Youhana. Youhana is an outstanding batsman but surely we do not consider him to be captain material? The opportunity may have been lost to groom a future captain.There is a school of thought that believes that the best player is not necessarily the best captain. India tried Sachin Tendulkar and the West Indies Brian Lara and in the not-so distant past, England had tried Ian Botham and David Gower.A captain needs to have some special qualifications. In a team that had Hanif Mohammad, Fazal Mahmood and Imtiaz Ahmed, Pakistan’s captain was Abdul Hafeez Kardar, arguably the best captain that Pakistan has ever had.I really have no idea which player in the re-built lot is a future Pakistan captain. I had fancied Abdul Razzaq in the role but his own form has taken such a nose-dive that his own place in the team is in doubt. But without seeming to be disrespectful to such a talented cricketer,I don’t see Youhana as a future captain. Perhaps, it is just well that we keep this on hold, otherwise we might find the prospective candidate being undermined. It’s known to have happened. Perhaps, when the team is selected for the short tour of England in the early summer, this matter will be given some serious consideration. While building a new team, we should be grooming a captain. The two go together.

Stephen Fleming remained upbeat about his side’s chances despite New Zealand slipping to 75 for 4 on a truncated second day in this second Test.Fleming took comfort from Kandy’s history as a low scoring venue, and hoped that his middle order would keep New Zealand in the game. "It was a tough little session and we were not quite on song but we are still fighting," he said. "Sri Lanka will feel they have the upper hand but we still feel we have a sniff by having to bowl last."The history of this ground suggests low scores [are common] and it is not going to be easy batting last. From our position now, 200 to 250 would be ideal. The pitch is a bit up and down and there have been a couple of shouts when the ball has stayed low. We know that if we can get a reasonable score we will be in the game."Fleming was confident that his bowlers would do well in these conditions. "Shane [Bond] and Jacob [Oram] both hit the deck hard and they should getsome variation in bounce. The pitch is offering the spinners slow turn butthe threatening time is with the new ball."Fleming was one of the four batsmen to be dismissed, following hismagnificent performance in Colombo, where he had scored 274 not out and 69 not out, with a fifth-ball duck.He was philosophical: "I was in a good frame of mind but that is batting -you just have to make one mistake. It was a straight one that swung and I played across it – it’s as simple as that."Chaminda Vaas, who took 2 for 19 from 10 overs, reclaiming the swing thatmakes him such a dangerous left-arm bowler, was delighted with his return to form."I am getting my rhythm back after the injury in Sharjah," he said. "Theankle is getting stiff but it’s getting better day by day."We now have a good chance if it doesn’t rain but we have to get them out as early as possible."

Glamorgan have announced an unchanged team for their secondTwenty20 match against the Somerset Sabres at Sophia Gardens,Cardiff on 18th June, starting at 5.30pm:

RDB Croft *IJ ThomasMJ PowellMP MaynardDL HempA DaleMA Wallace +MS KasprowiczSD ThomasDS HarrisonDA Cosker

There will be live ball-by-ball commentary of the game available via the BBC RadioWales website. To listen in click on the link at the top of theGlamorgan homepage.

Alan Mullally with a strained hamstring, Wasim Akram with an injured toe and Ed Giddins rested are all absent for Hampshire’s next Frizzell Championship match against Northamptonshire starting on Wednesday (2nd July – 11.00am).Mullally pulled up in the recent match against Gloucestershire, Wasim was hit on the toe whilst batting against Ian Harvey.Two young bowlers James Bruce and James Tomlinson come in as replacements. Also added to the squad is John Francis, like Tomlinson recently returned from University duties. Bruce made his Championship debut against Somerset in May.Hampshire: Derek Kenway, John Crawley (captain), Simon Katich, Robin Smith, Will Kendall, John Francis, Nic Pothas (wicket-keeper), Dimitri Mascarenhas, Shaun Udal, James Bruce and James Tomlinson.

Northamptonshire 319 for 7 (Hussey 123) beat Scotland 244 (Dravid 114) by 75 runs
ScorecardRahul Dravid scored his third hundred of the season for Scotland but, like his two previous centuries, this one ended up in a losing cause as well, as Northamptonshire triumphed by 75 runs in a National Cricket League match. Dravid struck a magnificent 114 off just 102 balls – in the process crossing 500 runs for the season in his ninth innings – but Scotland were never in the hunt after Northamptonshire had amassed 319 in 45 overs.The match was billed as a clash between Mike Hussey – Northamptonshire’s overseas player – and Rahul Dravid, and it lived up to the hype. Hussey scored a 115-ball 123 as Northamptonshire piled on the runs. He was well supported by Philip Jacques (76) and David Sales (53).Dravid, by contrast, had little support. Neil McRae (38) was the only other batsman to cross 35, while two of the top six got ducks. Coming to the crease at 16 for 2, Dravid stitched together an 86-run third-wicket stand with McRae and a 72-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Gregor Maiden, before being the last man to be dismissed.Click here to read about Dravid’s season with Scotland.