Indian Subcontinent

India's cricket board has threatened to boycott the World Cup and the ICC Knockout Cup until the Indian government clarifies its policy on playing in "non-regular" venues, a top board official has said.

The International Cricket Council has approved South Africa?s proposals for the format of the 2003 World Cup.

New Zealand has pulled out of an international soccer tournament scheduled for India in January, saying it had had difficulty confirming travel and competition details with organisers.

Delegations from four cities bidding for the 2006 Asian Games will gather in the South Korean city of Pusan this weekend for last-minute lobbying ahead of Sunday's vote to decide the host city for the event.

Shamila Batohi, lead advocate for South Africa's King Commission probing allegations of corruption in cricket, has had what was described as a "fruitful" meeting with India's federal police agents.

Bans will be imposed on any Indian players involved in match-fixing, the country's cricket chief said.

The King commission into match-fixing faces a crucial week in which it will hear the testimony of former South African captain Hansie Cronje, the man at the centre of the storm.

Overjoyed Bangladeshis, whose cricket team won its first victory at the century's last Cricket World Cup in England on Monday, will soon have a stadium exclusively for cricket, according to media reports.

Wasim Akram has been reinstated as Pakistan cricket captain after being given the all-clear following a judge's inquiry into match-fixing.

Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram has been suspended from international duty - along with two other players - as the probe continues into allegations of match-fixing and betting.

Pakistan will travel to England to play two friendly soccer matches against league clubs in March, officials said.

Less than a week after the International Cricket Council (ICC) vowed to root out corruption two independent inquiries into match-fixing have been delayed.

Sri Lanka Tourism and Sports Minister Lakshman Kiriella has appointed a four-man interim board headed by former Royal College and Cambridge Blue cricketer Vijay Malalasekera to carry out the day-to-day activities of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL).

The chairman of the interim committee managing Sri Lanka's cricket board has resigned after severe criticism by the country's sports minister, according to cricket officials.

India's cricket team will not take part in the next Commonwealth Games, Suresh Kalmadi, president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), has announced.

India are to introduce a contract system with graded payments for their national cricketers that will fulfil a long-standing demand.