CRICKET: England yesterday named Andrew Strauss to lead his country against Pakistan next week, in a temporary capacity only. Strauss already knew he was holding the reins only as long as Ashes-winning skipper Michael Vaughan remained incapacitated by knee problems.
But it was not clear until yesterday's announcement from the England and Wales Cricket Board that the Middlesex batsman was also still merely a second-choice replacement behind Andrew Flintoff.
Any uncertainty was cleared up by chairman of selectors David Graveney, who made it crystal clear England have decided key all-rounder Flintoff will be back in charge as Vaughan's deputy as soon as his own injury problems allow.
CRICKET: The MCC have named their squad to face Ireland A at Malahide today (10.30 start). The side will be coached by the former England Test opener Graeme Fowler. The left-hander played 21 Tests for England in the early 1980s, scoring 1,307 runs at an average of 35.32. His highest score of 201 came on a tour of India during the 1984/1985 season.
MCC SQUAD: Peter Wilshaw, Shaaiq Choudhry, Gharib Nawaz, Nicholas Lee, Philip Edwards, Daniel Jones, James Morris, Richard King, Mali Richards, Nicholas Lamb, James Wood, Ruel Braithwaite.
IRELAND A: Jason Molins (Phoenix, capt), Conor Armstrong (North County), Kenny Carroll (Railway Union), Thinus Fourie (Phoenix), Ryan Haire (North Down), Dominick Joyce (Merrion), Gary Kidd (Waringstown), David Langford-Smith (Phoenix), Boyd Rankin (Derbyshire), Roger Whelan (Railway Union), Gary Wilson (Civil Service North). 12th man: Alex Cusack (Clontarf).
GOLF: Two-time winner Greg Norman has withdrawn from the British Open championship and been replaced by last season's European Tour "rookie of the year", Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.
The 51-year-old Australian had surgery on his right knee in February and had hoped to play this week's US Seniors Open, the Open and then the Senior British Open but is now unlikely to play before August.
"My knee is fine," he said. "My game just isn't where I want it to be, and the last thing I want to do is take a spot away from another deserving professional."
Fernandez-Castano (25) failed to come through the qualifying tournament at Sunningdale last week but takes Norman's spot by virtue of being the next-highest non-exempt player on the world rankings.
RUGBY: The South African Rugby Union declined yesterday to extend Springbok coach Jake White's contract beyond the 2007 World Cup until his current agreement expires.
White had asked a council meeting for a two-year extension but the union decided he had to wait until after the tournament for his contract to be renewed.
