Cricket Briefs

KINGSTON – New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming announced his resignation as captain of his country’s one-day team after the 81-run defeat by Sri Lanka in the World Cup semi-finals on Tuesday.

But Fleming said he wants to continue playing in the side and stay in charge of the Test team. The 34-year-old opening batsman had been in charge for 10 years, leading his country in 218 one-day internationals, including three World Cups and two semi-finals, New Zealand losing by nine wickets to Pakistan in 1999.Fleming has won 98 and lost 106 one-dayers as skipper, told reporters.COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s left-handed batsman Russel Arnold will retire from international cricket after the World Cup final, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said yesterday.”Russel has informed his decision to team manager Michael Tissera in Jamaica and it has now been officially conveyed to the cricket board,” SLC spokesman Samantha Algama told AFP.Arnold will, however, continue to play domestic cricket, Algama added.Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand in Tuesday’s semi-final and will now play in the final in Barbados on Saturday.Arnold, 33, made his Test debut in Colombo against Pakistan in 1997.Arnold played 44 Tests, scoring 1 821 runs with three centuries.The World Cup final will be his 180th one-dayer.He has made 3,949 one-day runs with one hundred.NAIROBI – Kenyan cricket captain Steve Tikolo will be South Africa’s Graeme Smith deputy in the African team for the second Afro-Asian cricket tournament in India in June, local officials said on Tuesday.Tikolo is one of four Kenyans in the squad that also feature players from World Cup semi-finalists, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.The Afro-Asia tournament, which has been accorded official ODI status by the International Cricket Council will be played in Bangalore and Chennai between June 6-10.The winner will earn 25 000 dollars with each participating player being paid 5 000 dollars each.The Asian team, winners of the inaugural tournament in South Africa in 2005 will comprise players from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.Reports by Nampa-AFP and ReutersThe 34-year-old opening batsman had been in charge for 10 years, leading his country in 218 one-day internationals, including three World Cups and two semi-finals, New Zealand losing by nine wickets to Pakistan in 1999.Fleming has won 98 and lost 106 one-dayers as skipper, told reporters.COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s left-handed batsman Russel Arnold will retire from international cricket after the World Cup final, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said yesterday.”Russel has informed his decision to team manager Michael Tissera in Jamaica and it has now been officially conveyed to the cricket board,” SLC spokesman Samantha Algama told AFP.Arnold will, however, continue to play domestic cricket, Algama added.Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand in Tuesday’s semi-final and will now play in the final in Barbados on Saturday.Arnold, 33, made his Test debut in Colombo against Pakistan in 1997.Arnold played 44 Tests, scoring 1 821 runs with three centuries.The World Cup final will be his 180th one-dayer.He has made 3,949 one-day runs with one hundred.NAIROBI – Kenyan cricket captain Steve Tikolo will be South Africa’s Graeme Smith deputy in the African team for the second Afro-Asian cricket tournament in India in June, local officials said on Tuesday.Tikolo is one of four Kenyans in the squad that also feature players from World Cup semi-finalists, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.The Afro-Asia tournament, which has been accorded official ODI status by the International Cricket Council will be played in Bangalore and Chennai between June 6-10.The winner will earn 25 000 dollars with each participating player being paid 5 000 dollars each.The Asian team, winners of the inaugural tournament in South Africa in 2005 will comprise players from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.Reports by Nampa-AFP and Reuters