AUSTRALIA’S cricket side will tonight begin its quest to ensure they go down as the greatest ever — statistically anyway.

The ICC today announced that the Women’s World Cup qualifier event, scheduled to be staged in Lahore, Pakistan from February 18-24 2008, will now take place in South Africa instead.

The ICC Board has unanimously approved a recommendation for Cricket South Africa to nominate an Acting President following the death of Percy Sonn last month.

International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Malcolm Speed today reacted to the Australia Government’s announcement it was banning the Australia cricket team from touring Zimbabwe later this year.

The Australian prime minister has banned the national cricket team from visiting Zimbabwe.

Police in Jamaica have no suspects in the murder of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer at the World Cup, the island’s deputy commissioner said today, and the Pakistan cricket team will be allowed to leave the country.

ENGLAND’S one-day series with Pakistan was saved yesterday after the stunning revelations umpire Darrell Hair asked for $500,000 (€392,000) to quit his position in the aftermath of the forfeited fourth Test.

International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed has officially launched the ICC Trophy Ireland 2005.

ENGLAND’S cricketers will not play the controversial opening match of their World Cup campaign against Zimbabwe in Harare on Thursday, it was confirmed last night.

A question mark was today still hanging over the England cricket team’s opening World Cup match in Zimbabwe on Thursday as the wrangle over security concerns surrounding the game continued.

England’s scheduled match against Zimbabwe in Harare next Thursday is still set to go ahead after the ICC’s Cricket World Cup technical committee declined a request for the game to be switched.

England have been warned that their World Cup prospects will suffer if they fail to fulfil their opening fixture against Zimbabwe in Harare on February 13.