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The United Cricket Board of South Africa have announced a three-year strategy to give non-whites 50-50 representation in all areas of the sport - except at first class and Test level.

The charter details implementation of targets for scorers, umpires, groundsmen, coaches, administrators and in age-group cricket, with the aim of making the game fully representative by 2003, when South Africa will host the next World Cup.

UCB managing director Ali Bacher also revealed that by the end of the third year they hope 44 non-white players will be among the 121 first choices at the provinces. ``It will filter through to the national team and the issue won't even be discussed in two years,'' said Bacher.

Bangladesh has appointed former South African cricketer Eddie Barlow as the country's coach for the next two years, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Saber Hossain Chowdhury confirmed yesterday.

He said Barlow's appointment was approved at a meeting on Friday, and he will start on Sept 1. ``Beside coaching, his responsibility will be to oversee the development of cricket as 'Director of Development', said Saber.

Barlow, 59, succeeds former West Indian opening batsman Gordon Greenidge, who was sacked during the World Cup following a row over team selection.

The long-running match-fixing saga involving Pakistani stars Wasim Akram, Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmed should finally be resolved on Aug 17 when Mr Justice Qayyoum considers the evidence - but don't bank on it. There have been so many changes at the game's top table in Pakistan with Government intervention that the players, all pleading innocence, are talking as if they are victims of a political campaign.

Two of the most famous leagues in club cricket may merge into one. The Lancashire League and Central Lancashire League, whose clubs have attracted some of the greatest names in cricket, are suffering from the growth of the international game. These days it is becoming harder to attract the players to pull in the attendances.

Now Central Lancashire League chairman Bob Dearden is backing a move for the leagues to merge with a two-division structure of promotion and relegation.

England's Mike Atherton had a special reason for interest in yesterday's Watford-Wimbledon Premier League match, which also gave rise to a likely quiz question.

Which current Premiership player has taken part in a first class cricket match? The answer is Watford's Steve Palmer who was in the same Cambridge United side as Atherton when they played Lancashire during their student days.