Chris Broad threatens legal action over missing pension fund payment

Cricket

Chris Broad, the former England opener, is threatening legal action against Gloucestershire over a missing pounds 1,200 payment into his pension fund. Broad negotiated the top-up payment to his pension when he retired with an arthritic hip, but the county have withheld payment claiming a pounds 2,500 bill when Broad returned a sponsored car on a trailer.

Nottinghamshire yesterday completed the signing of the Yorkshire batsman Ashley Metcalfe. The 31-year-old opener has joined them on a two-year contract after being released by his native county.

Somerset are considering the young all-rounder Shane Lee, tipped to be in Australia's World Cup squad, as a possible successor to Mushtaq Ahmed as their overseas player next season.

Brian Lara should be given time to sort out his career, the West Indies team manager, Wes Hall, said yesterday. Lara withdrew from the current tour of Australia at the last minute after being fined for misconduct during the summer tour of England. "I think that what you all should do is to leave Brian Lara alone and let him and the West Indies Board work out their problems. Pressure is what turns a rock into diamond but it can turn it into dust," Hall said.

TOUR MATCH (First day of four; Newcastle, NSW): West Indies 238 (C Hooper 63, S Campbell 53; D Freedman 8 for 47); New South Wales 13 for 0.