Cricket: Curran considers Zimbabwe role

KEVIN CURRAN is to leave Northamptonshire at the end of the season, possibly to become Zimbabwe's bowling coach.

The 39-year-old former captain, who is in his benefit year, has not played a Championship game this summer but is still a member of Northamptonshire's one-day team.

Curran confirmed his interest in the post with Zimbabwe but added: "I still think I could do a job in county cricket, as a player or coach, and we'll just have to see what happens."

Curran, who played in 11 one-day internationals for Zimbabwe, including the 1983 World Cup, joined Northamptonshire from Gloucestershire in 1991.

The new Sri Lankan cricket board yesterday said its national team would not be participating in an exhibition match in India prior to a three- nation tournament involving Australia and India and the subsequent three- Test series against Australia. "We are giving great emphasis to the forthcoming Australian and Indian tour and we want the players to really work for it," the interim cricket board president, Rienzie Wijetilleke, explained.

Imran Khan has criticised the Pakistan government for ordering an inquiry into match-fixing allegations arising from the national side's defeat in last month's World Cup final.

"They try to find scapegoats and nothing else," said the former captain, who now leads his own "Movement For Justice" political party in Pakistan.

Defending the team, Imran said it was "the mere pressure of the final that the team succumbed to and nothing else."

The government last week asked the country's Accountability Bureau to investigate after allegations that the final against Australia was rigged.