Andrew Symonds clubbed a maiden one-day century as Australia overcame the shock loss of Shane Warne, the availability of only 12 players ad a jittery start to post a comanding 310 for eight as they began their defence of the World Cup against Pakistan at the Wanderers on Tuesday.

By mid-afternoon on Tuesday, the England and Wales Cricket Board had still not decided whether or not it is going to boycott its fixture in Zimbabwe because of security fears.

Anyone who doubted Australia’s credentials as favourites to retain the World Cup might want to reconsider that view. In circumstances as peculiar as they were difficult for the 1999 champions, Ricky Ponting’s team passed what might be their most difficult test of the preliminary round at the Wanderers on Tuesday by clobbering Pakistan by 82 runs.

After days of meetings, deadlines and death-threats, England have finally decided not to play their World Cup match against Zimbabwe in Harare, citing new security concerns.

Shane Warne, the most flamboyant cricketer of his age and one of the greatest of all time, fled from the World Cup in South Africa yesterday pleading his innocence after a positive drug test that threatens to bring an inglorious end to a brilliant international career.

It was fun and games in the heat yesterday, as the second day of the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup got underway in sweltering conditions in Harare and Bloemfontein, and the second day confirmed that it would appear to be a pretty batsman-friendly World Cup.

Games 4 and 5 of the World Cup proved riveting affairs in their own right, with Australia showing precisely why they should win the World Cup, and then Canada proving why they won’t, writes the Twelfth Man

Bitter rivals Australia and Pakistan were locked in a racism row on Wednesday as the 2003 World Cup plunged into another crisis.