The Scots have roped in former Australian Test star David Boon, who plays county cricket for Durham, to advise them on how to tackle verbal taunts, for which the Aussies are renowned.

Coach Jim Love saw Boon unsettle opening bowler John Blain with a few choice words in a practice match on Saturday and asked him to speak about it.

Sledging, meanwhile, could be wiped out from the game if new measures drawn up by a MCC committee are approved. The new rules, which may come into force next year, will give batting teams five extra runs if their opponents sledge.

Weather looks good

LONDON: British weathermen say rain is unlikely to disrupt cricket's World Cup despite a soggy run-up to the event.

Sky TV's Francis Wilson predicted good weather over the next six weeks, arguing May and early June were traditionally drier months than later in thesummer.

Tim Lamb, chief executive of the English Cricket Board (ECB), was equally optimistic.

``In three previous World Cups in England (1975, 1979 and 1983), we have lost only two games to the weather. We're hoping our luck holds,'' he said.

Doubts over the weather arose when seven out of 12 practice matches were abandoned by rain on Friday and Saturday.

No pinching

LONDON: Reigning champions Sri Lanka, who took pinch-hitting to new heights at the last World Cup, said they would abandon the policy when they defend their title this week.

The man who has forced them to adopt a more cautious approach is their former coach Dav Whatmore, dumped a few months after Sri Lanka triumphed at Lahore in 1996.

Whatmore, now coaching in England, has convinced them this World Cup will favour bowlers rather than batsmen.

House full

LONDON: Tickets for all but two preliminary league matches in the World Cup have been sold out, organisers announced, with the rest likely to go within days.

Of30 first-round matches, only Kenya's matches against Zimbabwe at Taunton on Saturday and against Sri Lanka at Southampton on May 30 still have seats available.

Tickets for the Super Six games, semifinals and final were also not available, the organisers said.

Tour fees

MUMBAI: The Indian cricket board will pay each of its players taking part in the World Cup Rs 2 lakh as tour fees out of which Rs 1 lakh has already been paid in advance to the touring party members.

Board secretary Jaywant Lele said the team would gain substantially in cash bonus, in excess of Rs 5 lakh, if it fulfills the dream of the cricket-crazy country by lifting the coveted cup at the game's headquarters, Lord's, on June 20.

But Lele denied reports that the board has written to the players assuring them of cash incentives even if they reach the Super Six stage.

Quiz time

DHAKA: Cricket fans in Bangladesh have gone quiz-crazy as the build-up to the country's first-ever appearance in the World Cup reachesfever-pitch.

Newspapers, sports clubs and youth associations have reported massive interest in World Cup quizzes, with thousands of cricket fans hoping to scoop lucrative prizes.

Most major dailies have published questionnaires on cricket in recent weeks as the countdown to the cricket extravaganza in London takes hold.