* A positive captain

Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly on Saturday reiterated that he would continue to be a "positive" leader in South Africa.

"It's not that there's a set formula for a captain, but I won't compromise on being positive. Moreover, I don't see why I should give my instincts a back seat," he told the Press Trust of India.

"The selectors have given me a job and, as in the past, I'm going to give it my best shot. I haven't ever walked off the field burdened with the thought I didn't give off my best. Won't ever happen in the future either."

He also said that as far as he was concerned the unbeaten 98 in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Kandy ended his lean run as a batsman. Though I did not get runs in our last engagement, I still think that the unbeaten 98 in Kandy ended the lean phase.

"The lack of runs was not because of a lack of effort. I've consistently been working hard and, even now, I've been training though I had the troublesome muscle strain three weeks ago," he added.

* Taking the game to new heights

Shimla could soon boast of the highest cricket ground in the world. The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) has proposed to build what is reportedly a world-class cricket stadium at the former summer capital of British Empire in India.

The army authorities though will have to hand over Annadale, a 6.5-hectare picturesque ground now under their control, if this dream, of a stadium at 2,000 metres above sea level, is to be achieved. The army-men's lease on the land expired 15 years ago but they continue to use it as a helipad and also for playing sports.

BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele and treasurer PM Rungta who recently visited were impressed by what they saw and promised Rs 2 crore in assistance for the construction of the stadium. The HPCA has estimated the cost of the project to be Rs 10 crore. They feel it will take three years for the construction work to be completed once the ground is handed over.

If the stadium comes into being we might soon see the originally English game being played in typically English conditions in India!

© CricInfo