Cricket: World champions Australia will play a one-day international against Ireland in Belfast next summer. The match will take place at Ormeau on Sunday, August 12th towards the end of the Ashes tour of England.

It will be Ireland's first match at home following the ICC Trophy in Toronto from which the top three teams will qualify to play in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

Australia will almost certainly be captained by Steve Waugh, who played a number of times for Ireland as an overseas player in 1998. Waugh's brother, Mark, also played in Ireland last season and is also likely to be a part of the squad.

Gaelic Games: Brian Cody, the Kilkenny hurling manager, has been named Philips Sports Manager of the Month for September, following the county's emphatic victory over Offaly in the All-Ireland final.

Accepting the award, Cody said: "This is a true reflection of the great year the Kilkenny team have had and the hard work and dedication everyone has invested. On All-Ireland day everything just came together and I'm absolutely thrilled to accept this award on behalf of the team."

Cricket: Seven top Pakistani cricketers have threatened to walk out of the side due to face England later this month unless coach Javed Miandad is replaced.

In the latest crisis to beset Pakistani cricket, the players have complained that Miandad pocketed too much of the $150,000 prize money won at a recent knock-out event in Kenya.

Pakistan, favoured to win the International Cricket Council (ICC) event in Nairobi, lost to New Zealand in the semi-final last week.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman General Tauqir Zia said an emergency meeting with the players was due to be held yesterday to diffuse the crisis days ahead of England's first tour match in Pakistan for 13 years, which is set for October 24th in Karachi.

Miandad, 43, had to resign a fortnight before last year's World Cup after he fell out with senior players, but he was recalled for a second stint when Pakistan lost two home Tests against Sri Lanka in March.