Storm clouds are gathering over Australian cricket

Former Australian openers Michael Slater and Mark Taylor have called for the inclusion of New South Wales allrounder Steve Smith in the team for the third Ashes Test.
Full story: the Herald Sun

James Anderson has displaced India's Zaheer Khan to claim third place in the ICC player rankings for Test bowlers. The 28-year-old claimed six wickets in Adelaide and sits behind fellow England bowler Graeme Swann, with South Africa's Dale Steyn top. It is Anderson's highest ranking to date.
Full story: ICC media release

Legendary spinner Shane Warne predicts a mass clear-out of the older Aussie players should England convert their 1-0 lead into a first Ashes series win on Australian soil for 24 years.
Full story: the Herald Sun

Writing in the Australian, Malcolm Conn notes a gloomy precedent: "The last time Australia lost four Tests out of five without a victory was 26 years ago, when the once mighty West Indies hammered Australia in six successive Tests during 1984 which led to the tearful resignation of skipper Kim Hughes."
Full story: the Australian

Writing on cricinfo, Peter English says Australia were caught out by their own complacency. He writes: "Easily the most frightening aspect of this result for the Australians was that, unlike the weather, they didn't know it was coming. They thought they were well matched against England and deserved to be favourites."
Full story: ESPNcricinfo

Marcus North and Xavier Doherty will be dropped by the Australian selectors according to the Sydney Morning Herald, while Peter Siddle's hat-trick in Brisbane "feels like it was bowled when grunge was emerging from the Seattle underground" - and his position will also come under scrutiny ahead of the Perth Test.
Full story: Sydney Morning Herald

Doug Bollinger will also be wondering if he has a spot in the squad when it is named on Friday, but if England continue to fire any Australian changes are unlikely to have anything more than a cosmetic effect, says English on cricinfo.
Full story: ESPNcricinfo

Former Australian Ashes winner Damien Martyn on Twitter: "Well done England! Credit where credit is due. Ever since arriving in the country they have looked the goods. Well deserved, enjoy the moment."
Damien Martyn's Twitter feed

Chris Tremlett will be the likely beneficiary of Stuart Broad's series-ending stomach injury and his ability to gain bounce from Australian pitches might mean that England will not be too inconvenienced by Broad's departure.
Full story: the Guardian

Perth cricket fans have not been put off by the Ashes thrashing in Adelaide. The match is a sell-out for the first two days, while a limited number of tickets remain for days three and four on the Saturday and Sunday.
Full story: Sydney Morning Herald

Legendary cricket enemies Sir Ian Botham and Ian Chappell had to be pulled apart after a furious bust-up in the car park after the end of play on the fourth day in the Adelaide Test.
Full story: Daily Mail

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version