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South Africa’s two-Test tour of Zimbabwe next month will go ahead as scheduled unless the South African government or the Zimbabwean cricket authorities advise the United Cricket Board otherwise.There has been speculation that the tour might be jeopardised by fears for the safety of the South African team, but UCB chief executive Gerald Majola said this week that there were no plans to call the tour off.Political unrest in Zimbabwe has dominated the front page of South African newspapers for several days, but although the situation appears have worsened recently, with confrontations between "war veterans" and mainly white commercial farmers, violence appears to be confined to rural areas.Majola said that the UCB had asked the South African government for a briefing on the situation, but stressed that the tour would only be called off "on the advice of the South African government or the Zimbabwe Cricket Union".

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim is confident that his team can beat South Africa in Mirpur following the hosts’ impressive performance in the Chittagong Test.South Africa have never lost a Test match or series to Bangladesh in the sub-continent since 2006. It is a record that South Africa would not like to taint but Bangladesh have given them food for thought after dominating the visitors for much of the first Test, which had the last two days washed out by rain.Still, the gulf of class between the two sides is immense, and not just in their ICC Test rankings, where they are separated by eight places. Tests between Bangladesh and South Africa have mostly been one-sided, but Mushfiqur believes times have changed, and that Bangladesh have a big opportunity to reverse the tables.”We have to play good cricket over five days,” Mushfiqur said. “We cannot win on the first day. This is a five-day game. This is a big challenge and also an opportunity. We are playing against the No. 1 team in the world so it is an opportunity. It will be a huge deal to beat them.”We played with dominance in each sense of the first Test. So from that sense, the target is to play well. Our bowling unit has the ability to take their 20 wickets and you know what a good result will be – Bangladesh winning by a 1-0 margin.”Mushfiqur said bowling South Africa out for 248 runs was a big boost to their bowlers, and he is hopeful that his team will stick to a performance which is similar to their current form.”It is possible, definitely. But the truth is, we are not very consistent in Tests. But considering current form, Bangladesh are doing quite well in both Tests and ODIs. From this we are getting a lot of confidence. The bowlers now believe that if they are bowling properly, even a team like South Africa can be bowled out for a low total.”Mushfiqur, though, is still wary of South Africa’s threat in their preparation and how they will go about their business on the field. “This confidence runs throughout the Bangladesh team and I hope we see the influence of this confidence in the next match. We have to play our best cricket in Dhaka since this is the last match.”South Africa know how to play in this situation. They are the No. 1 Test team. Their bowling usually goes to plan. If we can apply ourselves well, the result could go our way. Even the series,” he said.Despite Bangladesh’s success over the last two months, Mushfiqur has not had a great time on the field as a batsman. His last Test fifty was back in October, against Zimbabwe in Dhaka, and he has been without a 50-plus score for 10 innings.”Every batsman and bowler has a personal target, which is to have the most contribution for the team. I think the last few Tests have not gone like I had wanted. Definitely it is quite disappointing for me. But my team is doing well so in a way this is relief for me. I hope to give 100% for the team and I want to contribute in a big way.”Mushfiqur also confirmed he will not be keeping wickets for the third match in a row as his ring finger, which he injured in April during the first Test against Pakistan, had not healed fully. He, however, quickly quashed suggestions that he will quit the gloves completely, saying he enjoyed wicketkeeping more than batting.”For the time being, I am not keeping in tomorrow’s match,” Mushfiqur said. “I will try to make a return to keeping. My primary job is to keep wickets but my finger isn’t 100% healed. I hope to recover quickly. I hope to do both my jobs properly.”Can anyone leave everything so easily? There’s no question about it as far as I am concerned. It will be a different issue if it is a matter of team combination. I enjoy keeping more than batting. It is not something I want to leave.”

Match facts

Sunday, March 15, 2015
Start time 14.00 local (03.30 GMT)2:17

‘Ireland have something to lose for the first time’

Big Picture

This has already dubbed been “the biggest game we’ve ever had” by Ireland’s key batsman, Ed Joyce.The winner of this game is assured of a quarter-final place. The loser could qualify, too, but that would depend on the unlikely scenario of West Indies losing to UAE. Ireland, with their relatively poor run-rate, almost certainly need to win, while if Pakistan lose, their qualification will depend on the NRR comparison with West Indies.An abandonment would also send both Ireland and Pakistan into the next round.The further context is that Ireland are both fighting to develop cricket in their own country and for the reputation of Associate cricket. Much has already been said about the rights and wrongs of the ICC’s decision to reduce the 2019 World Cup to 10 teams, but if Ireland can progress while two Full Member nations exit, they will have made their point more eloquently, more powerfully, more persuasively than any words.In the grand scheme of things, Ireland might take credit for going so far whether they win or lose. They might take credit for overcoming their poor form in the warm-up games – they lost to a grade side in Sydney and Scotland in Blacktown – and a modest seam-bowling attack acutely lacking in pace.But such is their ambition, such is their determination, that anything less than a quarter-final place at this stage would be considered a disappointment.They have a tough task. After a poor start to the tournament, Pakistan have won three games in succession and look far stronger in the field and with the bat, for the inclusion of Sarfraz Ahmed and Younis Khan. Their seam attack includes the trio of left-arm pacemen Wahab Riaz who has bowled the quickest delivery in the tournament, Rahat Ali, who is conceding his runs at an average of only 3.82 an over, and the towering Mohammad Irfan. It might be best described as daunting.In the long-term, Pakistan might worry about who replaces Younis at No. 3, who replaces Misbah at No. 4 – and as captain – and who replaces Shahid Afridi, who seems to have been playing for Pakistan since the dawn of time.But the long-term can wait. This is a World Cup. This is the ODI tournament that defines careers. And this is the game that might define the tournament for both sides.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)

Ireland:LWLWWPakistan:WWWLL
Pakistan will once again be heavily banking on their left-arm pace trio of Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan and Rahat Ali•Getty Images

In the spotlight

The reason confusion continues to surround the exact height of Mohammad Irfan is that he is simply too tall to measure. Some say he eats three James Taylors in a bun each breakfast and brushes his teeth with a fir tree plucked from a mountainside. He could, he says, write a book on the difficulties of fitting into hotel beds and airplane seats. Quite a dull book, perhaps, and one he would keep on an impossibly high shelf. While it remains a struggle to keep him fit – his buttocks are currently causing him some discomfort – his pace, his height and his left-arm angle create significant difficulties for any batsman. While teams in the early stages were happy to simply see him off, the decision to include an extra bowler in the Pakistan side has forced batsmen to take a more aggressive approach against him. They rarely succeed.While Ed Joyce remains the key batsman, the form of Andy Balbirnie has been hugely encouraging. A year ago Balbirnie, an elegant 24-year-old batsman, would barely have warranted mention in Ireland’s top 20 players. But he flourished on the acclimatisation tour of Australia and New Zealand before Christmas and has continued his development in this tournament with impressive innings against South Africa – when he made 58 – and Zimbabwe – when he made 97.

Teams news

Pakistan report a fully fit squad, but there seems a good chance they will go into the game unchanged. There is talk of them recalling spin bowling all-rounder Haris Sohail, but it is not easy to see where he would fit in. There may also be a temptation to play the legspinner, Yasir Shah, with a view to exploiting Ireland’s perceived weakness against spin, but Misbah played down both possibilities. He said the seamers were “bowling really well” and “just taking wickets” while also claiming Ireland are “really good against spin.”Pakistan(probable): 1 Sarfraz Ahmed (wkt), 2 Ahmed Shehzad 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Sohaib Maqsood, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Sohail Khan, 10 Rahat Ali, 11 Mohammad Irfan.Ireland continue to compensate for their weakness in bowling – particularly seam bowling – with their impressive batting. There does seem a strong chance they will recall their highly impressive young offspinner Andy McBrine in place of one of the seamers, but generally they have a settled line-up that is unlikely to change much at this stage. How they could do with Tim Murtagh, who missed the tournament through injury, or Boyd Rankin, who misses through his decision to pursue a career with England, in such situations.Ireland (probable): 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Ed Joyce, 4 Niall O’Brien, 5Andy Balbirnie, 6 Gary Wilson (wkt), 7 Kevin O’Brien, 8 Stuart Thompson/Andy McBrine, 9 John Mooney, 10 George Dockrell, 11 Alex Cusack.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch for this game is on the opposite side of the square to that was used for the match between Bangladesh and England, so the square boundaries will not be quite so short. While the pitch is, by Australian standards, lacking just a bit of pace, it is true and offers the bowlers little. William Porterfield reasoned that 290 might be a par score, though no team has made more than 300 in an ODI here in the last decade. While there is an outside chance of a shower on the morning of the game, the weather is expected to be partly cloudy but generally sunny and dry.

Stats and trivia

• Ireland have conceded more runs – 1,579 – than all teams in the competition other than Sri Lanka – 1,703 – who have played a game more.
• Nobody has passed 50 in the tournament more times than Misbah-ul-Haq, who has on four occasions.
• The only time a team has reached 300 in an ODI in Adelaide since January 1995 came on February 15 when India scored 300 for 7 against Pakistan.
• With 5,049 runs, Misbah has the most ODI runs in history without a century. The next closest is Wasim Akram, also of Pakistan, with 3,717.
• Ireland’s NRR (-1.014) is the worst of any team with a hope of qualification. Only UAE, Scotland and Afganistan have a worse rate.

Quotes

“It’s really disappointing that we could be on the verge of Ireland’s last World Cup game for a long time. We have a cause that we fight for. We are trying to grow the game at home and show the ICC the folly of keeping the next World Cup to 10 teams, not allowing nations like us ourselves a fair chance to get in. The chance to break into the quarter-finals of a World Cup definitely makes it the biggest game we’ve ever had.”
“The pacers are really bowling well. All of them are wicket-takers. All of them are aggressive bowlers. And that’s what we need if we are not batting well. We need some really good backing by the bowling, and all the pacers are really doing their job getting wickets and putting pressure on the opposition.”

ScorecardChris Dent batted throughout the final day to ensure honours ended even•PA Photos

Chris Dent hit an unbeaten century as the Gloucestershire opener batted throughout the final day to help his side secure a draw in the LV= County Championship Division Two match at Northamptonshire.Dent ended the day 104 not out as Gloucestershire lost only two wickets in the day, ending 267 for 2 with Will Tavare and Gareth Roderick also making half centuries as Northants bowlers offered little threat of forcing victory.Resuming on 35 without loss, Gloucestershire never seriously threatened to attempt to chase the victory target of 454, but on a placid final day pitch at Wantage Road, Dent’s patient innings ensured his side batted out the day with comfort.The 24-year-old batted for six hours and two minutes and faced 285 balls for his sixth first-class century, and his first in the County Championship since Gloucestershire’s last meeting with Northants at Bristol in August 2013.His only scares in the marathon innings came on 99, when he survived a big appeal for a catch at cover, umpire Peter Hartley ruling the ball had come off his helmet, and was almost run out the following ball attempting a single that was never on, before completing his century with another quick single.Starting the day requiring 10 wickets to win, Northants would have fancied their chances of forcing a first Championship victory since 2013, but Dent and Tavare looked at ease throughout the morning, the only chance of note coming when Tavare miscued a pull just wide of Rob Keogh at midwicket.The pair reached their half centuries off successive overs and looked set to bat through the session, only for Tavare to be bowled by Mohammad Azharullah for 66 shortly before lunch.The breakthrough would not derail the visitors, though, as Roderick joined Dent in continuing the serene progress after lunch. Roderick had made 56 in the first innings and after a slow start, looked in good touch once more, hitting seven boundaries in completing a second half century of the match.The pair added 81 in 30 overs during the afternoon as Gloucestershire decided on the safe approach, Dent in particularly batting in determined fashion to add 21 runs in the session. However just as in the morning, a wicket fell shortly before the interval as Roderick was trapped lbw by Keogh.Northants took the new ball four overs into the evening session but Dent and Peter Handscomb ensured there would be no late wobbles for the visitors against a tired-looking attack.After five and a half hours of assured batting, Dent suddenly looked shaky upon reaching 99, but survived a quick single to bring up three figures 10 minutes before the sides shook hands on the draw.

ScorecardEngland dominated the first of three Twenty20s by thumping South Africa by 54 runs at Northampton on Friday. Charlotte Edwards’ 34-ball 45 helped give England the early momentum and her team-mates joined her in hitting out to boost the home side to 138 for 6. In reply, South Africa struggled from the off to seal the conclusion early on, though they didn’t fold entirely.Claire Taylor missed out with illness but England still cashed in, although Ebony Rainford-Brent registered a duck on debut, coming in for the last few balls of the first innings after Cri-Zelda Brits sent them in.South Africa soon slumped to 28 for 4, as Isa Guha, Katherine Brunt and Holly Colvin troubled them, but Brits and Susan Benade were able to add a respectable unbeaten 56. Brits will be happy with that kind of spirit – the England leg of this tour has been about fighting back.Benade was unbeaten on 34 from 41 balls, having earlier picked up 2 for 21, while Brits was unbeaten on 20. This was only the fourth Twenty20 for Brits’ side and South Africa will barely have time to pause for breath before returning to the County Ground on Saturday for a double-header after Wednesday’s opener was washed out.

Shoaib Akhtar has filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court seeking to overturn the original five-year ban imposed on him by the Pakistan board that was later reduced to 18 months by an appellate tribunal.Even though Shoaib’s ban was reduced after an appeal, he wasn’t happy with the tribunal’s decision. “I want to play for Pakistan as soon as possible,” Shoaib told PTI. “I was disappointed with the tribunal’s decision on my appeal.””We feel the decision of the PCB in the first place to ban him for five years was illegal and unjustified,” Abid Hasan Minto, Shoaib’s legal counsel, said. “We believe he is being prevented from playing cricket for his country by an illegal decision of the board. The ban itself is very harsh. We are contesting the entire ban.”The court, after hearing the appeal, summoned the Pakistan board to explain the ban. “The court heard the petition and has given an urgent notice to the respondent, the PCB, to appear before it on July 4,” PCB lawyer Taffazul Hussain Rizvi told AFP.Nasim Ashraf, the Pakistan board chairman, had said Shoaib was free to appeal in court. “That is his decision to make,” Ashraf had said. “The tribunal’s verdict has nothing to do with the PCB. I can’t overturn the reduced ban on him. The decision made by Justice Aftab Farrukh is final and it can only be challenged in the court.”Shoaib was banned for five years in April by a disciplinary committee of the PCB for violating the players’ code of conduct after he was charged with publicly criticising the board for offering him a retainership instead of a contract. The ban prevented him from playing in the IPL until it was suspended for one month which facilitated Shoaib’s participation in the Twenty20 tournament.Shoaib appealed against the five-year ban and it was reduced to 18 months along with a fine of Rs 7 million (approximately $105,000) by a PCB-appointed appellate tribunal, headed by Justice (retd) Aftab Farrukh, on June 14.

For the first time in the history of Test cricket, two captains with surnames starting with the letter V wrote themselves onto the Lord’s honours boards on the same day, as Michael Vaughan and Daniel Vettori put the tedium of the past two days behind them with a pair of sparkling performances. Their efforts seem likely to be academic, given how much time in the match has been lost, but as a pointer for the remainder of the series, they were instructive nonetheless. England arrived at Lord’s with dominance aforethought but, not for the first time this year, they were forced to limit their ambitions because of the tenacity of their opponents.”It was a pleasing day’s cricket,” said Vettori, whose figures of 5 for 69 were his best against England. “I thought we’d played really well because most people predicted England would come out and dominate the day. I thought we didn’t start as well as we could, but from thereon in, particularly the way Chris Martin bowled, it set up a good day for us. For them to be only 40 in front, and both sides batted in completely contrasting conditions, is good reward for our day.”It was a Hamilton-lite performance from New Zealand. Just as they had done in the first Test of the previous series, the Kiwi bowlers operated with steady determination and under-rated skill, and a hint of assistance from the surface was all that was needed to squeeze the attacking intent out of England’s top-order. That they did so under clear blue skies, instead of the slate-grey mizzle that persuaded England to bowl first on winning the toss, was an added feather in their black caps. When Tim Ambrose fell first-ball to Vettori, England’s total of 208 for 6 was identical to that which New Zealand mustered on the truncated first day, which reinforced the notion that England’s bowlers had lacked ruthlessness in the formative stages of the game. By the close New Zealand’s openers, Aaron Redmond and Jamie How, had shown that they too can survive when the conditions are favourable, by wiping off the deficit in a 40-run stand.”We played good cricket and stuck at it, and we were on top for the majority of the day,” said Vettori. “If the day had gone to 2 for 250, they would have been able to dictate terms, but because we kept taking wickets it doesn’t allow teams to force the issue. The first session tomorrow is really important but so were the first 16 tonight. The way Aaron and Jamie handled it was particularly pleasing and a real confidence-boost for the dressing room. If they can go out there and do the same thing then it probably kills the game, because realistically the only way both teams can be brought into it is by us batting poorly.”In the circumstances, therefore, Vaughan’s hundred – though technically impeccable – was not the most pressurised he will ever make. But a score is a score nonetheless, and he seemed in a prickly mood as he reflected with satisfaction on his latest bout of doubt-answering. Displaying the same confidence in his own ability that had enabled him to weather England’s early jitters on the pitch, he revealed that the familiarity of Lord’s had instantly put his mind at rest. Today was his sixth hundred at the ground, which equals the record held by Graham Gooch, so it’s little wonder he feels so at home. “You walk in the dressing-room and see your name on the board five times it gives you a huge lift,” he said, “knowing that I’ve done it here before and certainly hope to do it here again.”Vaughan went on to dispel the notion that his hundred had been a long time coming – the Trent Bridge Test against India may have been 10 months ago, but only seven Tests have elapsed in that time. “People talk about form a lot,” he said. “I felt going into this game I was in good form in terms of rhythm if not in terms of runs scored. Some people find that very hard to understand, but I was very relaxed today and very disciplined for the first 30 runs. From then on I knew a hundred was there for the taking unless I made a mistake, and I didn’t make one.”He might not have had the chance to reach three figures, however, had it not been for the cool support of Stuart Broad at No. 8, whose maiden Test innings on home soil lived up to the billing that such luminaries as Duncan Fletcher have been giving him this week. For Vaughan it was a first opportunity to examine at close quarters the composure and technique of his young colleague, but it was his opposite number, Vettori, who knows best what is required at that pivotal position in the order.”He’s got a good solid technique and he looks like a batsman which is the biggest start,” said Vettori. “That’s what he does do well. When he comes to the crease he’s got a presence, because he looks like he knows exactly what he’s doing. He knows where his off stump is and he plays the short ball well. Couple that with his bowling, and it’s a nice package, particularly coming in at No. 8.”The day provided an entertaining joust between two sides who are better matched than their egos would have you believe, although Vettori admitted that he wouldn’t be taking any satisfaction from his personal performance until he has seen his side safely to the draw. New Zealand won in Hamilton two months ago because they didn’t relax their guard for an instant, but they lost the next two Tests because of two critical lapses in concentration. The second occurred when Ryan Sidebottom skittled them in the space of a session at Napier.”Sidebottom is always in the back of our heads,” said Vettori. “He’s bowled tremendously well for a long time, and they are going to be constant threats all day.” Vaughan, meanwhile, was cautiously optimistic about England’s prospects. “It’s going to take something special to force a victory,” he said, ” but last-day cricket can spring all kinds of funny things. I’d like to see the ball swing, but Monty [Panesar] bowled beautifully so could have a big part to play. We’ll have to get wickets in little clusters to get them under pressure, but we’ve certainly got the attack to cause a few problems tomorrow.”

The dust has barely settled on the furore surrounding the England selection at Headingley and the focus will again be on what names Geoff Miller comes up with for the third Test at Edgbaston, which starts next Wednesday. The squad, expected to include 13 players, will be announced before the first Twenty20 semi-final at The Rose Bowl on Saturday.After plucking Darren Pattinson out of obscurity the selectors are likely to go the other way this time and bolster the pace attack with a tried (if not always trusted) name. Steve Harmison could be handed a chance to relaunch his international career as England look at how they can bowl South Africa out twice. It took them 176.2 overs to claim 10 wickets at Headingley, following two days of toil for three scalps at Lord’s.”We now know we have to win two games to win the series, and have to create a side which is capable of that at Edgbaston, which as a ground is different to Headingley,” said Miller. “We have discussed all kinds of things: extra pace, whether it will turn more, or whether it is anticipated to swing.”Harmison is in the best position to earn a recall after claiming 41 wickets at 22.82 for Durham this season while reaching 90mph. He had plenty of ground to make up after his poor display in New Zealand, but after Matthew Hoggard was overlooked at Headingley, Harmison is now ahead of him in the pecking order. Simon Jones, the other of England’s Ashes quicks still on the sideline, would be another option but Worcestershire and England are being very careful about his progress.An on-form Harmison would certainly add another dimension to the England attack, especially alongside Andrew Flintoff who got through 40 overs at Headingley. James Anderson has also impressed during the series, but Stuart Broad has looked tired and could be rested despite the runs he brings at No. 8.Ryan Sidebottom, who missed out with a back problem last week opening the selectorial can of worms, is expected to be fit again. He should be a straight swap for Pattinson, who can go back to county cricket and, hopefully, not be adversely affected by his past week.”You always need options. Ryan has been an extremely important member of the squad, and indeed side, since he came back last year,” said Miller. “But it is not just about taking 20 wickets – yes we need to do that – it is about scoring runs as well, and 200 in the first innings [at Headingley] is simply not enough.”The batting, though, is unlikely to be altered despite temptations to strengthen the middle order with a swift recall for Paul Collingwood. Alastair Cook hasn’t scored a century since the third Test against Sri Lanka in December, but the most in-need of runs is captain Michael Vaughan with scores of 0, 2 and 21 in this series.England squad (probable) Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan (capt), Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Tim Ambrose (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad, Ryan Sidebottom, James Anderson, Monty Panesar, Steve Harmison.

Cricinfo New South Wales
Squad Aaron Bird, Doug Bollinger (Cricket Australia contract), Nathan Bracken (CA), Mark Cameron, Beau Casson (CA), Stuart Clark (CA), Michael Clarke (CA), Burt Cockley, Ed Cowan, Scott Coyte, Peter Forrest, Brad Haddin (CA), Nathan Hauritz, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques (CA), Simon Katich (capt) (CA), Usman Khawaja, Grant Lambert, Brett Lee (CA), Greg Mail, Peter Nevill, Stephen O’Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Daniel Smith, Steven Smith, Dominic Thornely, David Warner.
Rookies Daniel Burns, James Crosthwaite, Scott Henry, Simon Keen, Joshua Lalor, Mitchell Starc.In: Peter Nevill (Victoria).Out: Aaron O’Brien (South Australia), Tom Cooper (South Australia), Craig Simmons (Western Australia), Matthew Nicholson (retired).Queensland
Squad Glen Batticciotto, Andy Bichel, Scott Brant, Ryan Broad, Lee Carseldine, Ben Cutting, Daniel Doran, Ryan Harris, Chris Hartley, Matthew Hayden (CA), James Hopes (CA), Nick Kruger, Ben Laughlin, Martin Love, Greg Moller, Ashley Noffke (CA), Aaron Nye, Clinton Perren, Nathan Reardon, Nathan Rimmington, Chris Simpson (capt), Grant Sullivan, Chris Swan, Andrew Symonds (CA), Shane Watson (CA).
Rookies Cameron Boyce, Michael Johnson, Alister McDermott, Dom O’Brien, Wade Townsend, Scott Walter, Worrin Williams.In: Ryan Harris (South Australia).Out: Mitchell Johnson (Western Australia), Michael Kasprowicz (retired), Jimmy Maher (retired).South Australia
Squad Cullen Bailey, Cameron Borgas, Daniel Christian, Mark Cleary, Tom Cooper, Mark Cosgrove, Dan Cullen, Callum Ferguson, Peter George, Daniel Harris, Michael Klinger, Graham Manou (capt), Aaron O’Brien, Tom Plant, Gary Putland, Paul Rofe, Shaun Tait (CA), Allan Wise, Younis Khan.
Rookies Jake Brown, Andy Delmont, Jason Donnelly, Jake Haberfield, Chadd Sayers, James Smith.In: Younis Khan (Pakistan), Allan Wise (Victoria), Michael Klinger (Victoria), Aaron O’Brien (New South Wales), Tom Cooper (New South Wales).Out: Ryan Harris (Queensland), Shane Deitz (Wellington), Darren Lehmann (retired), Matthew Elliott (retired), Jason Gillespie (retired).Tasmania
Squad Dane Anderson, George Bailey, Travis Birt, Luke Butterworth, David Dawson, Gerard Denton, Michael Dighton, Mark Divin, Xavier Doherty, Alex Doolan, Chris Duval, Brendan Drew, Brett Geeves, Adam Griffith, Ben Hilfenhaus (CA), Jason Krejza, Rhett Lockyear, Tim Macdonald, Daniel Marsh (capt), Tim Paine, Ricky Ponting (CA), Jeremy Smith.
Rookies James Faulkner, Wade Irvine, Brady Jones, John Rogers, Jonathan Wells.In: Gerard Denton (Victoria), John Rogers (ACT).Out: Damien Wright (Victoria), Michael Di Venuto (retired).

Victoria
Squad Aiden Blizzard, Adam Crosthwaite, Aaron Finch, Shane Harwood, John Hastings, Brad Hodge (CA), David Hussey (CA), Nick Jewell, Lloyd Mash, Andrew McDonald, Bryce McGain, Clinton McKay, Dirk Nannes, Darren Pattinson, James Pattinson, Rob Quiney, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Matthew Wade, Cameron White (capt) (CA), Damien Wright.
Rookies Brett Forsyth, Steve Gilmour, Michael Hill, Jon Holland, Kumar Sarna.In: Chris Rogers (Western Australia), Damien Wright (Tasmania).Out: Michael Klinger (South Australia), Allan Wise (South Australia), Gerard Denton (Tasmania), Peter Nevill (New South Wales), Mick Lewis (retired).Western Australia
Squad David Bandy, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Arron Crawford, Liam Davis, Paul Davis, Brett Dorey, Theo Doropoulos, Ben Edmondson, Aaron Heal, Clint Heron, Michael Hussey (CA), Mitchell Johnson (CA), Matt Johnston, Trent Kelly, Steve Magoffin, Shaun Marsh (CA), Marcus North (capt), Luke Pomersbach, Wes Robinson, Luke Ronchi, Adam Voges (CA).
Rookies Nicholas Death, Michael Johnson, Josh Mangan, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Thompson, Christopher Wood.In: Mitchell Johnson (Queensland), Craig Simmons (New South Wales).Out: Chris Rogers (Victoria), Adam Gilchrist (retired), Justin Langer (retired), Brad Hogg (retired), Darren Wates (retired), Mathew Inness (retired).

It seems that the ICC might have finally accepted that all is not well inside Zimbabwe.In an interview with the Zimbabwe Independent, ICC president Ray Mali, a staunch supporter of Zimbabwe and its board, admitted that the political situation was a cause for concern.As the presidential election re-run approaches, the levels of civil unrest and tension have escalated, and Mali said that presented its own issues. “The ICC recognises that the conditions in Zimbabwe present a unique challenge to both Zimbabweans and to those visiting the country,” he told the paper. “The ICC encourages the maintenance of cricketing ties between Zimbabwe and other ICC members as exposure is the only way that the players of Zimbabwe can improve.”However, the ICC cannot control the views of members and, more pertinently, the views of the governments of those members, and ultimately cannot force A sides to visit the country or play against Zimbabwe as A side interaction does not fall under the Future Tours Programme. The ICC will continue to seek to encourage such interaction on an ongoing basis.”Zimbabwe have tried to engage A sides in matches, but with three Full Members – Australia, England and New Zealand – unwilling to play them for political reasons, and West Indies A declining to tour there on safety grounds, their choices are limited. The report states that the ICC wants to see Zimbabwe win 80% of games against A teams before there is any chance of them being readmitted to Test cricket. In six matches against South Africa, India and Sri Lanka A sides they have won only once”The Zimbabwe team is inexperienced and so playing against players who have either played a great deal of high-level cricket already or who are on the cusp of doing so is obviously going to be a challenging assignment,” Mali insisted. “On that basis it would have been unreasonable to expect the Zimbabwe team to sweep all before it.”What the matches have done is to provide the players with experience that will help them to develop so that as and when the chance to return to Test cricket comes then it will not be such an enormous leap. That is exactly why the A team matches are important and the ICC encourages its members to take part in more of these to further aid Zimbabwe cricket.”While Zimbabwe Cricket has done well to keep the domestic competitions running in the last two months, the deteriorating political situation, as well as widespread food and fuel shortages, makes it increasingly unlikely that even those countries who have stood by Zimbabwe will feel inclined to risk a tour in the foreseeable future. India were scheduled to visit for some full ODIs this month but that was postponed indefinitely, ostensibly because of India’s intense itinerary.Mali confirmed that the ICC would leave the issue of Zimbabwe’s return to Test cricket to their own board to recommend, but that the final decision would be with the ICC’s executive.”The ICC is kept informed by Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka – and Norman Arendse, president of Cricket South Africa, which has offered to support in any way it can – at every ICC board meeting,” he said. “Chingoka has undertaken to report to the board as and when it is felt that Zimbabwe is ready for a return to the Test arena and if he made such a report then the ICC board would consider its merits.”