[b]Australia v Pakistan, Sky Sports 1, 1100hrs BST[/b]
[u]Australia[/u]
Barring something remarkable, Australia have already qualified for the semi-finals. It would take a huge defeat today and a huge win for India in the other game to deny them, and the Aussies have been more in the 'inflicting huge defeats on other people' business in this tournament. Despite having no discernable middle order they've progressed because of the magnificent form of Shane Watson with bat and ball. If it is possible to win an international contest on the shoulders of one man then they may well do so.
Xavier Doherty, the left arm spinner, had a fine game against South Africa on Sunday but may well lose his place (either to Clint McKay or, if the Aussies are feeling really cocky, Dan Christian) as...
[u]Outright market[/u]
Despite the helter-skelter nature of Twenty20, one can usually rely on statistics to ensure that a wager emerges from a pack of eight sides who can expect to go close to glory, and the third edition of this tournament is no different.
South Africa are third favourites and at 7.2 they represent solid value. They impressed greatly on their tour of England yet it is consistency which is the most important factor. With a win percentage of 69 in the last two years, they are the comfortably the most reliable.
The balance South Africa have also inspires confidence. AB De Villiers, Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla can score quick runs up top, Albie Morkel can blast big numbers in the middle while with the ball the canny limited-overs pace bowling of Dale Steyn and ...
[b]A prolific wicket-taker but never a great, is it time to terminate the Turbanator's Test career[/b]
Amongst off-spinners, India's [b]Harbhajan Singh[/b] is the second highest wicket taker in Test history and the third highest Test wicket-taker from all Indians.
Since his international debut in 1998 in Australia his career has been one of some quality interspersed with great moments, yet he has never threatened greatness. Despite his numbers he enjoys an exulted eminence inconsistent with his form. A question over his bowling action punctuated with regular bouts of surliness has tarnished his career and it is possible that these negatives have blurred some of his achievements, at least to some of us.
Some say his difficult attitude assisted in countering the bullying tactics...
[b]Frank Gregan tells us why England need to replicate their Test form at ODI level before they can hold claim to being the best cricket playing nation in the world.[/b]
Remember the good old days? "Ladies and Gentlemen, please show your appreciation for the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World..." These days boxing has more titles than the House of Lords and more belts than the luggage reclaim at Heathrow airport which dilutes the prestige.
The best cricket team in the world is easier to identify. In the past, they've tended to dominate the game in both formats, [b]Test and ODIs[/b]. It seems that might be about to change as England look set to claim their place as the best Test team in the world but still have to win an ICC 50 over title.
The praise for England has...
You can put as brave a face on it as you like but the fact is this has been a bitterly disappointing One Day series for England. Trailing 4-1, with a couple of dead rubbers to play, it's time to move on and look at the next big challenge.
A month ago, England were expected to win the Ashes, batter the Aussies in the One Day series, solve the global financial dilemma, win the World Cup, come up with a solution to the Middle East crisis, improve their Test ranking and find a cure for cancer. Andy Flower and Andy Strauss were all things to all Englishmen, nothing was impossible under their leadership.
Welcome to international cricket, four weeks later the dream is shattered, and now a World Cup win looks about as likely as Sepp Blatter getting an invite to Prince William's wedding! ...
[b]It's less than a fortnight since Santa came down his chimney, but Frank Gregan has already penned another wishlist. This time, it's addressed to the England cricket team...[/b]
The mind plays strange tricks on you during the middle of the night as you sit cradling a glass of red wine whilst waiting for the weather [b]Down Under[/b] to change. A glance at the Medoc bottle raises the question, "Where do genies really come from?" We have our share of lamps in our house but like most homes at this time of year, there are considerably more bottles - the majority empty!
EuroMillions and [b]Cheryl Cole[/b] feature high on my wishlist before I get around to putting the sporting world to rights but cricket is at the forefront of the mind with England enjoying one of their best tours ...
Now I know we've been here before. Just before the Perth Test I was smugly writing that Australia couldn't possibly take 20 wickets, and my 'available to bet' balance is still suffering the very serious consequences. So it's rather scary to start making the same sort of sweeping judgement about what might happen in Sydney.
But as things stand this morning the Aussies couldn't be in a bigger state of disarray yet England, having just won an Ashes Test match by the [b]biggest margin[/b] since 1956, are still healthy odds against at 2.5 this morning. Yes, I know you shouldn't chase losses, but this one looks far too much value to miss out on.
Everything that can go wrong for Australia is still doing so. [b]Ricky Ponting[/b] confirmed overnight that he'll definitely not be fit to play,...
Unless you're an England backer or fan, you'll agree that Australia's fight-back in the Third Test was a much-needed one in order to keep this series alive and exciting.
It did of course have another very important consequence: [b]Ricky Ponting[/b] will remain as captain until the end of the series. He may miss the next Test through injury but that's a sub-story to the main plot. Whether he takes to the field or not, he's the skipper.
I don't really understand why this issue was up for debate. Even if England had won in Perth, the very least "Punter" deserved would be a chance of redemption in the last two matches. And if England had wrapped up the series before Sydney, Ponting would have resigned or been relieved of his duties at the end of the series and the ACB would then have...
Everyone loves that classic Kaiser Chiefs song 'Ruby' so don't be surprised to hear the [b]Barmy Army[/b] giving it their own rendition in Perth should England triumph.
Little Ruby Anderson might have a tale or two to tell her friends when she grows old enough to take those first steps into the big world that is also known as the Kindergarten.Should her father James fail to inspire England to victory here in Perth then question marks over the decision to allow him to return home from Australia will surface almost instantly.
If not, then she'll be able to negotiate over the Doll's House with the famous line, 'But my Dad won the Ashes'. Not bad I guess, although I always used to claim that my Dad was a pirate...incorrectly of course.
Anderson flew home from Adelaide last Tuesday ...
The Australians are not used to defeat and consequently they are leaving no straw unclutched, no barrel unscraped and no loony selection discarded as they try to get themselves back into the series. However, drastic times call for drastic measures so here are five 'alternative' actions that the Aussies might consider to get themselves back on track.
[b]Number Five: No more fair play cobber![/b]
A plea to the ICC to return to the good old days of having a home umpire out in the middle. Let's get back to basics and get the big decisions going the right way, none of this 'the batsman gets the benefit of the doubt' malarkey, 'the Aussie gets the benefit of the doubt!' It would make the commentator's job so much easier during reviews. "Let's have a look at this then, it's pitched outside...