Story Australia to the Ashes and World Cup (ICC 2005)

[Ludicrous]

Australia to the Ashes and World Cup

ICC 2005 - International Only (Australia), Normal difficulty

With Australia about to begin their first international games of the 2006-07 season, Sky Sports have announced that they will be covering all the country's matches in its run-up to the huge Ashes showdown in November and then on to the World Cup in the West Indies. Despite maintaining their number 1 world rankings in both Tests and ODIs, it's rumoured that the Aussie selectors will be forming a new-look squad coming into these vital competitions.

Before we get into the action, here's a summary of what's going on around the cricketing globe.

ICC World Rankings
World Test Championship
1. Australia
2. South Africa
3. Pakistan
4. India
5. New Zealand
6. England
7. Sri Lanka
8. West Indies
9. Bangladesh
10. Zimbabwe

World One Day International Championship
1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. South Africa
4. Sri Lanka
5. Pakistan
6. India
7. West Indies
8. England
9. Zimbabwe
10. Bangladesh

Player Rankings
Test Matches - Batting
1. Taufeeq Umar - Pakistan
2. Inzamam-ul-Haq - Pakistan
3. Matthew Hayden - Australia
4. Kumar Sangakkara - Sri Lanka
5. Grant Rowley - South Africa
6. Adam Gilchrist - Australia
7. Geraint Jones - England
8. Mohammad Yousuf - Pakistan
9. Ricky Ponting - Australia
10. Shivnarine Chanderpaul - West Indies

Taufeeq Umar - currently enjoying the form of his life

Test Matches - Bowling
1. Harbhajan Singh - India
2. Anil Kumble - India
3. Danish Kaneria - Pakistan
4. Rao Iftikhar Anjum - Pakistan
5. Steve Harmison - England
6. David Terbrugge - South Africa
7. Ashley Giles - England
8. Saqlain Mushtaq - Pakistan
9. Shoaib Akhtar - Pakistan
10. Ryan Hinds - West Indies

India's spin duo Harbhajan and Kumble are terrorising the world's batsmen

ODIs - Batting
1. Virender Sehwag - India
2. Brian Lara - West Indies
3. Matthew Hayden - Australia
4. Andrew Puttick - South Africa
5. Mahela Jayawardene - Sri Lanka
6. Hashan Tillakaratne - Sri Lanka
7. Chris Gayle - West Indies
8. Jacques Kallis - South Africa
9. Shoaib Khan - Pakistan
10. Taufeeq Umar - Pakistan

Virender Sehwag, who made a career-best 166 in an ODI last year

ODI Bowling
1. Muttiah Muralitharan - Sri Lanka
2. Gagandeep Singh - India
3. Anil Kumble - India
4. Saqlain Mushtaq - Pakistan
5. Mohammad Hussain - Pakistan
6. Thilan Samaraweera - Sri Lanka
7. Ashley Giles - England
8. Kandage Fernando - Sri Lanka
9. Glenn McGrath - Australia
10. Jacques Kallis - South Africa

Murali works his magic yet again as he propels himself to the top of the world rankings​

Next: The Australian tour to Zimbabwe - fixtures, the squad, and expert opinion.

 

[langerrox]

looks very interesting, looking forward to it.

 

[Ludicrous]

Australia vs. Zimbabwe​

Australia's first tour of the season will be to strugglers Zimbabwe. Though obviously nothing can be taken for granted, most Aussie fans are seeing it as a fairly easy workout ahead of the more gruelling home series against New Zealand and England. The fixture list was announced earlier today.

29th September - Matabeleland vs. Australia, 3 day friendly
6th October - Zimbabwe vs. Australia, 1st Test
13th October - Zimbabwe vs. Australia, 2nd Test
19th October - Zimbabwe vs. Australia, 1st ODI
21st October - Zimbabwe vs. Australia, 2nd ODI
23rd October - Zimbabwe vs. Australia, 3rd ODI​

The fixtures are packed closely together, but Australian captain Ricky Ponting is confident that his side can take the strain. He revealed at the same press conference the squad of 18 that would be traveling to Zimbabwe.

Ricky Ponting (captain)
Shane Warne (vice-captain for tests)
Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain for ODIs, keeper)
Justin Langer
Michael Clarke
Mike Hussey
Matthew Hayden
Damien Martyn
Simon Katich
Phil Jaques
Shane Watson
Cameron White
Glenn McGrath
Brett Lee
Jason Gillespie
Nathan Bracken
Beau Casson
Matthew Inness​

There were a couple of surprises in the squad - with Brad Hogg's retirement it looks like either Cameron White or Beau Casson will take over one-day spinner's duty. Casson, 23, had a fantastic 2005 season, averaging 25 in one day games, and if he plays it will be his international debut. Cameron White, also 23, was a non-playing member of the squad that toured South Africa in February, and is also in line for a debut. Also, Matthew Inness was rewarded for averaging under 20 in both forms of the game last season with the chance to make his debut. The lone friendly game against Matabeleland will probably see at least two of these youngsters get a chance to show their worth for the more serious matches that follow.

Casson, White and Inness all looking to impress​

Author's note: I would have picked Andrew Symonds but apparently he's retired. I found that very odd - but I suppose he's off trying to grow his hair long enough to develop its own ecosystem. Or something.​

Expert Opinion

Mark Waugh
I'm very disappointed that "Roy" Symonds chose to retire, as it leaves us without an experienced one-day spinner. I'm not sure I'd like to rely on Michael Clarke or Simon Katich - but then again the young players are in there for a reason and hopefully we'll see either Cam or Beau (preferably both) make their mark on the international scene soon.
That said, I can't see us losing either of these series. Our squad's just too talented all round not to, with respect to Zimbabwe, hammer them.

Geoffrey Boycott
What are they doing, taking two complete newbies as their only spinners for the one-dayers? I don't know...it was different in my day.​

Next: the warmup game vs. Matabeleland!

 

[treva]

great start mate looks very interesting!

Good luck wih it

P.S come on Zimbabwe

 

[surendar]

Nice presentation to the start of the story!!! Good Luck mate :happy

P.S come on Zimbabwe

Come on Zimbabwe

 

[Ludicrous]

Matabeleland vs. Australia​

It's a slightly overcast morning here at the Bulawayo Cricket Ground as we're getting ready for the warmup match between Matabeleland and Australia. The team news is fresh in, and Australia have given chances to all three of their inexperienced bowlers. Adam Gilchrist will be in charge of the team today, and he'll be hoping not to continue his record as in Tests, where his batting average drops by 20 as captain. Here are the full XIs.

Matabeleland
1. M Vermeulen
2. N Mukondiwa
3. G Ewing (c)
4. G Strydom
5. A Hoffman
6. K Walsh
7. J Nyumbu
8. K Dabengwa
9. M Mabuza (k)
10. T Mupariwa
11. C Mpofu

Australia
1. M Hussey
2. P Jaques
3. D Martyn
4. S Katich
5. M Clarke
6. A Gilchrist (c, k)
7. S Watson
8. C White
9. N Bracken
10. B Casson
11. M Inness

The pitch should offer quite a lot to the bowlers as the game goes on, and as it will get worse with time the toss-winning captain should probably have a bat. Speaking of the toss, Gilchrist called heads and lost - which means that the Aussies have got to bowl first. It shouldn't be too hard though - there's already hints of strange bounce and turn.

1st innings: Matabeleland 0-0 after 0 overs

Inness bowls well early on, narrowly missing Vermeulen's edge

Moments later he gets his reward when Jaques takes a great catch to dismiss Vermeulen
M Vermeulen c Jaques b Inness 9 (35)

4 balls later new batsman Ewing hits it straight back to Inness, who's on a roll
G Ewing c&b Inness 0 (4)

Strydom gets off the mark with a stylish on drive off Casson for 4

Mukondiwa smacks a Watson delivery away into the leg side for 4

Strydom's gone and Inness has got his third wicket. Casson takes the catch
G Strydom c Casson b Inness 18 (47)

Mukondiwa tucks into a wide delivery by Inness and gets 4 for it

Another wicket - this time Hoffman is snared by White for just 2
A Hoffman c Casson b White 2 (18)

Disaster for Matabeleland as the energetic Mukondiwa edges Watson to slip
N Mukondiwa c Clarke b Watson 29 (93)

White gets a second wicket by trapping Walsh with a great ball
K Walsh lbw b White 12 (16)

So that's lunch and Matabeleland are relieved to get off the pitch. They've batted terribly in the face of cunning Aussie youngsters and are already facing an uphill struggle to win the match.

1st innings: - Matabeleland 79-6 after 37 overs
J Nyumbu 3* (6)
K Dabengwa 2* (6)

N Bracken 7-1-9-0
M Inness 11-5-18-3
S Watson 8-0-21-1
B Casson 6-0-16-0
C White 5-2-14-2​

NEXT: Afternoon session!

 

[Ludicrous]

I'm going on holiday tomorrow morning and will return on Monday evening. No updates until then.