New Ball Bowlers Will be Key for Ashes 2009

August 25th, 2009 SYDNEY - Former Australian cricketers Shane Warne and Tom Moody have criticised the selectors, following Australia's Ashes-losing defeat in the Fifth Test at The Oval. Warne said that he was "staggered" by the decision to leave spinner Nathan Hauritz out of the side, while Moody said that selectors had got the decision "horribly wrong", The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

August 25th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Spin legend Shane Warne would jump at the chance to replace Ricky Ponting and come out of retirement "in a heartbeat" if offered the Australian captaincy, former Test star Dean Jones has said. Ponting's captaincy is under scrutiny after he became only the second Australian captain to lose two Ashes series on English soil.

August 24th, 2009 LONDON - Former spin king Warne, Test opener Michael Slater and former captain Ian Chappell have led the chorus on calling for the selection panel, chaired by Andrew Hilditch, to be made accountable for Ashes failures and the fact Australia may drop to as low as No.4 Test nation. Former coach John Buchanan also said the days where selectors were part-timers, some participating in decisions on players they had limited opportunity to see - particularly when 12,000km away, may be passing.

August 24th, 2009 Indo-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI - Harbhajan Singh has always relished taking on the combative Australians and the Indian off-spinner could not hide his happiness at the Baggy Greens surrendering the Ashes to England. "Mubarak ho! (Congratulations)," replied Harbhajan, in his inimitable style, when asked to react on Australia's loss to England and their slide to fourth position from the top of the Test rankings.

August 20th, 2009 LONDON - With the Ashes up for grabs during the next five days, Australia needs to play positive cricket from ball one tonight to retain the famous little urn, says former leg spinner Shane Warne in an article for the Herald Sun. "Australia must remain aggressive and try to win the Test match.

August 2nd, 2009 MELBOURNE - One of the greatest exponents of spin bowling, Shane Warne, has urged Australian cricketers to bring back the sledge and rediscover their nasty streak before England emerge as a stronger opponent. Warne pleaded with fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle to "get really nasty" after Australia were forced into a corner in the third Test at Edgbaston.

July 16th, 2009 LONDON - Australian spin great Shane Warne backed Andrew Flintoff's decision to retire from Test cricket and said the all-rounder will be a big crowd-puller in the Indian Premier League next year. Warne said Flintoff can now focus on One-day and Twenty20 formats and the latter will suit his style of play.

July 13th, 2009 LONDON - Legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne feels that the Australian team is no longer in a state of transition and young players have stamped their own style in the first drawn Ashes Test at Cardiff. "The Australia team are no longer in transition.

July 7th, 2009 LONDON - Shane Warne feels that Brett Lee's absence from the first Ashes Test is a huge setback for Australia. Lee has been ruled out of the opening match against England, starting in Cardiff Wednesday.

July 4th, 2009 SYDNEY - With the Ashes series scheduled to begin in less than a week's time, former Australian spin legend Shane Warne has rated each player of the Australian squad. Warne has indicated that captain Ricky Ponting is the mainstay of the batting line-up, who would be full of motivation on his fourth Ashes tour.

June 29th, 2009 LONDON - Former Australian spinner Shane Warne has turned up the heat on his continuous feud with English batsman Paul Collingwood, with this time commenting on his performance in the World Twenty20 tournament. "There was no imagination, no flair.

June 12th, 2009 SYDNEY - Former Australian spin wizard Shane Warne has taken a swipe at his former coach John Buchanan saying that his presence in the England team will create more chances for Australia to win the Ashes. Buchanan will work with England and Wales Cricket Board's elite coaching programmes and will also oversee the progress of their under-19 and second-string Lions teams.

June 11th, 2009 LONDON - Australian spin legend Shane Warne may have slated Paul Collignwood for showing a lack of imagination in his captaincy, but England T20 captain took innovative swipe on Australia's elimination from the World Twenty20. "It's a bit disappointing that they've been knocked out, to be honest," Collingwood said today, joking that he was upset that his side had not had an early chance to beat the Australians.

June 11th, 2009 SYDNEY - Shane Warne feels that the inability of Australians to play spin resulted in their early exit from the World Twenty20. The former Australian leg spinner said the England team must have noted the team's weakness against spin and used it to their advantage ahead of the Ashes series that begin July 8.

May 30th, 2009 LONDON - Australian spin wizard Shane Warne has warned England's left-arm spinner Monty Panesar that his career will be in danger if he doesn't learn some new tricks. Warne, who has been England's nemesis with 195 wickets from 36 Ashes Test, feels that Panesar is a jewel but is not able to grow.