Australia needs to win Ashes to retain number-one ranking in Tests

October 8th, 2009 LONDON - Andrew Strauss has already started to plot England's defence of the Ashes Down Under. After waiting 16 years to regain the urn under Michael Vaughan in 2005, England held it on loan for 463 days before they were whitewashed 5-0 in Australia in 2006-07.

September 20th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Australia's No.1 ranking in ODIs will be meaningless in the Champions Trophy, according to all-rounder James Hopes. Australia edged ahead of the Proteas in the one-day rankings, and with a record seventh successive victory over England tonight and retain the top spot heading into the Champions Trophy in South Africa starting on Tuesday.

August 26th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - South African skipper Graeme Smith has vowed to hold on to the number one Test ranking for "as long as possible". The Proteas are the game's new top dogs while Sri Lanka and India have also leapt above Australia in the rankings, leading players to reconcile with themselves what the fans already know; that decades of dominance are over and they no longer qualify as the world's best following a third series defeat from their past five.

August 24th, 2009 LONDON - Australia has officially lost its No.1 Test ranking, plunging to fourth place in the world, behind South Africa, Sri Lanka and India. Australia has officially or unofficially been the No.1 Test side in the world since Mark Taylor's team beat the West Indies in the Caribbean in 1995.

August 19th, 2009 LONDON - The fifth Ashes Test, which begins at The Oval from tomorrow, will be a defining one for Australia captain Ricky Ponting. Victory at The Oval will hand Ponting something that is demanded of any Australia captain worth his salt, a series victory over England, in England, reports Fox Sports.

August 19th, 2009 LONDON - England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has said that winning The Ashes this summer would be the greatest feat of his career. Recalling England's epic 2005 Ashes triumph, Flintoff, who scored 402 runs, took 24 wickets and was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, said the difference back then was England believed they would win.

August 16th, 2009 CANTERBURY - Being one of just four Australian cricketers who played in the shock 2-1 Ashes series loss to England in 2005, opener Simon Katich says Australia is ideally placed to prevent a repeat (a draw) at The Oval, when the fifth match gets underway from Thursday. Katich says his side is primed for revenge.

August 7th, 2009 LEEDS - Australian captain Ricky Ponting still appears wary about calling on Brett Lee, his most experienced bowler, to do duty against England in the fourth Ashes Test, which begins here today. "As we know it's not just one day of bowling.

July 24th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has ruled out his comeback in the third Ashes Test against England next week, reducing the pressure on Mitchell Johnson to retain his place. Lee fears that if he rushes back to try to help Australia level the series and breaks down again, he could ruin the team's Ashes campaign and his tour.

July 5th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson's fiancee has hit back at the controversy surrounding the inclusion of WAGs in Ashes Tour. Jessica Bratich, who recently got engaged to Johnson and is also a karate champ, branded the controversy 'ridiculous'.

July 3rd, 2009 LONDON - England all rounder Paul Collingwood has revealed his double century in the last Ashes convinced him he could cut it against Australia. The 33-year-old goes into his third series against the world's No1 Test side, having played a bit part role in the famous 2005 win.

June 23rd, 2009 SYDNEY - Former Australian star, Mark Waugh, has expressed confidence in the Australian squad ahead of the historic Ashes series, saying that Australia is well placed to retain the trophy in England. "Australia take a good form line from South Africa, winning the series over there.

June 14th, 2009 LONDON - England batsman Kevin Pietersen, who has been struggling with an achilles injury, might not play in all the Ashes Tests this summer. The star batsman said the problem could recur at any time.

June 11th, 2009 PERTH - Former Sri Lanka and currently Western Australia coach Tom Moody is confident that off-spinner Nathan Hauritz will play the first Ashes Test next month. The New South Wales spinner has taken 14 wickets in four Tests, but is still regarded as a containing bowler rather than a big wicket-taking threat.

May 31st, 2009 LONDON - John Buchanan, architect of Australia's 5-0 win in the 2006 Ashes, can switch loyalties this year. Buchanan, who recently lost his advisory contract with Cricket Australia (CA) was in England last week for meetings with England officials and members of the team coaching staff about their Ashes strategy and planning.