Ex-Oz PM Howard in Cardiff to support Australia in first Ashes Test

September 25th, 2009 LONDON - The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has released the itinerary for Pakistan's 'home' series against Australia which is to be played in England in 2010. The ECB has also announced the dates of the home Test and one-day series which the English team is scheduled to play against Bangladesh, Australia and Pakistan next year.

July 25th, 2009 SYDNEY - Former Australian Test opener Justin Langer has expressed his desire to play for the national team once again, saying he is ready to comeback from retirement to play in the third Ashes Test. Langer, who recently broke Don Bradman's record of scoring most first-class runs, said he is ready to play the third Ashes Test against Australia "for nothing".

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 8th, 2009 LONDON - Former England fast bowler Bob Willis has said that the hosts must hammer home their spin advantage in Cardiff and get their Ashes quest off to a flyer. Willis, who claimed 325 wickets during his international career, and is now a Sky Sports expert, told Sun Sport that England can call on Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar to do the job that is expected of them, while Australia, on the other hand, have just Nathan Hauritz and part-timers Michael Clarke, Marcus North and Simon Katich.

July 8th, 2009 CARDIFF - Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has urged Welsh fans to support his team as the Ashes series starts in Cardiff today. Ponting believes that old hostilities between the Welsh and the English could cause Cardiff locals to support Australia.

July 7th, 2009 DUBAI - Australia and England go head to head in the mouth-watering Ashes series in Cardiff on Wednesday with Ricky Ponting's side needing to win the series to retain its number-one ranking in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table. Although a drawn series will be enough for Australia to retain the Ashes, thanks to its 5-0 victory in the last series in its backyard in 2006-07, this outcome would drop it to second place for the first time since the current rankings system was introduced in 2003.

July 7th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath has predicted a whitewash for Australia against England in the Ashes series starting at Cardiff Wednesday. Australia's most successful fast bowler insists he is not being silly by tipping Ricky Ponting's side to win 5-0 in England.

July 7th, 2009 SYDNEY - Former Australian fast bowler Rodney Hogg has said that the toss will be crucial in the first test of the Ashes series that begins in Cardiff on Wednesday. "The toss in the First Test starting on Wednesday is the most important Ricky Ponting will face," The Herald Sun quoted Hogg, as saying.

July 6th, 2009 LONDON - Australian fast bowler Brett Lee's chances of leading the attack in the first Ashes Test starting Wednesday at Cardiff looked doubtful as he suffered a rib-injury during a tour-game against the England Lions. The 32-year-old was in great touch during the game against the Lions but after the match he complained of pain on the left side of his rib-cage.

July 5th, 2009 LONDON - England skipper Andrew Strauss is unhappy over selection of Cardiff as venue for the first Ashes Test, as he wants to capitalize on the home advantage during the series. Strauss last played a first-class game at Cardiff in 2002, and the ground was known as Sophia Gardens.

June 30th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Australia's injured all-rounder Shane Watson has been almost ruled out for the first Ashes Test after he did not train with the team in Worcester. Watson, who has an injured thigh, was confined to walking laps with team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris in a crucial training session in the lead-up to Australia's tour match against the England Lions starting on Wednesday evening.

June 30th, 2009 WORCESTER - Australian captain Ricky Ponting appears to be quite desperate to get as much information about the pitch at Cardiff, the venue for the first Ashes Test against England, that he is preparing to send a spy to unravel the confusion surrounding the controversial Sophia Gardens pitch. Reports about how the new strip will play in the first Test, beginning Wednesday week, have been so contradictory that Ponting is desperate for more information.

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.

June 11th, 2009 LONDON - Injured all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has brightened England's chances in the forthcoming Ashes series against Australia by announcing he will be fit for the tournament. Flintoff has made a quick recovery from a knee operation and has revealed that he has suffered no ill-effects from strenuous bowling sessions over the past few days, adding he could return to playing for Lancashire against Durham by Friday.

May 28th, 2009 SYDNEY - Ricky Ponting's plans to field an extra player in Australia's two Ashes warm-up matches can go up in smoke with England reportedly opposed to the idea. England is unlikely to allow Ponting play an extra man in both games as he seeks to give returning quicks Brett Lee and Stuart Clark a chance for the Test selection.