Langer ready to play third Ashes Test for “nothing”

September 9th, 2009 SOUTHAMPTON - Australian speedster Brett Lee admitted last night that he was still to know why team officials instructed Shane Watson to tell a press conference he was not ready for the fourth Test at Leeds when he had declared his fitness. The odd strategy left Watson having to explain his comments afterwards to an agitated Lee, who conceded he has played his last Ashes Test in England.

August 27th, 2009 LONDON - England fast bowler Steve Harmison has admitted he may have played his last Ashes Test. "I'd love to go to Australia.

August 20th, 2009 LONDON - England cricket captain Andrew Strauss has said that he is prepared to risk losing Andy Flintoff's farewell Test to try to win back the Ashes. Asked if he was prepared to risk losing the Ashes to force the pace against Australia, Strauss replied: "We've got to.

August 18th, 2009 LONDON - England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff says his retirement from Test cricket will not be a distraction for the team in the last Ashes Test at the Brit Oval. FLintoff expects to be fit for the fifth Test against Australia that starts Thursday as he continues to battle with the knee injury that forced him to call time on his Test career.

August 12th, 2009 LONDON - England fast bowler James Anderson has hit back at Justin Langer saying that now he is a ompletely different cricketer to the one the former Test opener played in the last Ashes series in Australia. "A lot has happened to me since the last Ashes series and I'm now a completely different cricketer to the one he faced in Australia," Anderson was quoted as saying by the Daily Telehraph.

August 9th, 2009 LONDON - In an amazing document detailing the thoughts of Somerset captain and former Australia opener Justin Langer, English cricketers are witheringly described as "lazy", "shallow" and "flat", and as players who "love being comfortable". Fast bowler James Anderson can be "a bit of a pussy" if things do not go his way and skipper Andrew Strauss can be too "conservative".

August 6th, 2009 ORKSHIRE - England captain Andrew Strauss says that he is realistic about all-rounder Andrew Flintoff's chances of playing in the fourth Ashes Test starting at the Headingly cricket ground here from tomorrow. "It is the fourth Test of an Ashes series, we are close to the finishing line and although we are all desperate for him to play we need to be realistic enough to realise if he's not fit, he shouldn't play," The Independent quoted Strauss, as saying.

August 6th, 2009 YORKSHIRE - Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has declared himself "100 percent" fit for tomorrow's fourth Ashes Test at the Headingly cricket ground here, but fellow all-rounder Shane Watson believes that he is not, though he would love for him to play. Watson, who has had a long catalogue of injuries, believes Lee would need to get through a tour game before having the confidence to get through a five-day Test.

August 3rd, 2009 WARWICKSHIRE - England fast bowler Steve Harmison has given formal notice that he intends to bowl on in the hope of a Test recall, contrary to reports that he plans to retire at the end of the current Ashes series. "I have no intention of retiring from Test cricket.

July 31st, 2009 EDGBASTON - Former Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden has said that he and Justin Langer would guide struggling opening batsman Phil Hughes, who has been dropped from the national team following dismal outings this season. Hayden promised that he and Langer would shepherd Hughes and help him to make a strong comeback.

July 25th, 2009 LONDON - England fast bowler Steve Harmison will retire from Test cricket after the ongoing Ashes series. Harmison, 30, is said to be tired of the treadmill and will apparently also quit one-day international cricket and Twenty20 internationals.

July 24th, 2009 SOMERSET - Former Australian opener Mathew Hayden has lauded former mate and opening partner Justin Langer for overtaking the legendary Sir Donald Bradman as his country's most prolific scorer in first class cricket. Giving an instant tribute to Langer, an emotional Hayden, who is on a business trip to India, was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald, as saying that Langer was a worthy successor to Bradman because he cherished the game's traditions and had qualities that made him one of Australia's most successful opening batsmen.

July 22nd, 2009 LONDON - England's star batsman Kevin Pietersen Wednesday predicted the death of Test cricket in a decade. "A few months ago I was so clear in my thoughts that nothing would affect Tests, but then you see what certain players are saying in the media and what kind of players are retiring to continue with the Twenty20 format as well as the riches of Twenty20 cricket," the Daily Telegraph quoted Pietersen as saying.

July 15th, 2009 LONDON - England all rounder Andrew Flintoff is ready to quit Test cricket at the end of this Ashes series. Flintoff, who has been afflicted with constant injuries, wants to quit five-day matches to prolong his career for England as an ODI and Twenty20 player.

June 9th, 2009 LONDON - Andrew Flintoff revived hopes of an Ashes comeback with his second successful workout at Old Trafford. There had been some fears that Sundays workout, during which he bowled six overs in two sessions, might have brought a reaction that would delay his comeback before the Ashes.