Forgotten Aussie test opener Phil Jaques hopes for a comeback

August 29th, 2009 NAGPUR - Out of favour Australian opener Phil Hughes is in Nagpur working on his apparent weaknesses against the short ball with his coach Neil D'Costa. D'Costa is looking after a cricket academy here and raves about the facilities and future.

August 28th, 2009 LONDON/ NAGPUR - Sacked Australian opener Phillip Hughes is determined to make his way back into the squad and hopes to return against the West Indies in the first Test at Brisbane. Hughes, who was axed after the Lord's defeat against England, has been training in India with his coach Neil D'Costa and even has a chance to have a one-on-one session with Sachin Tendulkar this weekend.

August 23rd, 2009 LONDON - England's debutant batsman Jonathan Trott, who scored 119 runs in the second innings of the fifth and final Ashes Test match at The Oval, is related to a former Australian Test batsman, who played at the turn of the 19th century. Trott is related to Albert Trott, who played for both Australia and England and once managed to hit the ball over the Lord's pavilion.

August 23rd, 2009 SYDNEY - Former New South Wales coach and Australian keeper Steve Rixon expects forgotten opener Phil Jaques to return with such vengeance this season that he puts serious pressure on the Test partnership of Simon Katich and Shane Watson. Rixon, who is the president of Sutherland grade club where Jaques plays, said the 30-year-old left-hander still faces an anxious time in his recovery from back surgery, but if he regains full fitness he could resume his place at the top of the Australia's batting order.

August 22nd, 2009 LONDON - Should Australia lose the fifth and final Ashes Test being played at The Oval, it could signal the end the side's domination of world cricket. According to the Courier Mail, only something very special, or days of unforecast rain, can prevent Australia losing the fifth Test, the Ashes and ultimately tumbling as low as fourth on the official world Test rankings.

August 20th, 2009 SURREY - England captain Andrew Strauss reckons that the Freddie Factor will inspire his team to do well in the fifth and final Test match at The Oval. Strauss believes the script has already been written for all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who will retire from Test cricket, to produce another epic show in his farewell Test.

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 - Australian opener Phil Hughes' latest failure has heaped yet more pressure on skipper Ricky Ponting ahead of next week's Third Test at Edgbaston. Opener Hughes made just 10 in a warm-up game at Northampton on Friday and remains horribly out of touch just when Ponting needs him to start firing.

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 23rd, 2009 NORTHAMPTON - Australian cricket team coach Tim Nielsen has said that strike bowler Mitchell Johnson will play in the Npower Third Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston despite his wayward bowling in the first two Tests. Johnson, who took three wickets for 200 runs at Lord's, has been given all the support he needs to make a telling comeback, Nielsen said.

July 20th, 2009 LONDON - Andrew Strauss led England team beat its arch rival Australia in second test at the Lord's ground after 75 years making a history, as they thrashed the visiting Aussies by a margin of 115 runs on the fifth and final day on Monday. England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff finished with figures of five for 92 as England took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

July 7th, 2009 CARDIFF - For Australian opener Simon Katich, participating in an Ashes tour is all about fighting back. Revealing that captain Ricky Ponting and coach Tim Nielsen have introduced a ritual within the Australian team, in which each player is asked to tell his teammates why the Ashes is special, Katich recalls that he has been telling his mates of a past that has left deep scars, but one that has helped him to become a more resilient character.

July 5th, 2009 LONDON - Australian captain Ricky Ponting claims that his team is itching to rip apart England in the First test to be held at Cardiff on Wednesday. Though, the Aussie skipper was disappointed with his squad's performance against the English Lions in a four-day game at Worcester, but he was delighted to see key players like Brett Lee finding form ahead of the tournament.

June 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - In the hope of finding a place in the Pakistan cricket team, former opener Imran Farhat has decided to quit the Indian Cricket League (ICL). According to the Dawn, Farhat is consulting his lawyer to help him quit the ICL without facing legal implications.

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.