Hughes doubtful for first Test against Windies

November 6th, 2009 HYDERABAD - Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and former captain Mark Taylor have said that New South opener Phillip Hughes could re-ignite his Test career during the series against West Indies. The endorsements follow support from chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch ahead of the first Test against the West Indies at the Gabba on November 26.

October 27th, 2009 SYDNEY - The chairman of the Australian cricket selection committee, Andrew Hilditch, has given New South Wales opener Phillip Hughes hope about making a comeback to the Test squad for the Australian summer series against the West Indies. Hughes returned to Sydney yesterday to be told that Hilditch had informed incumbent Test opener Shane Watson to be prepared to bat anywhere in the top six against the West Indies next month.

October 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Young Australian opener Phillip Hughes said an interaction with Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar helped him get over the disappointment of being dropped during the Ashes series. Hughes, 20, was dropped from the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

September 16th, 2009 SYDNEY - Discarded Australian Test dynamo Phillip Hughes will have his first net session with the New South Wales cricket team today as he begins his mission to reclaim the berth taken from him in England. The Blues will be training for the Champions League, which begins on October 8, and coach Matthew Mott believes the devil-may-care nature of Twenty20 will invigorate an outstanding young player whose career and life have been turned upside down since his all-conquering debut Test series against South Africa earned him just three more innings in England before his sacking, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

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 12th, 2009 LONDON - Discarded Australia opener Phillip Hughes says he is still preparing for next week's Ashes series decider at The Oval just in case he is needed. Arriving in the United Kingdom as one of the most exciting batsman on the planet, the 20-year-old was dumped after just three innings in the Ashes series.

August 12th, 2009 LONDON - Dumped Australian opener Phillip Hughes has declared he has no fear of the short ball, citing his enormously successful debut tour in South Africa as proof it is not a major flaw in his game. Hughes also retained hope his Ashes series was not over despite his replacement Shane Watson excelling at the role with three half-centuries in as many innings.

August 6th, 2009 YORKSHIRE - Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has been spending some of his time off the field consoling dumped youngster Phillip Hughes. Watson was a surprise selection for the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston and made the most of it with back-to-back half centuries (62 and 53) as an opener.

July 31st, 2009 MELBOURNE - Former Australian openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer have decided to take struggling youngster Phil Hughes under their wings. Hayden promised that he and Langer would counsel Hughes and help him return stronger as the selectors' decision to sack the 20-year-old ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston in the ongoing Ashes series drew flak from the country's former cricketers.

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 24th, 2009 LONDON - Australia's former Test skipper Kim Hughes and former leg spinner Shane Warne have said that main attack bowler Mitchell Johnson's confidence has hit 'rock-bottom' since the row with his mother became public. Johnson has lost his form and so far has taken eight wickets for 331 runs in the opening two Ashes Tests.

July 20th, 2009 LONDON - The persistent problem on his Achilles tendon has made England batsman Kevin Pietersen doubtful for the third Ashes Test. The former England skipper will meet a doctor after the end of the second Test at Lord's here Monday for another injection into his problematic Achilles tendon, The Daily Telegraph reported.

July 6th, 2009 Cardiff (Wales), July 6 (ANI): England has taken the threat of Australian opener Phil Hughes so seriously that it commissioned a secret dossier on his technique in the lead-up to the first Ashes Test, starting here on Wednesday. If the recent tour match against the England Lions in Worcester was anything to go by, the local spooks have done their homework well.

June 27th, 2009 SUSSEX - Australian opener Phillip Hughes was once again amongst the runs, 13 days before the first Ashes Test against England to be played at Cardiff from July 8. Hughes, Ponting and Clarke all passed 70 and the Australians declared their second innings against Sussex with a lead of 417 so as to give the bowlers a second crack at the county batsmen on Saturday.

June 15th, 2009 SYDNEY - Australian Test opening batsman Phillip Hughes and Marcus North are eagerly counting their days to become part of the historic Ashes series. Hughes said he cannot wait to make his Ashes debut next month.