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Ricky Ponting scoffed at the idea that there would be any element ofcomplacency in Australia’s approach to the game against Ireland, andpredicted that the stars of the Irish team would need to perform like theynever had before to even get a whiff of an upset.”There’s no such thing as complacency in the World Cup, it is just a mediaterm,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of international cricket, I have playedalongside a lot of very good players, and I have never seen that. I lookat [Friday] as another opportunity to impose ourselves on this event andshow everyone how good a cricket team we are. We will seek to go in forthe kill.”Three of Ireland’s starting XI have roots in New South Wales – “It willmake them look forward to doing well against us” – but Ponting was certainthat little would stand between his side and the victory that willguarantee a place in the last four.”They need five or six players to play cricket like they’ve never donebefore,” he said. “Stranger things have happened. Favourites don’t alwayswin, but if they do the things that they normally do to even 85% oftheir potential, they always come off best in these situations.”Australia brushed aside Scotland and The Netherlands with contemptuousease in the group stage, and Ponting expected a similarly emphatic displayagainst a side that have been the Cinderella story of the competition. Theonly thing in Ireland’s favour is the element of surprise, with theAustralians not having a great deal of footage to review to pinpointstrengths and frailties.For Trent Johnston, the Irish captain who watched as a fan when Australiastumbled on home soil in 1992, it will be a match to savour. “If you can’tget yourselves up for a game against Australia, then you should not beplaying in the World Cup,” he said. “We need to play at least ten to 15% better than we did against Pakistan. We have to bring our A gameto the park in every department and if even that’s not good enough at theend of the day, it is after all Australia against Ireland – professionalsagainst amateurs.”Having pitched his tent in Ireland years ago, Johnston initially workedfor a clothing label owned by U2’s Bono and took citizenship in 2003. Hehas few regrets about what might have been. “I did dream of playing forAustralia in the World Cup, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Irelandgave me the chance to play in the World Cup, and I am grateful for that.”

For Adrian Birrell, the coach, just being here is achievement in itself.”I had planned a holiday in Mexico,” he said with a smile. “I had tocancel that after we got to the Super Eights! I told the boys that bygetting through to this stage, they’ve given me the greatest present ever.There’s a great deal of satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment, thisis the result of the hard work of five years.”Having acquitted themselves with credit in previous games before the blipagainst New Zealand, Ireland’s main aim on Friday will be damage control.”We are under no illusion what awaits us tomorrow,” Birrell said.”Australia will come out trying to annihilate us. This is the toughestgame in the history of Irish cricket, but we’ve got to stick to our gameplans, to our processes and be disciplined. I’ve told the boys to just goout and enjoy the day. To play Australia in this awesome stadium will bean experience of a lifetime. We’ve had just one bad game in thecompetition, and even there, there were a lot of pluses.”Ireland will be hoping that Andrè Botha, the allrounder who is so centralto their plans, is fit to play after a hamstring strain, while Australiacould give Glenn McGrath a day off with Mitchell Johnson stepping in. BradHaddin might also get a game with Adam Gilchrist sitting out. Whatever the playing XI is though, they should be far too strong for an Irish sidethat must hope that their indefatigable spirit can bridge the massivechasm that separates the teams in terms of ability.

Vernon Philander has been ruled out of the Test series against England due to the ankle injury he sustained in India while Dale Steyn is only rated 50-50 for the third Test in Johannesburg but Kyle Abbott has recovered from his hamstring strain.Steyn suffered a shoulder injury in Durban which ruled him out of the New Year Test at Newlands and will now see another specialist for a second opinion ahead of a fitness test when the squad meets up again in Johannesburg on Monday.On Tuesday, Steyn was in good spirits over his fitness when he tweeted: “Start bowling again today. #lekker.” However, it would be no surprise if South Africa took a cautious approach after his recent injury history.Steyn has been injured nine times in the last two-and-a-half years, has sat out four of their last six Tests, and his problems seem to stem from each other. He missed three of the four matches in India after suffering a groin strain in the first Test which ultimately resulted in seven weeks on the sidelines.That lengthy period of time off the field contributed to the shoulder problem, caused from heavy bowling loads in the Durban Test after a period of rest.”Vernon Philander is a no-go for the Test series. He is still very much in his rehab phase,” Mohammad Moosajee, the South Africa team manager, said. “Kyle Abbott has made a full recovery from his hamstring strain and he will be ready for the Johannesburg Test.”Dale Steyn is pretty much 50-50. He has got another appointment with a shoulder specialist in Cape Town tomorrow for another opinion and will be reassessed when we regroup in Johannesburg on Monday.”The full squad for the final two Tests will be named on Friday with the main debate surrounding a potential replacement opener for Stiaan van Zyl. Stephen Cook would be the favourite if a player from outside the current squad was called in.South Africa’s performance at Newlands, where they made England nervous on the final day, has eased some of their other form concerns around the top order. Hashim Amla, who has stepped down as captain, made 201 while Faf du Plessis made a battling 86. Most significantly, though, was the century for Temba Bavuma which has secured his long-term spot in the middle order.

It has emerged that Worcestershire have joined the list of counties looking to sign Glamorgan’s injury-hit fast bowler Simon Jones.Jones, whose contract expires at the end of the month, has already been linked with a move to Hampshire and has held preliminary discussions with them. Glamorgan are also keen to keep him.However, Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, revealed that he had met with Jones as well. “We were given permission to speak to Simon and that is what we have done,” he told the Press Association. “We are interested in him and we wouldn’t have spoken to him if we weren’t.””Simon met with Steve on Sunday,” Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton said. “It was an exploratory meeting and I believe it was very positive. But we have not offered Simon anything yet. We are expecting some feedback from him shortly and then we will move on from there.”It is no secret that we need quality seam bowlers and Simon is certainly one of those. But his medical history will mean that there must be an air of caution.”Jones has played little cricket since his Ashes-wining exploits in 2005. In two seasons he has managed only five Championship appearances in which he has taken two wickets at 193.00. He has continued to be dogged by knee and calf injuries and when he has played, he has not come close to being able to bowl flat out.The other factor is that Jones is no longer on an ECB central contract and so any county signing him would have to be prepared to pay all his salary, and he won’t come cheap despite his fitness record.

India’s fragile fast bowlers are the selectors’ chief concern as they meet in Bangalore on Wednesday to whittle down the list of 24 probables for India’s forthcoming tour of Australia. The focus is on Munaf Patel, whose fitness will be assessed before any decision is made.The selectors are likely to meet soon after the fifth day’s play of the final Test against Pakistan, and may name a 16-man squad for the four-Test series. At the moment it seems likely that India’s bowling attack will be led by three left-arm bowlers in Zaheer Khan, RP Singh and Irfan Pathan. Ishant Sharma’s five-wicket haul in Pakistan’s first innings has made him a shoo-in for the fourth fast bowling spot.It is for the final spot that there is some doubt. Should Munaf be cleared to play, he is likely to complete the set. If he is not fit, then VRV Singh, who was in the squad for the final Pakistan Test is the front-runner to take a place. The names of Pankaj Singh and Pradeep Sangwan are also doing the rounds, but the selectors are likely to go with VRV, who is more experienced than the other two, albeit not by much.The selectors also showed their hand when they called Gautam Gambhir into the squad in the final Test and he is likely to get one of the opening slots. With Wasim Jaffer having the time of his life with the bat, only one more opener’s slot is left to be filled. Dinesh Karthik has had a poor run in the series against Pakistan, but his performances in South Africa and England could ensure that he gets another chance to prove himself. The strongest contender for this spot is Parthiv Patel, who has been scoring heavily and consistently in domestic cricket. However, it is likely that the selectors will leave this borderline decision to Anil Kumble, the captain. So far Kumble has backed Karthik to the hilt, despite scores of 8, 9, 1, 1 and 28 in his last five innings.

The rest of the team picks more or less picks itself with Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh making up the middle order. Mahendra Singh Dhoni will keep wickets and Kumble will have one spinner for company in Harbhajan Singh.The tougher question, of course, will come when it’s time to pick the playing XI for the first Test in Melbourne. Yuvraj, with his incredible innings of 169 in Bangalore, has made it virtually impossible to leave him out of the side. This leaves Kumble in the unenviable situation of having to drop someone from the middle order, or sacrifice a bowler, neither of which seem feasible. The one option ahead of Kumble is to use Dravid as an opener, playing only Jaffer as a specialist opener, in order to accommodate the extra batsman. But there is some time yet for that decision to be made.India’s Test squad for Australia (probable)
Wasim Jaffer, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Anil Kumble (capt), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel.

Queensland 0 for 8 trail South Australia 237 (Cleary 57, R Harris 55*) by 229 runs
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South Australia relied on reviving half-centuries from the lower-order pair of Mark Cleary and Ryan Harris to take them to 237 against Queensland. The Bulls, who were 0 for 8, are trying to lift from the foot of the table and Ashley Noffke and Scott Brant gave them a chance with three wickets each.Until Cleary’s 57 and Harris’ 55 not out, the home team seemed destined to be dismissed for less than 200, but the tail-enders pushed them forward after another disappointing performance from the specialist batsmen. Graham Manou won the toss and batted and three of his batsmen went by lunch, with another four following in the second session as they limped to 7 for 100.A 76-run partnership between Cleary and Harris added some respect and Harris continued to build the total until Dan Cullen, the No. 11, went for 27. It was a strong fightback, but Queensland’s bowlers should have been happy, with Noffke taking 3 for 43 and Brant 3 for 53. Jason Gillespie, who announced his retirement during the lunch break, was one of Brant’s victims when caught by Martin Love for 1.

Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, has said that it is important to be No. 1 in the one-day rankings after blanking Bangladesh but added that what his team really wants is to beat India in the three-Test series starting in Chennai on March 26.”We have achieved one of the goals we had set out for the team. And being No. 1 is absolutely great. But it will be better still if we are No. 1 next year too because that would mean we would have beaten Australia in two series,” Arthur told Cricinfo.”We will go all out to win the series in India,” Arthur said. “The Bangladesh win has set us up nicely for the India series. Frankly, we always saw this (Bangladesh) tour as pre-India tour preparation where we got our game and gameplans right for the big one. It’s going to be a fantastic Test series simply because India is a huge team to beat in their own country, and we are not prepared to be just another ordinary rival.”Arthur also spoke of setting high standards for the team, which he admitted will be tested in India. “Not many teams go to India and win, so that’s one of our main goals for the year.”Arthur also said that he has appealed to fast bowler Andre Nel, who was replaced for the India tour by Charl Langeveldt under Cricket South Africa’s transformation policy, to play on for the country. “We have spent a lot of time with him because we believe strongly that he is a vital cog as we go forward, especially against England and Australia who are on our calendar this year. So I hope he decides to stay on with South Africa. But ultimately, it’s his decision because only he knows what’s best for himself.”Nel is believed to be in talks with the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL) after being dropped in tune with a CSA selection policy that mandates at least six players of colour in a 14-man squad.South Africa swept the two-Test series against Bangladesh and wrapped up the one-day series 3-0 with a seven-wicket win in Mirpur on Friday. The team will leave Bangladesh on Saturday and is scheduled to fly out from Johannesburg for Chennai on March 21.

John Buchanan believes the ICC should consider turning world cricket into a franchise-based system where players could choose which country to represent, in an effort to make the game more competitive. Buchanan spent eight years as Australia’s coach, finishing after the World Cup in April, and he thinks Australia’s dominance is hurting international cricket.”This equality debate keeps bubbling to the surface and means that there is a serious issue there,” Buchanan told the . “I think it mightn’t be a bad thing if the ICC looked at some rule relaxations, which might allow a more even distribution of players around the world.”Most young cricketers in Australia grow up wanting to play for Australia, but I’m sure there would be quite a few who, when they get to about 25 or 26 and realise they probably won’t get a chance to wear the baggy green, would still be happy to play international cricket anywhere. The problem at the moment is that there is a long qualification period and, by the time that’s up, the player and the other country probably lose interest.”Buchanan said the ICC’s current rules were too strict, with players needing to spend at least 183 days a year for four consecutive years in their new country before qualifying to play a Test. However, he believes turning Test nations into franchises could lead to a greater flow of players between countries, and a more competitive international scene.”Countries should look to recruit young players from Australia, and places like India, to increase their depths of talent,” Buchanan said in the . “Those players would enhance the domestic competition and, hopefully, go on to play Test cricket for the country they move to. We don’t want cricket to become like a horse race when the favourite wins all the time. No-one will want to watch.”Barry Richards, the former South Africa batsman, agreed that there was a serious problem with Australia’s dominance – Ricky Ponting’s team won their 13th consecutive Test when they beat Sri Lanka at the Gabba on Monday and Australia have not lost a World Cup match since 1999. “Australia plays international cricket, the rest just play cricket,” Richards said.”I have lost interest in it because I know the result before they start playing. Until you get strength against strength, nothing is going to happen. In England, they have 18 counties and they call it first-class cricket and it’s absolutely useless.”Buchanan’s replacement as Australia’s coach, Tim Nielsen, told the the franchise plan was not the answer and other nations needed to keep striving to catch Australia. “We’ve got to keep trying to raise the bar,” he said, “because, as always, we are the ones being chased and people are looking to what we are doing and trying to replicate it.”

Ian Harvey (73*) and Brad Hodge (63*) have led an excellent fightback to rescue Victoria late on day three of the Pura Cup match against Queensland at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane. The pair’s unbroken stand of 133 for the fifth wicket has carried the visitors to a second innings score of 4/216 by stumps, a tally which affords them an overall lead of 118 runs.The memory of Victoria’s disastrous late collapse in its first innings, though, will continue to fire the Bulls’ prospects of claiming outright points at some time tomorrow. Queensland captain Stuart Law admitted as much after play when he indicated that his team unarguably still holds the whip hand in the contest.”They’ve got their backs to the wall and it’s up to them now if they want to salvage something,” he said. “I’m confident of winning.”Before Harvey and Hodge had come together, Queensland’s charge toward outright victory had been ignited by rugged paceman Joe Dawes (4/64). Dawes snared all four of Victoria’s second innings wickets when he spectacularly removed Jason Arnberger (20), Shawn Craig (35), Matthew Mott (19) and Michael Klinger (2) in quick succession in mid-afternoon. Showing all the hunger and passion that might be expected from a player who has been twelfth man for his state almost as many times as he has played, he claimed 4/38 in the space of ten overs at one stage, and also had Craig dropped by Law at second slip.Earlier in the day, Queensland’s first innings had ended at a total of 347. Around a fine spell from Michael Lewis (4/74), the Bulls owed their progression to their ninety-eight run lead largely to the efforts of Wade Seccombe (35), Adam Dale (25) and Andy Bichel (21). Colin Miller (1/93) also bowled well, albeit without producing particularly flattering figures, as he continued to press his claims for Test selection later this month.

Shane Warne will join Brian Lara in the Indian Cricket League if his conditions are met, however Warne’s manager conceded that such an agreement was still a long way off. Glenn McGrath has not ruled out his involvement and his manager said negotiations could progress in the next week.The ICL on Monday announced Lara as its first big signing, two months after his name was initially linked with the group. Warne’s manager James Erskine said he had been in talks with ICL officials including Tony Greig.”They haven’t offered what we have asked for, so negotiations are proceeding,” Erskine told the . “Provided the terms and conditions are right, Shane Warne will play, but it’s a long way off before we get the contract signed.” The paper reported that Warne’s proposed pay package was worth up to $2 million.McGrath’s manager, Warren Craig, said he had met with ICL officials some time ago and although there had been few developments since then, this week’s events were likely to speed the process up. “We certainly haven’t ruled it out,” Craig said.”Now Lara has signed, things might start to hot up a bit. Things could start to move over the next week or so.” However, Craig said the ICL had given no indication what salary it would offer to lure McGrath out of retirement six months after his final ODI appearance. The league wants to run its first Twenty20 tournament this October and November with six teams, each of which would ideally feature four international players and two Indian stars, with the rest made up of younger players.

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Mathew Harvie took 5 for 40 in Otago’s 61-run win over Northern Districts in their State Shield match at the University Oval in Dunedin. Opener Craig Cumming made 112 off 129 balls and helped Otago set Northern a target of 280. Northern were bowled out for 218.Before Cumming was run-out for the seventh wicket he added 53 with Aaron Redmond, 47 with Neil Broom, and 53 with Greg Todd.Harvie had Nick Horsley, the Northern opener, trapped leg before with his third ball of the day. He then dismissed the other opener, Alun Evans, and Peter McGlashan as Northern crawled to 51 in 14.4 overs. Mark Orchard and Joseph Yovich, who top-scored with 50, steadied the innings with a 61-run partnership for the sixth wicket which was ultimately broken by Turner, who ended with 3 for 32.Auckland’s match against Wellington at Eden Park and Central Districts match against Canterbury at Pukekura Park were abandoned without a ball being bowled.