Steve Waugh warned to out-of-form Australia

Former Test skipper Steve Waugh Friday warned Australia's under-performing senior players they might not count on experience alone to keep their places in the Ashes team to play England next month.

Ricky Ponting's Australians are emotions the heat after a 2-0 series defeat in India this month left them languishing at 5th on the ICC world rankings, below 4th-listed England and on their worst losing streak for more than 20 years.

Waugh, who led Australia to 41 Test victories - including eight out of nine Ashes Tests -- said inexperience should not rule out players when the team is selected for the November 25 1st Test at Brisbane's Gabba ground.

"I don't see why not," the hard-bitten warrior of 168 Test matches told reporters. "Just because it's an Ashes series it doesn't make it any different from any other series.

"You've got to put your best 11 players on the park irrespective of age or experience."

"I'm never a big believer of picking players by age, it's more the passion, your form and whether you're the right person for the job," he said.

Australia's bowlers failed to take all 20 wickets in either Test against India but Waugh said he had no concerns about the pace bowling depth as the team returns to home pitches.

Waugh said under- pressure captain Ponting may be able to turn the censure he has received to his advantage this summer as he bids to reclaim the Ashes urn lost last year in England.

"With criticism, you've just got to look at it and see whether you can get something constructive from those comments," he said.

"If you can learn by it that's a positive, if you think it was unjustified then move on.

"You can't please everyone as captain. It's about having the respect of the team.

"That's your number one priority, if he's got that then I don't think he should worry too much."

Waugh believes Australia will win a tightly-contested Ashes series 3-2 due to superior knowledge of the home conditions.

Pietersen can recover his form if he clears his mind: Tendulkar

England batsman Kevin Pietersen can recover his form if he "clears his mind" before the Ashes series against an Australian side who is no longer the team to beat in Test cricket, feels India's batting genius Sachin Tendulkar.

"If Kevin Pietersen is thinking right it will replicate in his game and the runs will come. All I would say to him is just be relaxed, be calm and watch the ball as closely as possible because that is what a batsman is meant to do," Tendulkar told the “Evening Standard”.

Tendulkar spoke after receiving the "People's Choice Award and the Outstanding Achievement in Sport Award," at the Asian Awards at Grosvenor House last night.

"If Kevin clears his mind and perceives that Australia is no longer the team to beat, he will regain his form. The thought process has to be free flowing and that's when you react and your body movement is not stiff and tight. If he can clear his mind I am sure his game will improve."

The iconic batsman gave Australia a hot time a fortnight ago with his mammoth first-innings score of 214, helping India to a comfortable win over the visitors in Bangalore.

In stark contrast to Tendulkar's dominance, Pietersen has been struggling, with the last of his 16 Test centuries coming way back in March 2009.

I missed being a part of the test squad: Gambhir

Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir has said that he is happy with his fitness and cannot wait to start batting again. Gambhir's show has been hampered by knee problems, which also saw him sit out Tests against Sri Lanka and Australia. The left-hander has been named in India's Test team against New Zealand and he will be eager to prove his critics wrong and get back to rhythm.

"It's important to get back into the rhythm," Gambhir told the Indian Express in an interview. "I have increased my batting time at the nets and am happy with my fitness."

"I watched every bit of the Visakhapatnam game and I missed being part of the team. To be frank, missing out on a game after being dropped feels bad but to sit out with injury and watch other people play feels even worse."

Gambhir admitted that it will be a challenge for him to get into groove after a long break. "When you go out to bat in a match after a long break, you just try to test if you still have the old touch. When you come back from a break, you need time to get used to things around you. If you look, I haven't played much in the last three months. It's a challenge that I am now looking forward to meet."

He added that he was focused on the World Cup and wants to use the upcoming series against the New Zealand and the Proteas to provide him with the impetus to play at the peak in the WC. "It is not just about playing the World Cup but it's about being in good form and being absolutely fit. I plan to build on it from this Kiwis series, then to South Africa series and so on."

Gambhir, VVS and Ishant return for test series against Kiwis

India are back to their full power side as the three injured players - Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman and Ishant Sharma, returned to the side for the three match test series against New Zealand. The above mentioned players had missed the 2nd test match against Australia at Bengaluru with injuries.

Ishant and Gambhir were stressed with knee problems and VVS had to bat with a runner, due to a bad back in that marathon chase at Mohali. Due to the injuries continued during the opening test at Mohali.

Gambhir would be under pressure to perform against the New Zealand. An in-form Murali Vijay, is breathing down Gambhir's neck.

Though Cheteshwar Pujara played an outstandingly well on his debut, retains his place, making a crucial 72 in a match winning chase, he will have to sit out of the playing eleven as Laxman would take his place. Suresh Raina would maintain to bat at No. 6, while an under pressure Dravid will get a chance at 3 to make some crucial runs before the arduous away tour of South Africa.

Yuvraj Singh, was again left dissatisfied when the selectors preferred Pujara as the standby batsman in case someone suffers an injury. Yuvraj Singh, has not played a test match since the 1st test against Sri Lanka at Galle where he scored 52 and 5.

Indian Test Squad: MS Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, M Vijay, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina, VVS Laxman, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Amit Mishra.

New Zealand in India 2010, Schedule

3 Match Test Series Schedule
Date	Match Details	Time IST	Place
Nov 04 - 08	India v New Zealand, 1st Test Match Draw	09:30	Ahmedabad
Nov 12 - 16	India v New Zealand, 2nd Test	09:30	Hyderabad
Nov 20 - 24	India v New Zealand, 3rd Test	09:30	Nagpur
5 Match ODI Cricket Schedule
Date	Match Details	Time IST	Place
Nov 28 - Sun	India v New Zealand, 1st ODI	08:30	Guwahati
Dec 01 - Wed	India v New Zealand, 2nd ODI	14:30*	Chandigarh
Dec 04 - Sat	India v New Zealand, 3rd ODI	14:30*	Vadodara
Dec 07 - Tue	India v New Zealand, 4th ODI	14:30*	Bengaluru
Dec 10 - Fri	India v New Zealand, 5th ODI	14:30*	Chennai

* - Day-night Match...

Ricky is the right man to lead Aus for the Ashes: Warne

While suggesting that Ricky Ponting is still the best man for the captaincy, Shane Warne has written on his own website that there was no rift between Ricky and himself, and that he never ever told that Ricky's time as Aussie captain is over.

Former Aussie players including Geoff Lawson have been advised Ricky to give up captaincy and focus on his batting which has seen a slump in the last few seasons. The issue has occupied abundance of airtime on sports talk back radio stations over the past week, but Warne doesn't agree with the many callers who think Ponting's reign should end.

"Ricky Ponting, to me, is the right man to lead Australia for the Ashes Test Series," Warne wrote. "It's a great opportunity for him to show his leadership skills. He also looks in super touch with the bat; I am sure he's going to fill his boots this summer.

"This Ashes series is going to be the biggest of his and the Australian team's career. I think Ricky is at his best when he shows his Tassie devil side which is, aggressive with a dash of flair."

Chris Gayle axed, Darren Sammy Named New WI Skipper

The West Indies Cricket Board axed Chris Gayle as the captain of the national side, and replaced him with Darren Sammy, while installing Brendon Fraser as the vice-captain.

The West Indies will tour Sri Lanka for a 3 match Test series in November, and though Gayle has kept his place as part of the team, he is no longer the skipper. The move came after Gayle and Dwayne Bravo refused to sign central contracts with the WICB. Bravo was before the vice-captain under Gayle.

Gayle, Bravo and Pollard have all got profitable Twenty20 contracts, and are likely to be in high demand in the IPL Twenty20 auctions too, which has led to their refusing the WICB central contracts, which stipulated availability at all times for the West Indies.

Sammy, who is the Windward Islands captain, was not a regular member of the Test starting XI, but he now finds himself in the hot seat. His appointment as skipper and Fraser's as vice-captain will run till the end of the West Indies' home series in 2011. Sammy said he regarded the appointment as a distinction and an honour.

"Being appointed West Indies captain is an honour and distinction which I will treat with the highest regard and dignity," Sammy said. "I believe my captaincy of the Windward Islands, a young team which I have been molding into playing consistently spirited cricket, will stand me in good stead as West Indies captain as we work on building a team for the future.