Australia slide below Ireland in T20 rankings

Australia's captain George Bailey has conceded it does not look good for his team to have slipped below Ireland in the ICC's Twenty20 rankings ahead of the World T20 later this month. Australia dropped to tenth on the rankings after their Super Over loss to Pakistan in Dubai on Friday, and it was far from the ideal situation less than two weeks before their World T20 opener - against Ireland.

However, the T20 rankings points are accumulated from such a small pool of matches that it is difficult to read too much into them. In the current rankings period, which began on August 1, 2010, Australia have won only four of thier 13 games , which have all come against South Africa, Pakistan, England,

Pakistan take series after Super Over

Seldom has the fickleness of Twenty20 been more evident. Pakistan claimed the series against Australia, but did so in circumstances as far removed from the hiding dealt out in the first match as could be imagined. Mohammad Hafeez's team celebrated their victory in the minutes after midnight in Dubai, yet George Bailey's Australians could also take solace from a much-improved display.

Two days after being routed for 89 on the way to a seven-wicket hiding, Australia scrapped to an enthralling tie. They owed much to the captain George Bailey, who on his 30th birthday compiled the most critical and substantial innings of his T20 career to

Pakistan could boycott ICC awards over Ajmal omission

PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has reopened the debate surrounding Saeed Ajmal's exclusion from the ICC awards shortlists by hinting that Pakistan's players could boycott the awards function, to be held in Colombo on September 15, as a "robust protest". The ICC, responding to the PCB's protest on Monday, had ruled out a rethink and the matter seemed to have ended there.

However, Ashraf's comments, made during an interview to ESPNcricinfo, suggest the issue is still alive for Pakistan. "We are facing a lot of pressure from the public and from our former players to push for his inclusion," Ashraf said. "I think the ICC should

Australia make changes for must-win T20

Big Picture

The first game was dominated by Pakistan's outstanding bowlers, especially the spin of Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and the debutant Raza Hasan, although the fast men Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul were also very effective. They bowled Australia out for 89, their second lowest T20 total of all time, and the chase was a doddle. Again, Pakistan's bowlers will be a handful for Australia's long batting line-up. The big boundaries at Dubai won't help, and Australia will need far more than the three fours they struck in the first game if they are to avoid losing the series in this match. More than anything they need runs from the top order but worryingly David Warner is struggling for form, having scored at less than a run a ball in all three ODIs against

Bailey floored by heavy defeat

Australia's captain George Bailey has admitted his side stands no chance of winning the World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka if their performances mirror a shattering first-up loss to Pakistan in the series in Dubai.
 

The seven-wicket hiding was Australia's heaviest in terms of balls to spare for the chasing team, after Bailey's men were shot out for a measly 89, their lowest total since England rolled Ricky Ponting's team for 79 in only their second T20I, at the Rose Bowl in 2005.

What's more, the Australians can now slip to 10th in the ICC's T20 rankings before the global event begins. Should Pakistan sweep the series - a possibility given the lopsidedness of the opening match

There was something oddly relevant about England's abject cricket at Trent Bridge on Wednesday evening. Greed forced the game into the schedule - the summer's 14th of 17 limited-overs internationals, there are still three Twenty20s to come - and that greed cost the public the occasion they deserved for their unwavering support.

Everything was in place, even the weather for goodness sake, but sunshine was the only bang the good folk of Nottingham got for their buck. The England batting was dreadful and the match, bar a brief period by James Anderson with the new ball, a non-event. Too much of a good thing never did anyone any good and boy, do we

Trott found to have broken finger

Jonathan Trott has been ruled out of action for three to four weeks meaning he will miss the end of the English domestic season, after scans revealed a fracture to his right hand, but is expected to be fit for the start of the tour to India.

Trott took a blow from Dale Steyn during the fourth ODI against South Africa at Lord's on Sunday and although initial x-rays did not reveal serious damage further investigation has found an undisplaced fracture on his middle finger.

It means Trott will be unavailable for the CB40 final against Hampshire at Lord's and the final round of Championship matches, although