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Shane Warne believes Australia would be making a serious mistake if they didn’t play Nathan Hauritz in the first Test despite his ugly figures in the two tour matches. There is a strong chance Australia will name a four-man pace attack for the opening Ashes Test, despite the possibility of England taking in two spinners.Warne said Graeme Swann, Monty Panesar and Hauritz would have enormous roles to play over the next week in Cardiff, where the pitch is expected to help the slow bowlers. First, Hauritz must win the backing of the selectors following his overall haul of 2 for 260 in the games against Sussex and England Lions.”Whatever the speculation, Hauritz has to play for Australia, especially at Cardiff, with Marcus North, Simon Katich and Michael Clarke in support,” Warne wrote in his column in the . “I actually think this is England’s best chance of winning because of the conditions. Edgbaston may favour them as well, but I think Lord’s, Headingley and the Oval will suit Australia.”There isn’t a lot between Hauritz and Swann. The difference is in their attitude. Swann has his confidence up and has been bowling pretty well lately in spin-friendly conditions against the left-handers. Hauritz has been finding his way in England and is trying to cement his spot in the team. Self-belief is very important.”Panesar’s inclusion is not yet certain and Swann, who has never played against Australia in a Test, ODI or Twenty20 international, will be England’s first-choice spinner at Sophia Gardens. Warne said Swann had the potential to frustrate the Australians and their tactic must be to attack him immediately to dent his confidence.”Swann’s character could really get under the skin of the Australians and if I was the England captain, I would give him full licence to be himself,” Warne said. “He isn’t to everyone’s taste. If he is dictating terms, he will have a strut about him and that arrogance and cockiness will be obvious. In that state, he could disrupt Australia’s rhythm.”But when his confidence is down, as with all players, he is not so effective. I think Australia have to try to bring him down to size by taking him on straight away. Michael Clarke has a key role there because he is our best player of spin. His footwork is top-drawer and he could knock Swann seriously off kilter.”Warne also said England had erred by leaving Steve Harmison out of their squad, particularly after his short-pitched successes against Phillip Hughes during the warm-up game. Warne said having a varied attack could be a key during this series and while Australia had a solid mix, England had missed an opportunity by omitting Harmison.”He does offer something different,” Warne wrote. “When I think back to 2005 – which I don’t do unless I have to – what stands out is the variety in the England attack: right-arm swing from Matthew Hoggard, pace and bounce from Harmison, reverse swing at speed from Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff angling it in awkwardly to the right-handers.”Both sides will be comfortable with their batting but more concerned about how to take 20 wickets. I do think that Australia have bases covered in the pace department, with Mitchell Johnson bowling left-arm and swinging it back into the right-hander to work with the hustle and bustle of Peter Siddle, with Brett Lee swinging it at 150kmh.”

India Under-19s beat the visiting England Under-19s by 28 runs in thethird and final One-Dayer at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium,Hyderabad on Tuesday. India colts took the series 2-1.England colts were set a target of 278 to win in 47 overs. They werepenalised three overs for slow over rate on a hot day in Hyderabad.The loss of three overs seemed to have worked against the Englishcause. They kept losing wickets, trying to keep the score boardmoving.Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan destroyed the English top order with figuresof 10-0-50-4. Nicky Peng (4), Gary Pratt (71 off 77 balls), Ian Bell(51 off 72 balls) and Mark Wallace (16) were Vidyut’s victims.Pratt and Bell gave the English chase the momentum by adding 94 runsfor the second wicket in 19 overs. Pratt and Bell played with ease ona pitch that has produced runs in plenty. Both of them were caught byAlind Naidu off the bowling of Vidyut. Pratt struck a huge six andseven fours in his stay at the crease. Bell lofted a six and struckthree fours in his knock and got out trying play a lofted on drive.Gordon Muchall tried his very best with a quickfire 42 off 34 balls.He drove one straight into the hands of Mane in the covers off thebowling of Amit Mishra.Kadeer Ali (15), Robert Ferley (1) and Justin Bishop (4) were all runout, going for the quick single. The efforts of Pattison (15) andTremlett (11) were not simply good enough to stop the inevitable, asEngland colts were all out for 249 in 45.2 overs.Earlier, India Under-19s elected to bat and got off to a cautiousstart. Vinayak Mane and Gautam Gambhir put together 55 runs for thefirst wicket in 12.3 overs.Tremlett sent back Mane (24), Arindam Das (33) and Manvinder Bisla(17). Arjun Yadav was run out for three and Alind Naidu was trappedlbw by Ferley.Gambhir who made 81 off 97 balls with eight boundaries, was the mainstay of the Indian innings. Vidyut (17) fell to Malik and Mishra wasrun out for none off the following ball to leave India in deep troubleon 217/8 after 45 overs.Ratra (45 off 40 balls) and Sidarth Trivedi (37* off 19 balls, 5fours) blasted 60 runs in the last five overs to bulge the Indiantotal. Captain Ratra’s innings was the highlight of the day, as hetoyed with the bowling, playing some breathtaking strokes.

Gareth Hopkins, the wicketkeeper-batsman, has been named Auckland captain for the next season. He takes over from Richard Jones, who led Auckland to the State Championship title last season.Hopkins, who switched from Otago two seasons ago, has had a fruitful spell at Auckland, scoring 804 runs at 53.6 besides becoming the first-choice wicketkeeper ahead of Reece Young.”It’s a real honour to be given the captaincy,” Hopkins said. “It’s a role I’ve always been keen to tackle and I feel that it’s an exciting time for Auckland with the new coaching structure and the number of great young players we have coming through.”Auckland announced last week that former Zimbabwean legspinner Paul Strang would continue as head coach for two more years. “I’m looking forward to working with Paul Strang to make it a season to remember,” Hopkins said.Auckland Cricket CEO Andrew Eade welcomed Hopkins’ elevation, saying he would bring “something special” to the role. “He has been an integral member of the side since his arrival two seasons ago,” Eade said, “and we think he certainly has all the qualities necessary to do a great job.”The news comes a week after Hopkins was overlooked as back-up keeper for the Test series against Sri Lanka next month.

It’s easy to forget that England is where Twenty20 began. It doesn’t feel like that these days. The game has been carried forward at speed by other nations and the ECB has been left in the wake. How to compete with the IPL? How to attract overseas players? How many matches do the public actually want?The Twenty20 Cup, whose showpiece event, Finals Day, is at Edgbaston on Saturday, has grown steadily since its inception in 2003. Next year there will be more changes as the tournament is played over a longer period of mid-summer with more matches in a two-league structure and will be called P20.The idea of a second Twenty20 tournament has been ditched, largely due to the economical climate, and the new P20 will aim to be a half-way house between the current format and the international flavour of the IPL. Quite how many stars turn out remains to seen. It’s all about money.Earlier this week an expanded IPL was announced and in 2011 there will be 10 teams making 94 matches. Too much of a good thing? Try telling that to Lalit Modi. It is futile to try to keep up with a multi-million dollar machine. The ECB tried, of course, with the fateful association with Allen Stanford and they won’t care to be reminded of that mistake.However, the financial rewards of Twenty20 will still be a major motivation at Edgbaston with Champions League – another Modi brainchild – berths up for grabs for the two finalists. Except for Northamptonshire, who will be disqualified because two of their South African allrounders – Nicky Boje and Andrew Hall – did not produce the required evidence that they had severed their links with the ICL in time, though the pair have now ended their deals.Last year Kent reached the final but had Azhar Mahmood and Justin Kemp on ICL books. In the end the Champions League was cancelled after the Mumbai terror attacks, which meant Middlesex missed their chance at competing having qualified without any ICL players. This year Middlesex finished bottom of their group (although they’ll always have Antigua). It’s a tough game.Kent, though, have made it to finals day again and now Mahmood and Kemp have cut their ICL ties so the Champions League is a real aim as it is for Somerset and Sussex. The prizes on offer are sizable, but first you have to get there. The second semi between Kent and Somerset looks the tougher draw, but in Twenty20 it’s hard to tell. Here’s a run down of the contenders.

Somerset

Pedigree – Won the trophy in 2005 when Graeme Smith played a key role in their success.Strengths – An awesome top order. Marcus Trescothick is in prime form and Craig Kieswetter will push for an England place when he qualifies. Then there’s Justin Langer and the in-form James Hildreth.Weaknesses – No major spin option, although Max Waller, the 21-year-old legspinner, is making a positive impression. Nothing like the big stage to show what you can do.Star man – Trescothick. How England would love him to be at The Oval next week. Can win a game on his own.

Kent

Pedigree – Runners-up last year and winners in 2007 they have all bases covered for this format.Strengths – Probably the most complete team on show. Hitting power all the way down the order, the death-bowling skills of Azhar Mahmood and Wayne Parnell (back from South Africa specially for Finals Day), a seasoned spinner in James Tredwell and an astute captain.Weakness – Not a huge squad, so will need all their big-guns available. Rested key players for last Championship match which showed where their focus is.Star man – Mahmood. Has plenty of Finals Day experience with Kent and Surrey. Is one of the best at the death.

Sussex

Pedigree – The departure of Chris Adams and Mushtaq Ahmed has been well compensated for by a determined side. They have appeared on one previous finals day, but didn’t progress past the semis in 2007.Strengths – The experience of James Kirtley and Yasir Arafat will serve them well with the ball, while the young spinners have performed above expectation.Weaknesses – They have missed out on a trophy this season with their Friends Provident defeat. Will that haunt or motivate them? Murray Goodwin has also lost form at the wrong time and they will be missing Matt Prior, who has been rested ahead of the final Ashes Test.Star man – Luke Wright. Is capable of match-winning performances with bat or ball, warmed up with 95 off 68 balls in the Pro40 last weekend and a five-wicket haul in the Championship.

Northamptonshire

Pedigree – Their first appearance on finals day, and searching for their first silverware since winning the County Championship Division title in 2000. They haven’t won a one-day prize since the Natwest Trophy in 1992.Strengths – Their trio of South African allrounders, Johan van der Wath, Andrew Hall and Nicky Boje, play key roles, but don’t overlook the hard-hitting Niall O’Brien.Weaknesses – How will the pressure affect a team that isn’t used to success and will the ICL situation be a demotivating factor?Star man – van der Wath. Gives the ball and thump and can bowl at either end of the innings.

The contentious whereabouts clause in the new World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code will be discussed directly by the ICC board, instead of a working group formed by it, with the BCCI appearing to have gained significant support from other ICC full members in its antagonistic stand on the matter. Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, admitted on Wednesday he had been asked by other members to relook the governing body’s position on the code.In the event, Lorgat said, the code will now be discussed on October 6-7, instead of the previously scheduled meeting on September 5 of by the working committee.”The meeting of the working group has been postponed because we are beginning to sense that the issue is broader than just India,” Lorgat told Cricinfo. “There are a few other members who might be considering the same problem. So it doesn’t make sense for us to just deal with India. We have got an existing ICC board decision we need to review because, remember, it was meant to be implemented from August 1. We put that on hold but the issue is a little bigger than that.”A senior official in the Indian board, meanwhile, told Cricinfo that the BCCI is confident that other “major boards” are now convinced that the Indian opposition to the whereabouts clause is valid and needs to be supported. India is pushing for the ICC to disassociate itself from WADA and form its own cricket-specific code but it would be difficult for other boards, including Cricket Australia, to back such a move due to their respective national anti-doping guidelines and the allied carrot of government funding.Lorgat said that he would not name the ICC members who have asked for a relook but added that the goal was to find a practical solution. “It is not about forcing something that practically doesn’t make sense,” he said.The Indian board is also hoping that a meeting of players’ associations, including the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA), with WADA representatives and a subsequent year-end review meeting between various governing bodies and the anti-doping agency would lead to a relaxation in the clause, at least for team sports.The BCCI has backed the ICC’s fight against drugs in sport but is looking at a process that does not involve testing during off-season.The ICC implemented the new WADA code from January 1 and that included a clause which mandated cricketers nominated for an international testing pool to reveal to a ICC-nominated officer before every quarter details of their location for an hour every day for the next three months to facilitate out-of-competition testing.This whereabouts system was to start from August 1 but was stalled after the 11 Indian cricketers in the pool, including Sachin Tendulkar, refused to reveal the required information citing security and privacy concerns.The Indian board supported its players and said that the clause went against the national constitution’s privacy guarantees. This prompted the ICC to set up a working group comprising of Tim Kerr, chairman of ICC Anti-Doping panel, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan, ICC principal advisor IS Bindra, Anil Kumble, the former captain who is a member of the WADA’s Athlete Committee, and Lorgat.The BCCI and the Indian players have faced considerable criticism for their decision to not abide by the WADA code, because cricketers from all other countries in the testing pool and India’s top athletes have accepted the anti-doping regulations.(With inputs from Ajay S Shankar)

Pakistan have around them the air of favourites going into tomorrow’s semi-final against New Zealand. That is as scary a proposition for their opponents as it is for their supporters, of course, but there has been something pleasingly coherent about them in the Champions Trophy. And New Zealand, for whom meeting Pakistan in semi-finals is as much an expectation as making it to the stage, are waking up every day to a new injury concern.As with all good Pakistan runs ever, it is to the bowling that goes much of the praise. For wicket-taking skill, their attack has a depth and incisiveness that few sides here can match. From the very first bursts of the energetic Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer, to Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal’s middle and back to the pacers at the death, right through there is the threat of wickets. Such is the strength that Mohammad Asif might sit out despite an ultimately heartening return. And the always-overlooked, but ever-ready Rao Iftikhar Anjum hasn’t even had a look-in.The dilemma, for Younis Khan, is to shape this force. The surface will force his hand; the Wanderers has generally been kind to bowlers but the surface for the semi-final is the same one as the one on which New Zealand and Sri Lanka pillaged nearly 600 runs. Should Asif stay as part of a four-man attack if the conditions are there, or should the increasingly canny spin of Ajmal be retained? Younis will not decide until he has sussed out the surface, though it is likely, the line-up that took on India will take the field.”I always try to pick team according to conditions,” he said. “Suppose there is a seaming track and I include two-three spinners? So I will see the conditions first. Until then my mind is always open and I need to see what the conditions are. There is competition for places in bowling and batting and that is a healthy sign for Pakistan.”Even the batting has not been as flimsy as the worry often is. It struggled with conditions at Centurion in the last game – as did their opponents. It struggled with conditions at Wanderers against the West Indies. But both times it held firm, for they bat fairly deep. Imran Nazir is likely to be fit again and probably will play; one big, game-changinghand is what Younis believes he can bring to this tournament and it is all he wants. That kind of non-pressure is liberating in its own way, especially for a man like Nazir. He won’t mind it in a semi-final.The captain’s own scratchiness is a greater concern. The fractured finger doesn’t help – “only I am unfit,” he laughed, when asked about the team’s health – and whatever momentum Pakistan’s openers have provided, has stalled with him at one down. He isn’t too worried, but a positional switch may not be the worst option. “I won’t put pressure on myself. The main thing is that the team wins,” he said.After that there is little unknown. New Zealand have been nothing short of remarkable here, especially with the number of first-choice players who have fallen by the wayside. They will scrap, for every run, every catch and every wicket and like Australia – but to a less intimidating degree – will not beat themselves. At some point, you feel, they must break the semi-final barrier; that they are more familiar with the Wanderers, havingplayed their last two games there, will help.If Pakistan do triumph, a first Champions Trophy final awaits them and it is an achievement not to be taken lightly. Younis’s constant refrain through this event has been the same as it was in England in June, that Pakistan, cricket and country, needs a win here. Maybe the emotion has worn a little thin – Younis even joked about how often he says it. But repetition should not take from the substance of the sentiment: a Champions Trophy final, in this year and period, a final that would have been played in Pakistan had it not been for the security situation, will still be a remarkable and touching accomplishment.”It’ll be fantastic if we reach the final. Pakistan is the only team that has not reached the final. For me as Pakistan captain, at the moment, winning the T20 World Cup and now in the semi-final: we need two more good days. If it happens, it will be fantastic for Pakistan. We need a couple of good titles because cricket is the only game in Pakistan that brings the people together. I think it’s a good time to give them one more gift.”

Graham Manou will add some one-day international appearances to his Ashes Test after winning a promotion to Australia’s team in India following Tim Paine’s broken finger. Manou was due to fly to Delhi on Thursday night and will land in time for the third match of the seven-game series on Saturday.He was watching movies instead of the cricket on Wednesday and woke up to text messages from friends hoping he would be picked. He went to state training as usual and ran into Jamie Cox, a national selector, who told him to head home and pack for his first visit to India.”It’s straight into the cauldron of one of the toughest environments in world cricket,” he said. “It’s going to be a fantastic challenge and hopefully I can learn from it and bring the experience back to our group.” He will also be able to pass on some tips to his partner Tamsyn Lewis, the middle-distance runner, who is looking towards the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year.”After this experience and the Ashes, you could say you could be pretty happy, but I’ll certainly be wanting more,” he said. “Fingers crossed this part of the tour goes well.”Manou, 30, is a Cricket Australia contracted player and his elevation should allow Shaun Marsh to head back to the top of the order. Paine has done well in his opening opportunities, preventing a quick return for Marsh after a series of hamstring injuries. He fractured a ring finger taking a Peter Siddle delivery in the 99-run loss to India on Wednesday before managing 8 in the second innings before learning he would be going home.”Graham richly deserves this opportunity following his Ashes debut and his successful domestic season last year in all forms of the game,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. The main competition for Manou came from Chris Hartley, who was called to play a tour game in England when both Haddin and Manou were injured.Hartley has started at the top of the order in Queensland’s past two FR Cup matches and posted half-centuries, but the selectors have kept faith in their original pecking order. Manou, the South Australia captain, has elevated himself to No. 4 in their limited-overs contests this summer, falling for 2 and 34.Haddin is not quite ready for international responsibilities after finger surgery following the injury he picked up in England and will play instead in a one-day match for New South Wales on Sunday. “It is premature for Brad to resume cricket for Australia,” Hilditch said, “having not played first-class cricket since The Oval Ashes Test.” Paine’s injury adds to a horror run for the Australians, who have concerns over Brett Lee and James Hopes, and had Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken and Callum Ferguson unavailable for the tour.

Pepler Sandri, the South African-born pace bowler, has left Sussex after one year following just a single first-class match for the county in 2009.He appeared against Nottinghamshire in August but failed to take a wicket and his most notable performance for Sussex came against the Australians earlier in the season. He claimed three wickets in nine overs and took four scalps in the match, including Phillip Hughes twice, but couldn’t find a first-team place.”We’re really disappointed that it didn’t work out with Pepler,” said cricket manager Mark Robinson. “He was never able to really settle into the demands of English cricket. We wish him all the best and thank him for all the hard work that he put into the season.”

Surrey have made an audacious bid to lure Rory Hamilton-Brown, the Sussex allrounder, back to The Oval and are believed to be ready to offer him the captaincy. Sussex have called the approach “unwelcome” and are considering their options.Hamilton-Brown, 22, began his career with Surrey but struggled to establish himself in the first team and moved to Sussex in 2008 where his game has developed, especially in the one-day format. He made a mark in the Championship towards the end of last summer with a career-best 171 against Yorkshire. However, his first-class career equates to the grand total of eight games. He is currently with the England performance squad in Pretoria as a level B player, meaning the selectors view him as being one to three years away from international level.”This approach is most unwelcome and the timing is very unfortunate when Rory should be focussing on his time in the England performance programme as he seeks a place in the England Lions squad after Christmas,” Jim May, the Sussex chairman, said. “We had already offered Rory a contract extension on improved terms prior to the official approach from Surrey.”We regard him highly as a player who has developed well since joining us. At the age of 22, Rory has very strong potential to develop an excellent career with Sussex, where we strongly believe his cricketing development will be best served. This is a complex situation as we have absolutely no wish to lose a player of Rory’s potential, and we will consider our response carefully before any further communication.”Surrey, who confirmed they approached Hamilton-Brown on November 13, are still searching for a long-term captaincy successor to Mark Butcher who retired midway through last season with a persistent knee injury. Michael Brown had the role at the beginning of 2009 after his move from Hampshire, but by the end of the season it had passed to the relatively unknown 26-year-old Stewart Walters, who made a positive impression despite Surrey’s poor season.It would be a huge gamble from Surrey to put the captaincy in Hamilton-Brown’s hands with his only previous leadership experience being a short spell as England Under-19 skipper and it would make him the youngest captain in the county game.Hamilton-Brown is the latest target of Chris Adams, the former Sussex captain and now Surrey cricket manager, as he strengthens his squad ahead of the 2010 campaign. He has already plucked Piyush Chawla, the India legspinner, from Sussex’s grasp to be their overseas player and Adams is clearly hoping Hamilton-Brown will want to rejoin him at Surrey.Adams has already been busy recruiting big names to The Oval as part of his long-term rebuilding plan for the team with Steven Davies and Gareth Batty both joining from Worcestershire.

Canterbury trumped Wellington by 140 runs at the Basin Reserve to notch up their second win of the competition and reach the top of the table. Boosted by half-centuries from Peter Fulton and Corey Anderson, and useful contributions from the middle and lower-order batsmen, Canterbury posted a competitive 279. Anderson was particularly harsh, smashing an unbeaten 52 off just 29 balls with eight fours and a six to make the most of the death overs. Wellington were hapless in their reply, failing to measure up to the bowling of Chris Martin, who took 4 for 25, and capitulating for 139. They now find themselves at the bottom of the table with two losses from three games.Northern Districts and Otago were involved in a more closely-fought truncated fixture in Invercargill. ND secured a 19-run win, thanks to the efforts of seamers Trent Boult and Tim Southee, who shared five wickets between them and undermined a fighting 58 from Neil Broom. ND’s innings was laced with three half-centuries, from openers BJ Watling and Anton Devcich and captain Peter McGlashan. The three scored briskly to take their team to a formidable 224 for 6 in 30 overs, and the seamers backed them up to bowl out Otago in the final over. Yasir Arafat, the Pakistan allrounder, provided some late entertainment, smashing 31 off 14 but Southee ended the innings to consign Otago to the second-last spot on the points table.Ravi Bopara was the star for Auckland yet again, following up on his 89 in his previous outing with a century against Central Districts to help his team win by 20 runs in Palmerston North. Auckland, after opting to bat, were in a terrible situation at 64 for 5 – Michael Mason grabbed three wickets – but Bopara, aided by Andrew de Brooder’s 55, resurrected the innings. The pair added 94 for the sixth wicket, and Bopara held one end firm, batting with the tail, to take his team to 246. CD were dented early in their reply, losing their first three wickets for just 11, but captain Jamie How fought back with a determined 94. However, CD would regret the fact that the other middle and lower-order batsmen, despite getting starts, could not push on. Left-arm seamer Michael Bates picked up 4 for 27 to keep the opposition in check and ensure they fell significantly short of the finish line.