All-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis have been excluded from a 25-player squad for an intra-Australia clash that will go a long way to deciding the makeup of Tim Paine's Ashes side.
Getting the combination right would be topmost on Sunrisers Hyderabad's to-do list when they take on a qualitatively superior Mumbai Indians in an IPL encounter in Chennai on Saturday, trying to arrest an early slide after back-to-back defeats.
'He is a unique bowler. The guys is about 25-26 and this is where he is going to get maturity'
Images from the EPL matches played on Saturday
Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq scored a majestic 91 not out to lead Pakistan to a thrilling four-wicket victory over England in their final World Cup warmup at Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
Fast bowler Liam Plunkett has replaced Steven Finn in England's 15-man squad for next month's World Twenty20 tournament in India.
A win against Mumbai Indians should be enough to send Sunrisers into the final-four.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 2nd Test played between England and West Indies at Old Trafford in Manchester on Thursday.
Following is a factbox on the first Test match between Australia and England, which starts on Thursday:
Jimmy Anderson showed he remains a deadly proposition in English conditions, taking 5-20, as England bowled out India for a miserly 107 on the second day of the second Test at Lord's, on Friday.
England have won nine of their last 12 ODIs and head coach Trevor Bayliss said there was never any doubt Morgan and Hales would return despite deciding not to go to Bangladesh.
England fast bowler Stuart Broad, who suffered a fractured nose on Saturday, was named in an unchanged 13-man squad for the fifth and final Test against India at the Oval in London next week.
Australia's cricket board gambled that greed would motivate top players into accepting a pay offer and while that bet has backfired the parties are likely to thrash out a deal in time to avert an Ashes boycott, former captain Ian Chappell said.
Uncapped Test duo Simon Kerrigan and Chris Woakes have been named in England's 14-man squad for the fifth and final Ashes contest against Australia, starting at The Oval on Wednesday.
IMAGES from EPL matches played on Saturday.
The Miami Heat gave their fans some Christmas cheer with a dominating 96-80 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
Sri Lanka pace bowler Lasith Malinga ripped through the England batting line-up with four wickets as the former champions handed the favourites a 20-run defeat in a low-scoring World Cup match.
Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma is in sublime form and he can pummel any attack into submission on his day.
Images from the England-Afghanistan World Cup match in Manchester, on Tuesday.
Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe was recalled to the England squad at the age of 34 on Thursday ahead of next week's friendly in Germany and a World Cup qualifier at home to Lithuania.
James Vince's knock of 59 runs enabled England to defeat New Zealand by seven wickets
For the Gujarat Lions to roar, their top-heavy batting order must first win in unison against a consistent KKR bowling attack.
England's predicted line-up for the first Test in Brisbane includes Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Dawid Malan, who will walk out without a Test century to their names.
Rajasthan and Bangalore are locked 7-7 on the head-to-head count, but Wednesday's IPL Eliminator in Pune battle carries the weight of a title dream for both sides.
Having made a commendable comeback from the brink of a series defeat, India will look to increase their stranglehold on hosts England to draw parity when the two teams square off for the fourth Test, in Southampton, on Thursday.
England opener Michael Carberry looks set to make his Ashes debut next week after being included in the team to face an Invitational XI in a warm-up match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
England closed in on a series victory over West Indies after taking complete control on the third day of the second Test on Saturday. The hosts declared their first innings on 569 for six before paceman James Anderson dismissed Devon Smith, Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons as West Indies limped to 94 for three in reply.
Joint-leaders Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool both dropped points on a busy day of English Premier League action as Leicester City and Southampton narrowed the gap in what is shaping up to be one of the most open title races for years.
Charlotte Hornets and owner and former NBA great Michael Jordan and golfer Tiger Woods, who rarely speak out on social issues, have also called for change.
South Africa will hope the new year brings about a change in luck as they seek to put behind them a disappointing 2015 and get back to winning ways against England in the second Test at Newlands starting on Saturday.
The fitness of Ben Stokes remains an issue. The all-rounder did not bowl in the first Test due to a back problem and could play again as a specialist batsman ahead of Vince.
Images from Sunday's action in the Premier League.
The best thing to see in the Avengers: Age Of Ultron trailer might just be the release date!
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
IPL Season 11 begins on April 7. Rajneesh Gupta has all the numbers.
Joe Root's unbeaten 149 put England in complete control of the final Test against India and they picked up the wickets of openers Murali Vijay and Gautam Gambhir before lunch on the third day on Sunday.
Seeking to continue their winning momentum and take an unassailable 2-0 lead, India were dealt a blow ahead of the third one-dayer against England at Trent Bridge on Saturday as opener Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the remainder of the tour because of injury.
The side, led by Jason Sangha, also includes Will Sutherland, son of Cricket Australia's (CA) chief executive James Sutherland. Sutherland Jr is the vice-captain of the side.
