James Pattinson will take an indefinite break from cricket and has been ruled out of the Ashes series against England after reaggravating his lower back stress fracture, Cricket Australia said on Wednesday.
Australia has been battling hundreds of huge bushfires for several weeks with the resultant thick smoke regularly casting a pall over the country's cities.
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'I think he has enough confidence in what he is doing, that if he had that opportunity (to play Test cricket) he'd be able to go out and take on the Indian bowlers.'
A pugnacious left-hander brimming with self-confidence, he has been in an out of the Australian national team for the past five years.
Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan on Sunday said that the idea of experimenting with the pink ball and the day and night Test would be a flop from the perspective of attracting more spectators to the stadium to watch the game in real time.
'Their whole batting line-up is world class. So any opportunity to bowl at those guys is a test for myself and a challenge I can't wait to get.'
Australia captain Steven Smith has shrugged off his team's lamentable form on tour and is adamant his side will lift for the Test series against South Africa.
Keeping with tradition at the good old WACA, a raging quick wicket has been laid for this inaugural five-day game. It has a healthy layering of grass which could impact strategies for both sides.
England made a poor start to their Australia tour on Thursday with their fancied bowling attack forced to toil by a second-string Western Australia Chairman's XI at Perth.
Penpix of players in Australia's Ashes squad.
Australian paceman James Pattinson has said he was ready to seize his unexpected chance in next week's historic New Zealand third Test following the retirement of Mitchell Johnson.
Marcus Harris will be the only change to the 11, with opener David Warner cleared to play after struggling with his groin strain in Sydney.
The injury suffered by Chris Rogers at Lord's has finally convinced Australia captain Michael Clarke to wear one of the new-look helmets.
Australia opener Matt Renshaw is a doubt for the series-opening Test against Pakistan after suffering a head injury in a tour match in Dubai.
Pink-coloured cricket balls are ready to be used if the inaugural day-night Test match goes ahead in Australia in November, manufacturer Kookaburra said on Tuesday.
'Me and Todd (Murphy) were in the MRF tour in Chennai probably six months ago and that left me in good stead to go well in these games.'
'India were on top of their game, they deserved to beat us for the first time in their history. But our guys are two years better and a lot of the Indians are the same, more experienced. I can't wait to see them go. Can't wait.'
Australia have received a major boost less than a month before the start of the Ashes with the news that captain Michael Clarke will return to action for New South Wales on Tuesday, subject to a final fitness Test on his injured back.
Jason Hughes, the older brother of the late Phillip Hughes, has made an emotional return to grade cricket, scoring 63 -- the exact score his sibling was on when he was fatally struck by a bouncer.
Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has been called into the squad for the remainder of the One-day series against South Africa to give Mitchell Johnson time to rest up before next month's Test series against India.
Australia captain Michael Clarke, who is struggling with his hamstring injury, could be fit in time for the upcoming four Tests against India starting December 4, with reports surfacing that the batsman may not require surgery.
Former captain Ricky Ponting said Aaron Finch and uncapped Marcus Harris should open the batting for Australia in the upcoming four-Test series against India.
A recall for one-Test paceman Pat Cummins has been a long time coming but New South Wales captain Moises Henriques believes it still might be too soon for the bowler he considers a "freak of nature".
'I have done the wrong thing and accept the penalty. I'm gutted to miss a Test match, but the standards are there for a reason and the fault is mine'.
Selectors name the Test squad on Thursday but will have to rely on their gut rather than hard numbers
Former Australia player Stuart Law has been confirmed as the Pakistan Cricket Board's first choice for the post of national team chief coach.
Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood says he is fit and ready for the Ashes series against England after taking six wickets and coming through a Sheffield Shield match unscathed.
Glenn Maxwell fights to secure Australia's number six batting spot for the Ashes series.
Rain denied England's batsmen a chance to inflict further misery on Australia A's hapless bowlers, washing out the entire second day's play in the four-day Ashes tour match in Hobart on Thursday.
After 15 years of failing to win an Ashes Test series in England, Cricket Australia have decided to give players more experience with the Dukes cricket ball by using it in their domestic first class competition from next year.
Young all-rounder Cameron Green scored a confident century for Australia 'A' on day two of the tour match against India 'A' in Sydney on Monday to put his hand up for selection in the Test series starting next week.
Shane Warne, one of the greatest leg-spinners the game has produced, said there is a dearth of quality spinner who can fill in the shoes of Nathan Lyon and urged CA to ensure that states include a spinner in every Sheffield Shield game.
Training sessions are the players' only break from the monotony of being holed up alone in their hotel rooms, so they have been taking to practice with gusto, said Carey.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon has been dropped from Australia's squad for the one-day international series in New Zealand next month, while in-form batsman Usman Khawaja has also been overlooked for the three-match series.
Former tearaway fast bowler Jeff Thomson will be inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame at the Allan Border Medal dinner on Wednesday.
A Canberra-based singer/song writer Jack Biilmann has paid a musical tribute to the late Phillip Hughes, releasing a track called 'Forever Unbeaten'.
Australian fast bowler James Faulkner has said that he was picked in the Ashes squad not only because of his good all-round record at first-class level but also because of his aggressive temperament.
