Top class left-armers are in short supply and chief selector Rod Marsh joked that he had mulled telephoning Johnson to see whether he might like to come out of retirement.
The right-hander currently has 873 points in the list of Test batsmen, headed by Australia captain Steve Smith.
Batsmen Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges and Joe Burns have been rewarded for their strong form over the past 12 months by being awarded central contracts by Cricket Australia on Friday.
A list of some of sport's greatest comebacks after Tiger Woods ended an 11-year major championship drought with victory at The Masters on Sunday.
Chris Rogers and Steve Smith plundered superb centuries to lead Australia to a commanding 337 for one on the first day of the second Ashes Test against England at Lord's on Thursday.
Newcastle United have signed Serbian forward Aleksandar Mitrovic from Belgian side Anderlecht, subject to a work permit, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.
Clarke hopeful of Australia finding right mix between youth and experience after the team was described as a "Dad's Army" by former fast bowler and present Yorkshire coach, Jason Gillespie.
New Zealand claimed the one World Cup prize that no team sets out to win - third place.
Former captain Ian Chappell has called for drastic reduction in 'on-field chatter' and a limited use of DRS in Test matches after a gripping but tense India-Australia series.
Australia coach Darren Lehmann says he and captain Steve Smith both wanted Mitchell Johnson to play on, at least in one-dayers, but were unable to convince the fiery fast bowler to reconsider retirement.
Images from Day 1 of the 5th and final opening Test between Australia and England at the SCG in Sydney on Thursday
Liverpool's dream run was demolished in the most unlikely fashion by strugglers Watford on Saturday in what must be considered the most extraordinary reverse of the entire Premier League season. On the evening when the European champions were expected to complete the best sequence in the history of English football's top-flight with a 19th straight league victory, they were instead hammered 3-0 by the team lying one from bottom. Images from the EPL matches played on Saturday.
'Australia has always prided itself on taking a highly competitive approach to international cricket. This will not change, however CA is confident that what occurred in Durban will remain an aberration'
India captain Virat Kohli, on Thursday, claimed his comment on friendship with the Australian team was 'blown out of proportion'.
'He knows what works best for him in the shortest format, T20. It's probably just about finding that balance at international level as well'
Australia called up uncapped paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile for the first Test against West Indies on Tuesday as a replacement for left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc, who was ruled out of the series due to a broken foot.
Australia have dropped out-of-form limited overs specialist Glenn Maxwell from the squad for the one-day international series in Sri Lanka next month, the country's cricket board announced on Sunday.
Centurion Michael Clarke played a true captain's innings as Australia shrugged off another umpiring controversy to produce an Ashes fightback and rack up 303 for three on the first day of the third Test on Thursday.
Australia fought back with two late wickets to restrict England to 196 for four and leave the Ashes series-opener in Brisbane delicately poised on Thursday after the tourists' unheralded batsmen threatened to dominate an intriguing first day.
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.
'England against Australia at Lord's, it doesn't get much bigger than that.'
Virat Kohli, who amassed 593 runs at an average of 59.3 in the series which the visitors lost by 1-4 margin, had started the series 27 points behind Australia's Steve Smith and finished one point ahead of his closest rival.
Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has also moved up three slots to a career-best 14th position among bowlers after his match haul of 10 for 153 at Mirpur.
England batting coach Graham Thorpe said they will not give up hope of saving the third Test against Australia, but a woeful batting display from the hosts on Friday left them with a mountain to climb to regain the Ashes.
Jofra Archer's first five-wicket haul in Test cricket put England in command on a weather-affected opening day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley on Thursday as they bowled Australia out for 179.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
England will miss the skill and energy of leading wicket-taker James Anderson in the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at Trent Bridge, former batsman Kevin Pietersen said on Wednesday.
Captain Steve Smith smashed his way to a brilliant century to guide Australia to a thrilling three-wicket victory over England with just one delivery to spare in the One-Day International tri-series match in Hobart on Friday.
This was not the first time that Steve Smith and the Australian team resorted to unfair measures in a Test match to gain advantage over their opponents.
Australia pace bowler Kane Richardson is to return home for further examination on a back injury and has been replaced by Joel Paris in the squad for their final one-day match against New Zealand in Hamilton on Monday. Richardson, 24, did not play in Australia's four-wicket victory in the second match in Wellington on Saturday. "Kane Richardson's back pain hasn't subsided sufficiently to take part in the final ODI in Hamilton," a Cricket Australia spokesperson told Australian reporters in Wellington on Sunday.
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Australia have named swashbuckling batsman Aaron Finch captain of the Twenty20 cricket team, replacing George Bailey, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Monday.
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.
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.
Juergen Klopp's side remain seventh, six points behind the Champions League places, after only their second defeat in the 12 games since the German took over in October
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.
India captain Virat Kohli and off-spinner R Ashwin put on splendid performances to put the hosts in the driver's seat on Day 3 of the 2nd Test. Here are the statistical highlights from the day's play from the match played between India and England in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland rejected clarion calls for a formal review and said the game is in "good shape" despite the Test team's fifth successive defeat.
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.
All the parties, fashion and general merriment from the Oscars night!
The sticking point remains the argument over a revenue share scheme which has underpinned contracts for 20 years.
