Steve O'Keefe's hopes of joining the Australian slow-bowling attack in the four-Test series in India from next month have been boosted after the left-arm spinner was withdrawn from the remainder of the Big Bash League to prepare for the tour.
Michael Clarke may just meet the fitness deadline to lead the national team into the World Cup starting February 14, even as many Australia cricket officials are mulling appointing Steven Smith as full-time captain after the 50-over showpiece event.
Bowling coach Craig McDermott, who rejuvenated Australia's pace attack before resigning last year, will return to the role for the Test team in a major boost for the hosts ahead of the Ashes series against England.
Australian cricket officials are still no closer to knowing whether Michael Clarke will be fit enough to play in next year's World Cup.
Legendary spinner Shane Warne has expressed his desire to coach the Australian cricket team in the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka to be held in February next year. The coaching role has become available due to a clash in fixtures, which would see Australia play their final KFC T20 International match against Sri Lanka in Adelaide on February 21 and the first Test of the Qantas Tour of India in Pune the following day.
Australian business magnate Don Argus, who penned the landmark review of Australian cricket in 2011, has warned the team and its selectors that they must not be fooled into thinking the job is done despite the Ashes hosts revival.
Cricket Australia has come under pressure from the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) to end the bans following the release of the Longstaff review.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has been named to lead his country in his final one-day series against Australia next month, providing he can prove his fitness.
Michael Clarke's fitness for the Test series against India fading fast.
'If it got to a last-minute situation, I suspect that we would offer to provide good officers brokering between the parties, but there's six months between now and the Ashes'
England still blinking after perfect Ashes start.
Former test batsman Mark Waugh will step down as a national selector at the end of August, Cricket Australia said on Tuesday.
- 'As a captain, I think first and foremost I'll try to lead from the front with my performance on the field' - 'It's a different kettle of fish (leading) Australia, but I'm really looking forward to the challenge'
All-rounder Hilton Cartwright will make his debut for Australia in the dead rubber third Test against Pakistan in Sydney on Tuesday, with left-armer Steve O'Keefe returning to the side as a second spinner alongside Nathan Lyon.
The perennial fitness battles of Shane Watson are likely to rule the all-rounder out of Australia's second Test against South Africa.
Australia has built an artificial pitch at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane to help its batsmen deal with spin-bowling on the slow tracks of the subcontinent, where they have so often struggled in the past.
Emotions were still too raw in the wake of the death of Phillip Hughes to make a decision on whether to go ahead with next week's first Test against India, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said on Friday.
