Marsh wants to extend contract till 2015 World Cup

	Geoff Marsh: "In the last couple of years I got that hunger to get back into it and my two boys have said to me 'get out there and coach'" © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Geoff Marsh Teams: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's new head coach, Geoff Marsh, has said that he is keen to extend his two-year contract with Sri Lanka Cricket and help them win another World Cup. The former Australia batsman and coach succeeds another Australian, Trevor Bayliss, who retired at the end of the 2011 World Cup in April after coaching the Sri Lanka team for four years.

"If Sri Lanka Cricket wants me to extend my contract till the 2014 World Cup its open from my end for discussions," Marsh said on Thursday after taking over officially as head coach of Sri Lanka. "At the moment it's a two-year contract and we haven't talked about the finish yet. Hopefully the World Cup is something that I love to be through having won two (as a player and as a coach), but my immediate focus is preparing the team for the next test match which is against Pakistan next month."

Marsh, 52 was a member of the Australian side that won the World Cup in 1987 and was coach of Australia when they won the World Cup again in 1999. He said that he will treat all three formats of the game - Test, One-Day International and Twenty20 cricket - the same.

"We got to basically sit down and plan for Test cricket, ODI cricket and T20 cricket we won't favour one. Obviously the World Twenty20 is important but the most important game we play next is the first Test against Pakistan, that's exactly what we will be targeting." Sri Lanka take on Pakistan in the UAE next month. They will host the ICC World Twenty20 in September 2012.

Marsh coached the Pune Warriors in the 2011 IPL and said taking the Sri Lanka job was a way to get back into international cricket. "I retired after Zimbabwe and I had a break just to spend a little bit of time with my own two boys. In the last couple of years I got that hunger to get back into it and my two boys have said to me 'get out there and coach'.

"Being good friends with Tom Moody, he said that it was a fantastic place to come to. To be a part of Sri Lanka cricket was a great experience for him. That's how it all started. It's always been in the back of my mind that if I took on a coaching role it had to be out of Australia because it's a conflict of interest to coach my kids (Shaun and Mitchell) in state cricket and for Australia. When you look around the world, Tom was always saying that this was a great place to come and coach and the people are fantastic. That's how it came about."

Harbhajan, Badrinath and Gambhir captains in Challenger Trophy

	Harbhajan Singh and Gautam Gambhir will lead India Green and India Red respectively © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Subramaniam Badrinath | Gautam Gambhir | Harbhajan Singh Series/Tournaments: NKP Salve Challenger Trophy | Indian Domestic Season Teams: India

Offspinner Harbhajan Singh, who has been dropped from the India team for the first two ODIs of the five-match home series against England, has been named the captain of the India Green squad for the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy. Gautam Gambhir, who is back in action following the concussion he suffered in England, will lead India Red while Tamil Nadu batsman S Badrinath will captain India Blue.

The tournament will comprise three round-robin games and a final, and will be played from October 10 to 13 in Nagpur. The first ODI against England is on the next day in Hyderabad, a game which Gambhir is slated to play in.

The three squads feature a number of fringe players who have played for India recently, or have shown flashes of promise in the IPL. TN opener M Vijay, who has lost favour with the national selectors following an indifferent tour of West Indies will play for India Blue, alongside IPL performers Paul Valthaty and Saurabh Tiwary, and spinners Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra. The side also includes Irfan Pathan and Dinesh Karthik, both of whom have been out of national reckoning in recent years.

Harbhajan's team includes Robin Uthappa, who has been a strong IPL performer, but average in other domestic tournaments. Tamil Nadu's S Anirudha and Hyderabad's T Suman also find a spot in the India Green line-up, as do Mohammad Kaif, Iqbal Abdulla and Ahimanyu Mithun.

Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Abhinav Mukund, who have played for India in ODIs and Tests recently, figure in the India Red squad. Ambati Rayudu has forced his way back into the selectors' focus with his IPL heroics, and finds a place in the side. Yusuf Pathan, who has lost the allrounder spot in the senior team to Ravindra Jadeja, and RP Singh, who made a comeback from the wilderness during the England tour, are the other notable inclusions in Gambhir's team.

India Blue: S Badrinath (capt), M Vijay, Paul Valthaty, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mandeep Singh, Saurabh Tiwary, Irfan Pathan, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, YV Krishanatry, Prashant Parameshwaran, Pradeep Sangwan, Tanmay Srivastava

India Green: Harbhajan Singh (capt), Robin Uthappa, S Anirudha, T Suman, Mohnish Mishra, Ishank Jaggi, Mohammad Kaif, CM Gautham (wk), Sarabjit Ladda, Iqbal Abdulla, Abhimanyu Mithun, Samad Fallah, Ishwar Choudhary, Sumit Narwal

India Red: Gautam Gambhir (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Abhinav Mukund, Ambati Rayudu, Ashok Menaria, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Jalaj Saxena, Piyush Chawla, Bhargav Bhatt, Pankaj Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, TP Sudhindra, Yusuf Pathan, RP Singh

Mumbai Indians look to seal semi-final spot

Match facts

September 30, Bangalore
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)

	Will Harbhajan Singh feel he has a point to prove after being dropped for the upcoming one-day series against England? © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Matches: Mumbai Indians v Cape Cobras at Bangalore Series/Tournaments: Nokia Champions League T20 Teams: India | South Africa

Big Picture

The race for semi-final spots from Group A intensifies as Mumbai Indians and Cape Cobras clash in Bangalore. MI are on top of the table with two scarcely believable wins, while the Cobras are stuck in mid-table traffic after suffering an unlikely defeat at the hands of Dwayne Bravo and Chennai Super Kings. Another win for MI will confirm their passage to the semi-finals with a game to play. A Cobras victory, on the other hand, will open up the group and leave statistics experts fiddling with calculators to figure out the permutations.

The Cobras will have to recover quickly from the defeat but can take heart from their fluent victory against New South Wales in their first game. They won't mind the true bounce and the quick outfield at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, but will first have to shake off the slow-and-low hangover from Chepauk. Dale Steyn, who got clobbered by Bravo in his final over in Chennai, will look forward to a fresh start at his erstwhile IPL home venue, too.

Mumbai Indians have already played a game in Bangalore, the madcap low-scoring thriller against Trinidad & Tobago, and would have picked up valuable lessons from that outing. They will be hard-pressed to explain their position in the points table, given how abysmal their batting has been. In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and now Davy Jacobs, the top order is bereft of quality and confidence. Their bowling has been incisive, though, with Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh doing the damage, with the support cast doing an adequate job.

Watch out for …

The doosra remains elusive but the floater is back, and there are fleeting signs of the trademark loop too. Harbhajan Singh has bowled well, and has also been proactive with his field placements. This time, however, he will be taking the field on the back of a personal reversal, having been dropped from the Indian team for the first time in years. Can he put the setback behind him and help continue his side's unbeaten run?

Twenty20 is the most fickle form of the game. Ask JP Duminy who batted attractively and bowled a crafty spell of offspin to derail CSK's chase, before shelling a sitter from MS Dhoni in the end overs. The drop did not cost Cobras much - Dhoni exited soon after without doing much damage - but it was the first sign of panic in their camp. Bravo sensed the opening and bulldozed his way through to victory. Duminy will want to shut out all escape routes against Mumbai Indians, coincidentally his one-time IPL side.

Team news

With the exception of Ambati Rayudu, the MI top-order contributed a handsome 21 in the game against T&T, including two ducks. They can only pray for a revival on Friday. T Suman might be shunted down the order, in which case Rayudu could open the innings. The team management hasn't yet named a replacement for Jacobs, which means Rayudu will continue to keep wicket.

The Cobras didn't do much wrong against the Super Kings, and will want to stick with their combination. Steyn may not be too keen to bowl in the slog overs, though.

Stats and trivia

• With four wickets apiece, JP Duminy and Vernon Philander are currently Cobras' highest wicket-takers in the tournament
  
• Lasith Malinga has been Mumbai Indians' best bowler with three wickets at 17.00. He has also been their highest run-getter with 52

Players chase unpaid IPL 2010 money

	Simon Katich is still owed IPL money © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Simon Katich | Ramnaresh Sarwan Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League

Simon Katich and Ramnaresh Sarwan are among a group of cricketers still owed contract payments from the BCCI for the 2010 Indian Premier League.

FICA, the international cricketers' representative body, has revealed that the money has remained unpaid for more than 18 months despite numerous entreaties by the players and their management. Tim May, the FICA, chief executive, said no response had been forthcoming.

"A number of players whose contracts were 'subsidised' by the BCCI, have recently contacted FICA to assist in recovering the amounts owed by the BCCI," he said. "These amounts relate to IPL 3, which was held in March-April in 2010. Affected players include Simon Katich and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

"Despite numerous attempts by the players to recover these amounts, not only do the amounts still remain unpaid, but the IPL and the BCCI have recently failed to respond to communications made by the players and their representatives.

"FICA last month wrote to the IPL Chairman Mr Chirayu Amin on behalf of the players to draw his attention to the matter, but to date, neither we nor the players have received a response to this matter.

"We trust with the recent appointment of Mr N. Srinivasan as President of the BCCI, and the appointment of Mr Rajiv Shukla as Chairman of IPL, that these two gentlemen will ensure that BCCI will address these payments as a matter of urgency."

Neither Katich nor Sarwan took part in the 2010 IPL, but were still under contract to King's XI Punjab, having been signed for three years after the initial player auction in 2008.

The episode follows the saga of T20 Champions League prize money being delayed by months after the 2010 tournament, with the boards of some countries including Australia and South Africa choosing to pay the money themselves rather than wait for it to arrive from the subcontinent.

de Villiers to miss Australia series

	AB de Villiers will miss South Africa's T20 and ODI series against Australia © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: AB de Villiers Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of South Africa Teams: South Africa

AB de Villiers has been ruled out of cricket for between four and six weeks with a hand injury. He will miss South Africa's T20 and ODI series against Australia, of which the former was due to be his first as captain. De Villiers broke the third finger on his left hand during fielding practice with the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Champions League T20 on Wednesday.

"He saw a hand surgeon this morning and will undergo an operation tomorrow [Friday] where they will insert a pin or a plate to stabilise the finger," Mohammad Moosajee, team manager told ESPNCricinfo.

De Villiers' injury sets South Africa's plans of starting a new era, with Gary Kirsten as head coach and de Villiers as captain in limited-overs formats, back. Instead, they will have put contingency plans in place as their international season starts in unexpected fashion.

The national selectors met at the Wanderers Stadium, where one of season-opening first-class fixtures was taking place, to finalise the T20 and ODI squads. Top of the agenda was the issue of who will lead the team against Australia. "We debated that at length and we will release the information around the captaincy at the same time as we release the squads, which will be early next week," said convenor of selectors Andrew Hudson.

Hashim Amla was named the vice-captain in June and, according to Moosajee, "all things equal" should captain the side. But, all things are not equal, because Amla has never captained the national team, although he did lead his franchise, the Dolphins in the 2004-5 season. His inexperience with the armband means that South Africa could return to an old hand. Graeme Smith, who stepped down as T20 captain last August and ODI captain after the World Cup or Johan Botha, who was stripped of the T20 captaincy in June, could return to the role as a stop gap.

The captaincy is not the only issue the selectors had to discuss. "AB's injury does not only affect the captaincy, its also the wicketkeeper and a top order batsman," Hudson said.

The wicketkeeper position has been a hotly debated one in South African cricket circles, with no clear successor having been identified for Mark Boucher, with some of the opinion that there is no need to look for a replacement yet. Although Boucher is 34 years old, he has made clear his desire to make a comeback to the ODI side after missing out on selection for the World Cup.

Boucher would be the safe option, but de Villiers' injury could pave the way for South Africa to start experimenting with who they would like to don the keeping gloves. Heino Kuhn, who has played three T20s for South Africa - the last was against Zimbabwe in Kimberley almost a year ago - is the favourite.

Morne van Wyk, who was part of South Africa's World Cup squad, and could bat in the top four is another option. Thami Tsolekile may come into the fray, although he has never played a limited-overs match for South Africa. Davy Jacobs may have finally got his chance, but sustained a hip injury during training with the Mumbai Indians at the Champions League and will likely be unavailable.

"The Champions League hasn't been kind to us," Hudson said. "Last year we lost Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis and Albie Morkel and we can only hope we don't suffer more." Steyn fell on his head after backpedalling to take a catch while Kallis sustained a back injury and Morkel strained his side, which caused the trio to miss out on matches against Zimbabwe.

With a more important series, against Australia, coming this year, Hudson hoped that the casualties will not mount, with 10 days remaining in the Champions League, but feared they may have to brace for more. "What we are realising is that T20 is hard on players, it's intense," Hudson said. "We're going to have accept that we will get injuries."

Harbhajan dropped for first two ODIs

	Harbhajan Singh has been dropped for the first time in years © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Harbhajan Singh Series/Tournaments: England tour of India Teams: India

Offspinner Harbhajan Singh has been left out of India's squad for the first two ODIs against England on October 14 and 17. Karnataka medium-pacer S Aravind and Punjab legspinner Rahul Sharma have received their maiden international call-ups.

Fast bowler, Varun Aaron who was part of the ODI squad in England but did not play, retained his place in the 15-man team. Batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary are the other replacements sent to England who kept their spots.

Fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who was not part of the India set-up since the 2010-11 Test series in South Africa, also made a comeback.

The squad is missing Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Munaf Patel and Ishant Sharma due to injuries sustained on the recent tour of England. Fast bowler Ashish Nehra, who had declared himself fit after breaking his hand during the World Cup, and allrounder Yusuf Pathan, who was part of the World Cup squad, were not selected.

India's squad contained five batsmen - Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Manoj Tiwary - two wicketkeeper batsmen - MS Dhoni and Parthiv Patel - and one allrounder in Ravindra Jadeja. The bowling attack comprised five seamers - Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, S Aravind and Praveen Kumar - and two spinners in R Ashwin and Rahul Sharma.

Harbhajan's axeing came after his disappointing performance during the Test series in England, where he took only two wickets in 69.4 overs at an average of 143.50 and economy-rate of 4.11. He suffered a stomach injury during the second Test and was ruled out of the last two matches and the limited-overs series that followed. India lost the Test series 0-4 and the ODI series 0-3 in England.

Aravind had a strong 2010-11 domestic season; he was the second-highest wicket-taker for Karnataka with 26 scalps and also the second-highest wicket-taker for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy with 10 wickets. He followed that up with an impressive performance for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2011 to push his claims for national recognition. Rahul Sharma also caught notice in the IPL, where he picked up 16 wickets in 14 games for the under-performing Pune Warriors, at the eye-popping economy-rate of 5.46.

This selection meeting in Chennai was the first since the BCCI replaced Yashpal Sharma with Mohinder Amarnath as the North Zone representative on the panel.

Squad: MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Gautam Gambhir, Parthiv Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, S Aravind, Rahul Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Praveen Kumar.

Kallis and Gambhir keep Knight Riders alive

Kolkata Knight Riders 171 for 1 (Kallis 64*, Gambhir 55*) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 169 for 9 (Vettori 44, Bhatkal 25) by nine wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Brad Haddin delivered a blistering start to the chase © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Gautam Gambhir | Brad Haddin | Jacques Kallis Matches: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders at Bangalore Series/Tournaments: Nokia Champions League T20 Teams: India | Kolkata Knight Riders | Royal Challengers Bangalore

Kolkata Knight Riders bounced back to inflict a comprehensive defeat on Royal Challengers Bangalore and keep their own hopes alive in the Champions League while making survival difficult for their opponents. A delightful cameo from the home captain, Daniel Vettori, seemed to have set up a close encounter, but the Knight Riders dominated the chase, reminding the Royal Challengers top order of what they should have done with the bat on a good pitch. Brad Haddin, replacing Shakib Al Hasan, did full justice to his role by delivering a flier at the start while Jacques Kallis anchored the reply with support from Gautam Gambhir.

The Knight Riders were left angered and frustrated by Vettori's crafty batting at the death in the Royal Challengers' innings, but didn't let that affect them in the chase. A spate of misfields and fumbles drew ire from Gambhir, but the batting was calm and clinical in its approach. Haddin gave the initial push by stepping up in the second over to smack the left-arm seamer S Aravind, who's won a call-up to the India squad for the ODIs against England, for three consecutive fours as the bowler struggled with his line.

Haddin's approach came with risks but it wasn't mindless aggression. He used his feet well against spin, charging out to J Syed Mohammad and dispatching him over long-on, and waiting patiently for Vettori to slip in a bad ball - and he did - before punishing it past point. He was unforgiving against a clutter of length deliveries from a struggling Aravind, carving them for sixes over midwicket and the bowler's head, interspersed by a slog for a four. When he fell with the score on 62 in the eighth over, the platform had been laid.

The rest of the innings seemed meticulously planned. Kallis ceded the floor to Gambhi after launching a six over long-on early in the innings, and the Knight Riders captain played his role superbly. The Royal Challengers had faltered in the field in their previous defeat, and a half-chance that went down was perhaps the one big opportunity they had of a comeback. Saurabh Tiwary failed to latch on to a catch from Gambhir at the long-off boundary, lost his balance and crashed into his coach in the dugout. Gambhir was on 2 then.

As the field spread out, plenty of singles were on offer and the pair rotated the strike comfortably, the required rate in control all through. The timely bursts were provided by Gambhir, who hammered Syed to the straight boundary and past point and clipped an off-the-mark Dirk Nannes past short fine leg. The Royal Challengers didn't help their cause by doling out extra runs, either by way of overthrows or wides. Nannes was singled out for punishment in the final surge, Kallis reaching his fifty, albeit with a streaky bottom edge, while Gambhir smashed him for two massive sixes over long-on and square leg. That over, the 16th, fetched 24, the win was completed shortly after.

A spirited performance from the Knight Riders bowlers had given them the advantage for 14 overs of the hosts' innings, the early assault from Chris Gayle being the only highlight with the bat until then. Kallis' stirring reply after being hit for six - a yorker that knocked out Gayle's leg stump - backed up by Brett Lee's extra bounce that dislodged Virat Kohli, made up for the early damage.

The Royal Challengers didn't make use of their line-up's depth, losing wickets after their batsmen got partnerships going, holing out needlessly while an uncharacteristically quiet Tilakaratne Dilshan was stumped smartly by Haddin. With his sly shuffles to the off and the use of those powerful wrists, Vettori, kept company by Syed and Raju Bhatkal, sparked a recovery that left the hosts with the momentum at the end of the innings. It would not be with them for long.

After the game, Gautam Gambhir was fined $3000 while the rest of the the Knight Riders were fined $1500 per player for being two overs behind the required over rate. The penalty for a slow over rate is $1500 per over for the captain and $750 per over for each of the other players in the starting XI.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s Powerplay 16-20 overs NB/Wides Royal Challengers Bangalore 57 12 9 41/2 67/3 0/5 Kolkata Knight Riders 32 12 7 56/0 40/0 (16-17.3) 0/8

England-South Africa faces Olympic clash

	Dale Steyn will be on display in England next summer, but the Test series comprises only three matches © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Series/Tournaments: South Africa tour of England | Australia tour of Ireland and England | West Indies tour of England Teams: Australia | England | South Africa | West Indies

England's home Test series against South Africa in 2012, which could be another battle for the No. 1 ranking, will be in direct competition with the Olympic Games and played over just three matches. The ECB also confirmed that West Indies will visit for a full tour and Australia for five ODIs.

South Africa's visit in July and August has been squeezed because of the London Olympics, which will be staged for two weeks from late July and brings with it a series of restrictions about competing sporting events, and also by a visit from Australia for a one-day series. The first Test, at The Oval, will be played a week before the Games and the last, at Lord's, which is an Olympic venue, takes place shortly after it has finished. The Headingley Test has the task of battling head on with the Games.

In 2008, series between England and South Africa were given 'icon' status which, at the time, meant a five-Test series. The 2009-10 series in South Africa, however, had only four matches and was shared 1-1, with the hosts fighting back to win the final Test in Johannesburg.

At a time when the primacy of Test cricket is a major debate, having such a marquee series reduced to three matches doesn't bode well and suggests boards are paying no more than lip service to the principle that money doesn't rule. The proximity of the Olympics is out of the ECB's control but 13 ODIs, including another stand-alone five-match series against Australia, is unbalanced especially in a country where Test cricket is well attended.

After the Tests, South Africa will play five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals in England. They will act as preparation for the World Twenty20 that starts a week later in Sri Lanka with England as defending champions.

England's home season begins on May 17 with the first Test against West Indies, at Lord's, followed by further matches at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston. West Indies then play three ODIs and a single T20. Both West Indies and South Africa have two warm-up matches before their respective Test series begin, although South Africa's match against Somerset will be a two-day game followed by a three-day outing against Kent before the first Test.

England will also play Scotland in an ODI on August 12 as part of the arrangement whereby they play them and Ireland in alternate years. A venue for that match has still to be confirmed.

Cardiff, which was handed a 2015 Ashes Test as the major matches were allocated for a four-year period, will host the domestic Friends Life t20 finals day for the first time on August 25. The CB40 final takes place at Lord's again on September 15.

Key dates

May 17-21 - 1st Test v West Indies, Lord's
May 25-29 - 2nd Test v West Indies, Trent Bridge
June 7-11 - 3rd Test v West Indies, Edgbaston
June 16 - 1st ODI v West Indies, Rose Bowl
June 19 - 2nd ODI v West Indies, The Oval
June 22 - 3rd ODI v West Indies, Headingley
June 24 - T20 v West Indies, Trent Bridge

June 29 - 1st ODI v Australia, Lord's
July 1 - 2nd ODI v Australia, The Oval
July 4 - 3rd ODI v Australia, Edgbaston
July 7 - 4th ODI v Australia, Durham
July 10th - 5th ODI v Australia, Old Trafford

July 19-23 - 1st Test v South Africa, The Oval
August 2-6 - 2nd Test v South Africa, Headingley
August 16-20 - 3rd Test v South Africa, Lord's
August 24 - 1st ODI v South Africa, Cardiff
August 28 - 2nd ODI v South Africa, Rose Bowl
August 31 - 3rd ODI v South Africa, The Oval
September 2 - 4th ODI v South Africa, Lord's
September 5 - 5th ODI v South Africa, Trent Bridge
September 8 - 1st T20 v South Africa, Durham
September 10 - 2nd T20 v South Africa, Old Trafford
September 12 - 3rd T20 v South Africa, Edgbaston

Australia to play Ireland in ODI in 2012

Ireland and Australia will play in a one-day international next year, Cricket Ireland has said. The two sides will square off at the Civil Service ground at Stormont in Belfast on 23 June, 2012.

"We are delighted to welcome Australia to Belfast in 2012 after their exciting RSA Challenge ODI against Ireland in Dublin 2010," Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland's chief executive, said. "Although opportunities to find space in the Future Tours Programme are rare against the world's leading teams, it is apparent that Cricket Australia is committed to ensuring that the top Associates, like Scotland and Ireland, have a chance to test themselves against the best and help us to improve.

"Off the field, the visit of such teams gives a massive boost to the profile of the sport, delivers a terrific return on investment to our valued partners and a wonderful day out for our fans."

Ireland lost to Australia by 39 runs in Dublin in 2010 and Phil Simmons, the Ireland coach, said the game was a good chance for his players to try and get one back. "We had a wonderful opportunity to beat them in Dublin last year but let the game slip," Simmons said. "I know just how much that defeat hurt the players, so it's great to get another chance to play them. As a coach and a player, these are the sort of fixtures that you thrive on, and with the backing of the crowd in Belfast, we've a genuine chance of pulling off another famous win."

A Cricket Australia spokesman also welcomed the chance to play Ireland in Ireland again. "We had a great visit there last year and eventually won a very competitive game. The hospitality we experienced was first class and we look forward to bringing high quality cricket to Northern Ireland next year."

Cape Town to host two Tests in 2011-12

	Newlands will host the New Year's Test © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links News : South Africa v Australia cut to two Tests Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of South Africa | Australia tour of South Africa

Cape Town will host two Test matches in the South African summer, CSA announced on Friday. The 2011-12 season sees South Africa play host to Australia and Sri Lanka. Australia will play only two Tests, one in Cape Town and one in Johannesburg, instead of the usual three, two Twenty20 internationals and three ODIs in a shortened tour in October and November.

Sri Lanka, who have not visited South Africa since 2002, will play three Tests and five ODIs over December and January with the Christmas and New Year's Tests remaining at their traditional homes of Durban and Cape Town.

"Unfortunately time constraints prevent us from playing more than two Tests against Australia this time around," CSA chief executive Gerald Majola said. "The aim is to play a four-match Test series when Australia next tour in February and March of 2014. This will make up for the extra Test not being played on this year's tour."

Despite the culling of a Test from the series, Majola said that "Test cricket remains in our view the ultimate pinnacle of the game." South Africa were thought to have reduced the number of Tests because of their domestic teams' participation in the Champions League T20, but on Wednesday, Tony Irish, chief executive of the South African Cricketers' Association confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the CLT20 was "not a point of discussion" when the fixtures were confirmed.

The ODIs against Sri Lanka will be spread over the country's smaller venues with Paarl, East London, Bloemfontein and Kimberley all hosting a match. The series will culminate in Johannesburg on January 22, before South Africa head to New Zealand.

South Africa were toying with the idea of hosting West Indies for an ODI series in late January but the fixtures were not compulsory according to the current Future Tours Programme that runs to completion in April 2012. That series looks unlikely given the schedule.

Ferguson blasts South Australia to victory

South Australia 188 for 5 (Ferguson 70*, Christian 42) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 169 for 9 (Tiwary 40, Putland 3-31, Harris 3-42) by 19 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Kane Richardson celebrates after bowling Manvinder Bisla © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Analysis : Knight Riders need a reshuffle Matches: Kolkata Knight Riders v South Australia at Hyderabad (Deccan) Series/Tournaments: Nokia Champions League T20 Teams: Australia | India | Kolkata Knight Riders | South Australia

Callum Ferguson's transformation, from a batsman who was struggling to find gaps in the field to a big-hitting finisher, helped South Australia earn their first points of the tournament and heal their damaged net run-rate to a certain extent. Ferguson turned the innings against Kolkata Knight Riders around in a single over and then helped ransack 94 off the last six to set up a match-winning 188 on a slow pitch.

The Knight Riders' 19-run defeat was their second loss in as many matches and a severe blow to their chances of progressing from their five-team group. Their chase was hampered by frequent wickets at one end and the lack of strike to Jacques Kallis at the other. The game was up when Yusuf Pathan fell, with the score on 102 for 5 after 14.1 overs, and all Ryan ten Doeschate and the tail could do was narrow the margin of defeat, which looked like being much larger until 59 runs came off the last four overs.

For 14 overs South Australia batted with bluster without being too effective. They slogged, often across the line, and tried to hit everything a bit too hard to reach 94 for 3. Then Ferguson found his fluency, and the boundaries, and added 84 runs with Daniel Christian in 7.2 overs, which changed everything.

Ferguson was dropped on 18 in the 13th over, bowled by Yusuf. He had lofted towards long-on, and Kallis ran in too fast, lost sight of the ball, and nearly got hit on the head as it went past him for four. It was Ferguson's first boundary, coming off his 22nd ball. They came quickly and in abundance after that.

In Yusuf's next over, Ferguson lofted to the straight boundary twice, once for four, once for six. He also pulled with power and paddled delicately, finding the spaces that had eluded him earlier. South Australia scored 20 runs off that over. The acceleration had begun.

The Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Uppal is Christian's home ground when he plays for Deccan Chargers in the IPL and he too lit it up. In the 16th over, Christian hit his first boundaries, pulling Iqbal Abdulla to midwicket and sweeping over square leg. He brought up the 50 partnership with Ferguson off 29 balls.

For an over or two Ferguson rode in Christian's slipstream, as the allrounder dismantled the Kinght Riders attack, using force to clear the long-on boundary and a deft touch when placing towards fine leg. Christian raced to 42 off 26 balls before holing out to mid-off. Ferguson then ensured a strong finish, pulling Lee into the second tier at midwicket and ending the innings with a massive blow over long-on to end with 70 from 40 balls.

Ferguson played the sort of innings Kallis is known for: a steady, if sedate, start followed by a compelling finish. Kallis, however, was unable to do that today. He didn't get enough strike: at the end of the sixth over, Kallis had faced only eight balls, and only 16 balls after ten. He was caught and bowled for 20 soon after by Daniel Harris, leaving the Knight Riders on 81 for 4.

Kallis' partners had used the majority of the strike to attempt a rash of attacking shots, and perished in the process. Manvinder Bisla struck three fours in the opening over but was bowled in the second by medium-pacer Kane Richardson, whom South Australia had drafted in for this game along with Gary Putland. Putland would finish with 3 for 31. Shakib Al Hasan and Gautam Gambhir hit sparkling boundaries but failed to get past 15.

The contest ended when Yusuf skied Putland towards third man and was caught by Aaron O'Brien, who sprinted back from the circle. It was the first ball off the 15th over, precisely when Ferguson had begun his onslaught in South Australia's innings.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s Powerplay 16-20 overs NB/Wides South Australia 48 15 8 48 for 1 74 for 2 0/9 Kolkata Knight Riders 49 15 8 46 for 2 65 for 3 1/2

Injured Jacobs out of Nokia Champions League T20

Mumbai Indians' injury worries have deepened with South African opener Davy Jacobs being ruled out of the Champions League Twenty20 with a hip injury.

Jacobs was stretchered off the ground after picking up a hip injury while batting in the nets on Sunday, a day before Mumbai Indians' second match of the tournament, against Trinidad & Tobago in Bangalore.

Harbhajan Singh, the Mumbai Indians captain, confirmed the team was trying to find a replacement. "He's out of the competition," Harbhajan said after Mumbai's final-ball win on Sunday. "I think our management is looking into the matter. We have to have another player in the side; we only have 13 players."

Jacobs joins a long list of injured players for Mumbai Indians, which includes Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Munaf Patel, Ali Murtaza, Dhawal Kulkarni, Suryakumar Yadav, Pawan Suyal, Dhawal Kulkarni and Aditya Tare. The franchise has been allowed to play five foreign players during the Champions League because of the number of injuries to Indian players. With Jacobs injured, however, they now have only six foreign players in their squad.

Harbhajan compared the situation to the one India faced on their recent injury-ravaged tour of England. "Earlier Dhoni had a very tough time in England when the injury list was increasing, and we finished the tour with ten players [injured]; it gets very difficult for any captain. Dhoni was fighting alone there; hopefully it's not my turn now."

Mumbai have a support staff filled with prominent former players, and Harbhajan joked that the team might have to rope them in as cover. "If there are one or two more injuries, we don't know whether we will be able to put up a show," he said. "Might have to bring Jonty Rhodes in then, [Shaun] Pollock also ... and Robin Singh as well."

Jacobs was signed by Mumbai Indians in the January auction ahead of the 2011 IPL, after he had finished second in the run-charts during the 2010 Champions League, leading Warriors to the final. Jacobs only managed 92 runs in six innings during the IPL but impressed with his wicketkeeping. He will fly back to South Africa on Tuesday. "Last year's (Champions League T20) changed my life. Very grateful, will always be a special tournament for me. So sad to leave now! But will be back," Jacobs tweeted on Tuesday morning.

Mumbai Indians outlast T&T in heart-stopper

Mumbai Indians 99 for 9 (Rayudu 36, Rampaul 3-17) beat Trinidad & Tobago 98 (Harbhajan 3-22, Malinga 2-22) by one wicket
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Ravi Rampaul was Man of the Match, but his team-mates made too many errors © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Matches: Mumbai Indians v Trinidad & Tobago at Bangalore Series/Tournaments: Nokia Champions League T20 Teams: India | Mumbai Indians | Trinidad & Tobago | West Indies

Having started their campaign with victory in a game they had no business winning, Mumbai Indians nearly accomplished the exact opposite before pipping a blundering Trindad & Tobago off the last ball. In a game where neither team managed to reach 100, T&T made too many errors to back up their spirit. The mistake that sealed it came after Mumbai Indians' top-scorer Ambati Rayudu was run out off the penultimate ball of the match, leaving last man Yuzvendra Chahal needing two off the final delivery. In a move that flew in the face of logic, T&T chose to give the single and play for the tie, unmindful of the fact that they would have had to face Lasith Malinga if the Super Over eventuated.

Daren Ganga pushed the field back, Sherwin Ganga sent down a low full toss on Chahal's pads, and the batsman was inventive enough to nudge softly towards deep midwicket. Chahal charged back for the second, the throw from the deep wasn't accurate, but Denesh Ramdin had enough time to break the stumps after collecting it. Ramdin, however, chose to under-arm from a couple of yards away and missed to the glee of the predominantly Mumbai Indians-biased crowd.

When Mumbai Indians came out needing a paltry 99 for victory, talk was that they would go for a big win and boost their net run-rate. Ravi Rampaul and T&T's army of unconventional spinners had completely different ideas, though. Samuel Badree had Aiden Blizzard top-edging a slider, before Rampaul dismantled the top order with clever lengths delivered at lively pace. T Suman got a leading edge, James Franklin got an outside edge, and Andrew Symonds inner-edged a yorker onto his stumps - the last two off successive balls to leave the chase in disarray.

Kieron Pollard survived the hat-trick ball, but T&T kept attacking their once team-mate. Sunil Narine got the prize wicket with a flat offbreak that Pollard bottom-edged onto his pads en route to his stumps to make it 33 for 5. R Sathish and Rayudu concentrated on survival until Rayudu found release with two boundaries off Kevon Cooper. Sathish looked completely out of place, though, and whipped straight to midwicket to leave his side 65 for 6. Harbhajan Singh put the pressure right back with a lashed six, before he was run out in the 18th over while looking to keep Rayudu on strike. T&T's fielding began to lose its edge, with a number of school-boy errors in the end overs, including Jason Mohammad's mis-field at long-off that gave Malinga four. Rampaul, however, evened the game once again with a superb 19th over that left Mumbai Indians needing 11 off Sherwin Ganga's last.

Rayudu got a single off the first ball, before Sherwin sent down a friendly full toss off the second. Malinga clattered it straight down the ground, past a leaping effort from Mohammad, for a pressure-releasing six. A single was followed by Malinga's run-out, backing up too far when Rayudu smashed a full ball straight to the bowler. That made it 3 required off 2, before Rayudu fell attempting an impossible second. And then Daren Ganga blinked, Ramdin missed, and Mumbai were home.

T&T's misery ended with a run-out that was fumbled, but it began earlier in the evening with one that should never have been. They were coasting at 41 for 1 in the fifth over, when Lendl Simmons, returning for a straightforward second, chugged into his crease without grounding his bat. His entire body was over the line, but the front foot was in the air and the back foot on the crease, with no portion of it inside, when the stumps were broken.

Until that moment of laziness, T&T's innings featured all that was good about Caribbean batting. There were flamboyant shots from Adrian Barath in the opening over, audacious pick-up strokes from Simmons, whose approach was unchanged after Barath's exit, and a couple of emphatic blows from Darren Bravo. But once Simmons handed Mumbai Indians an opening, Harbhajan barged through with attacking bowling and perceptive field placements - he operated with slip and silly point at one point.

The middle order did not have the technique to counterattack. Harbhajan enticed Denesh Ramdin into miscuing a sweep right back at him, before nailing Bravo with a yorker. He wound up his spell with Sherwin Ganga's wicket - a patent slider that pinned him on the back foot. Malinga did his business at the other end, and T&T lost wickets too quickly to last their full quota. They were bowled out with as many as 22 balls left to go in the innings, and in the end that cost them the game.

India U-19s pummel Australia U-19s in record chase

India Under-19s decimated Australia Under-19s in the first youth ODI of the quadrangular tournament in Visakhapatnam. They won by ten wickets and 38 overs to spare in what was the fastest chase of a total more than 100 in U-19 cricket.

After choosing to bat, Australia folded for 163 in 41.1 overs. Only wicketkeeper James Peirson offered some resistance with a fluent 51. Offspinner Baba Aparajith claimed five middle-order wickets in 8.1 overs.

The India openers, Manan Vohra and Unmukt Chand, were brutal in reply, scoring 167 in 12 overs at a run-rate of 13.91. Vohra's 79 off 35 balls was studded with 15 fours and two sixes, while Chand made 72 off 40 with 11 fours and three sixes. Australia captain Cameron Bancroft employed five bowlers in the short chase, but none of them could manage an economy-rate of below 10. The opening pair was particularly harsh on spinners Ashton Turner and Shane Cassell, slamming them for 17.50 and 23 runs an over respectively.

India take on Sri Lanka U-19s in their next game on September 29, while Australia play West Indies U-19s on the same day.

Sri Lanka Under-19 began their quadrangular campaign by beating West Indies Under-19 in Visakhapatnam, a victory that was much narrower than India's against Australia. Sri Lanka edged home by two wickets and needed their tail to rescue the chase after a top-order collapse.

Chasing 147, Sri Lanka had crumbled to 71 for 8. Fast bowlers Justin Greaves, who took 4 for 26, Ronsford Beaton and Kyle Mayers had put West Indies two strikes away from victory. Those wickets, however, never came as Lahiru Madhushanka and Tharindu Kaushal added 76 runs for the ninth wicket. Madhushanka scored 42 and Kaushal 30 as Sri Lanka reached the target in the 47th over.

West Indies' top order had also failed in their innings. They were struggling at 42 for 5 before a steadying half-century from Kaven Hodge and 33 from Greaves led them to 146. Sanitha de Mel took 4 for 14 in 9.1 overs, and Gaurav Deva and Madhushanka claimed two each as West Indies were dismissed in 47.1 overs.

Nokia Champions League T20 2011/12 / Points table

Group A

Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
Mumbai Indians	2	2	0	0	0	4	+0.077	258/39.5	256/40.0
Cape Cobras	2	1	1	0	0	2	+0.443	281/37.2	281/39.4
Chennai Super Kings	2	1	1	0	0	2	+0.032	304/39.4	304/39.5
New South Wales	2	1	1	0	0	2	-0.516	274/40.0	275/37.2
Trinidad & Tobago	2	0	2	0	0	0	-0.025	237/40.0	238/40.0

Group B

Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
Warriors	2	2	0	0	0	4	+1.275	344/40.0	293/40.0
Somerset	1	1	0	0	0	2	+0.289	164/19.4	161/20.0
South Australia	2	1	1	0	0	2	-0.775	309/40.0	340/40.0
Royal Challengers Bangalore	1	0	1	0	0	0	-0.050	172/20.0	173/20.0
Kolkata Knight Riders	2	0	2	0	0	0	-0.624	330/40.0	352/39.4

Samuels' action cleared by ICC

	Marlon Samuels has been cleared to bowl in international cricket again © ESPNcricinfo Ltd Enlarge
Related Links News : Samuels' bowling action to be analysed Players/Officials: Marlon Samuels Teams: West Indies Sites: Cricinfo ICC Site

Marlon Samuels, the West Indies batsman and part-time offspinner, has had his bowling action cleared by the ICC after undergoing significant remedial work. An independent test found his action to be legal and the player has been cleared to resume bowling in international cricket.

"A comprehensive analysis revealed that his mean elbow extension was now comfortably within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the relevant regulations," the ICC said in a statement. "During the original test on 11 February 2008, his mean elbow extension had been calculated to be in excess of 15 degrees."

"It feels really good to know that I can bowl again in international cricket. I have been waiting for this moment for a while now. I am mainly a batsman in the team but it feels good to know that I can again contribute to the team in another area," Samuels said. "I really want to thank Jimmy Adams for working with me in the nets and helping me through this process. After I came back into the West Indies set-up Ottis Gibson continued the work from where Jimmy left off and helped me to get the positive result I was aiming for.

"I have been spending a lot of time doing a lot of bowling in the nets so that I could get my body accustomed to the work, so that anytime the captain calls on me, in any of the three formats of the game, I will be ready."

Samuels was reported for a suspect action by the umpires in the third Test between South Africa and West Indies in Durban in January 2008. On-field umpires Simon Taufel and Aleem Dar and third umpire Brian Jerling reported their doubts over his action, especially with respect to his "fast" deliveries. Roshan Mahanama, the match referee, subsequently informed both the ICC and the West Indies team management of the report, as per the ICC regulations governing the reporting process.

The analysis of Samuels' action was conducted by professor Bruce Elliott, a member of the ICC Panel of Human Movement Specialists, and his team at the School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health at the University of Western Australia on September 14

As with all bowlers who are tested, Samuels' action will continue to be scrutinised by match officials to ensure it remains legal. He has taken seven Test wickets at an average of 127 and 57 ODI wickets at 43.24.

'A dream come true' - Mitchell Marsh

	Mitchell Marsh says he has developed the mental side of his game in the past 12 months © AFP Enlarge
Related Links News : Extreme pace the way ahead for Cummins News : Hilditch believes Johnson should keep Test spot News : Mitchell Marsh in line for T20 debut Profiles : The other son of Swampy Players/Officials: Mitchell Marsh Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of South Africa Teams: Australia

Mitchell Marsh has said it would be "unbelievable" to play for Australia alongside his brother Shaun, after being named in the Twenty20 squad to take on South Africa next month. Marsh, 19, was one of three uncapped players chosen in Australia's 14-man group for the two T20s in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and if he makes his debut it could well be in a side featuring Shaun at the top of the order.

They would be the second set of brothers to play in the same Twenty20 side for Australia, after Michael and David Hussey. It has been a big month for the Marsh family, with Mitchell's call-up coming after Shaun made a hundred on his Test debut in Sri Lanka, and less than a week after their father Geoff was named Sri Lanka's new head coach.

"It's an amazing feeling for me," Marsh told ESPNcricinfo of his T20 promotion. "I was really shocked but I think I'm ready. I'm just looking forward to going over there and hopefully taking my opportunities. It's a cliché, but it will be a dream come true [to play alongside Shaun]. Hopefully I can get over there and get a game with Shaun - it would be unbelievable."

A promising allrounder, Marsh, 19, has been on a steady path to the Australian side since he captained the country's Under-19 World Cup-winning team in New Zealand in 2010. Last year, his new state coach Mickey Arthur said Marsh had the potential to be a Jacques Kallis-like allrounder, batting in the top five and acting as the fourth seamer in a side.

Last summer, his first under Arthur's tutelage, Marsh scored his maiden first-class hundred and picked up seven Ryobi Cup wickets. He then headed to India for the IPL, where he played four matches for the Pune Warriors and collected 4 for 25 in a Man-of-the-Match performance against the Deccan Chargers.

"I think I've improved a lot over the last 12 months," he said. "The mental side of my game has improved a lot with Mickey. He gives me a lot of confidence in myself. Hopefully I can take that out there in this first-class season and also in South Africa."

Marsh impressed the selectors with his efforts on the recent Australia A tour of Zimbabwe, where he performed strongly in the one-dayers against Zimbabwe and South Africa A. In his four appearances, Marsh made 23, 41, 72 and 5, and collected six wickets, including a match-winning 4 for 56 in the final against the South Africans.

"To be around guys like Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus from a bowling perspective, learning about their recovery and how they go about preparing for games, that was something that really helped me in Zimbabwe," Marsh said. "The professionalism of the group was unbelievable. I think I got a lot out of that and hopefully I can take it forward."

Injured de Villiers out of Champions League

	AB de Villiers' broken finger places him in doubt for South Africa's home series against Australia © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: AB de Villiers Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of South Africa | Nokia Champions League T20 Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore | South Africa

AB de Villiers has been ruled out of the remainder of the Champions League Twenty20 after fracturing a finger on his left hand during a Royal Challengers Bangalore training session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The injury could force de Villiers to miss the start of Australia's tour of South Africa, which begins with a Twenty20 international on October 13.

"He [de Villiers] will probably be coming back to South Africa tonight," South Africa's team manager Mohammad Moosajee told ESPNcricinfo. "He will see our panel of hand specialists after that, and we will decide what the plan of action is.

"I understand from the Bangalore physio that he broke the third finger on his left hand during a fielding drill. It is quite serious, that's why he is coming back."

The home series against Australia will be de Villiers' first after taking over as South Africa's limited-overs captain from Graeme Smith in June. South Africa play the first of two Twenty20s against Australia on October 13, followed by three one-dayers that begin on October 19.

In de Villiers' absence, either Tillakaratne Dilshan or Arun Karthik will keep wicket for the Royal Challengers. "Not having AB is a big loss," Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers batsman, said. "But we have quality players in our squad who can cope with it."

The Royal Challengers play Kolkata Knight Riders in Bangalore on September 29, with games against Somerset and South Australia to come. They lost their first game of the CLT20 and another loss would make a semi-final berth unlikely. However, three wins would make their qualification almost a certainty - two other sides in Group B would need to be tied on three wins for net run-rate to come into contention.

Paine's loss is Wade's gain

	Matthew Wade will be the tenth specialist wicketkeeper to play for Australia in 20 years © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links News : Mitchell Marsh in line for T20 debut News : Tim Paine set for surgery on finger News : Wicketkeeper Wade jumps the queue Players/Officials: Tim Paine | Matthew Wade Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of South Africa Teams: Australia

Matthew Wade is looking forward to making the most of his big break, he just wishes it hadn't arrived because of the wrong kind of break for his good mate Tim Paine. When Paine was ruled out of Australia's upcoming Twenty20s in South Africa due to a fractured finger, Wade, 23, was the logical choice to take the gloves.

As Victoria's wicketkeeper over the past four seasons, Wade has made impressive progress in both his glovework and his batting, and was second on the Ryobi Cup run tally last summer. He had moved to Melbourne from Hobart when he realised that sneaking past Paine into the Tasmania side would be a very difficult task.

Wade knew from personal experience just how good Paine was. The pair had known each other from their childhood days, when they competed in games of backyard cricket that became so serious that the loser had to go and buy fish and chips for everyone.

"Tim and I grew up together, so I'm disappointed for him to have to go and get another operation on his finger," Wade told ESPNcricinfo. "It's devastating for him. But I'm really happy to take the opportunity. I know that he's happy for me - I got a text from him and I know that he's happy I got the opportunity."

By winning an international call-up, Wade has already beaten the odds. It has been notoriously difficult for glovemen to force their way into Australia's team over the past couple of decades, with Ian Healy, Adam Gilchrist and Brad Haddin each monopolising the position during their respective eras.

In the past 20 years, only nine specialist wicketkeepers have taken the gloves for Australia in any format, plus a few non-specialists like David Boon, Justin Langer and Jimmy Maher. During the same period, more than 50 fast bowlers, 40 batsmen and 20 spinners have played for Australia.

"I'm really happy to get the chance to play for Australia," Wade said. "It's everyone's dream. A lot of hard work goes into getting there. I'm just stoked that I've got my opportunity. Hopefully I can take it and things can go further from here."

A muscular left-hand batsman and a good keeper whose glovework has improved dramatically over the past four years, Wade is likely to slot in down the order for Australia. However, the highest score in his 27-match Twenty20 career - which included some IPL games for Delhi Daredevils this year - was 80 opening for Australia A.

"I haven't played a lot of Twenty20, it's the least amount of games I've played out of the three forms," Wade said. "But I feel like I'm getting better. I know my game very well now. I'm happy to get an opportunity in whatever form it is, and T20 I feel comfortable playing it and hopefully I can do the job."

There will be plenty of familiar Victorian faces in the Twenty20 side with Wade, including the captain - and selector - Cameron White, the batsmen Aaron Finch and David Hussey, and the fast bowler James Pattinson. The two Twenty20s in Cape Town and Johannesburg on October 13 and 16 will be followed by three ODIs and two Tests.