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‘The arm, not the foot’ – Darrell Hair no balls Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in 1995-96 © Getty Images

1982-83 in Sri Lanka
Australia became only the second team to tour Sri Lanka for a Test series, after England in February 1982, though the tour comprised just a one-off encounter. The Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy hosted its inaugural Test and Australia, led by centuries from Kepler Wessels and David Hookes, piled up enough runs to ensure that they didn’t have to bat again. Hookes, who scored an unbeaten 143, pounded the attack on the second day and even managed to score over 100 runs in a session – between lunch and tea. Responding to Australia’s 514 for 4 declared, the Sri Lankan top order wobbled at 9 for 3, before captain Duleep Mendis and Arjuna Ranatunga scored half centuries to a lift the score to 271. Following on, the home side were rolled over for 205 and lost by an innings-and-38 runs after left-arm spinner Tom Hogan took 5 for 66 in his debut Test. The Sri Lankans were no pushovers in the one-dayers though, shocking the visitors with a 2-0 series victory, with the last two games washed out.
Test: Australia 1 Sri Lanka 0
ODIs: Australia 2 Sri Lanka 01987-88 in Australia
Up against the World Cup champions at Perth, the fastest pitch in the world, Sri Lanka were predictably rolled over by an innings for the second time in as many Tests against Australia. Dean Jones (102) and Allan Border (88) took Australia to a commanding 455. In reply, only Arjuna Ranatunga resisted, scoring 55 but his side could only manage 194. Merv Hughes was the pick of the bowlers with 5 for 67 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 153, following on. The media even wrote off the match as a waste of time. In the one-day tri-series that preceded the Test, Australia took the trophy after beating New Zealand 2-0 in the best-of-three finals. Sri Lanka managed just a solitary win, beating New Zealand by four wickets in Hobart.
Australia 1 Sri Lanka 01989-90 in Australia
Returning to Australia for their second away series, Sri Lanka for a change were allotted two Tests instead of one. The visitors didn’t disappoint in the first Test in Brisbane, applying the pressure on the home side with a first-innings score of 418, in response to Australia’s 367. Aravinda de Silva announced his arrival with a masterful 167 and his team secured a first-innings lead of 51. Mark Taylor led Australia’s fightback with 167 as the match headed to a draw. In Hobart, the bowlers had their say initially – Rumesh Ratnayake’s 6 for 66 helped dismiss Australia for 224 – before the batsmen came alive. Mark Taylor, Dean Jones and Steve Waugh compiled centuries and the target of 522 was a little too much for Sri Lanka, though they managed an impressive 348. The only sore point in the well-contested match was captain Arjuna Ranatunga’s complaint of racial abuse by Australian players. Sri Lanka ended the tour on a disappointing note, winning just one game in the Benson and Hedges World Series, beating Pakistan. Australia beat Pakistan 2-0 in the best-of-three finals.
Australia 1 Sri Lanka 0

After the controversial tour of 1995-96, Sri Lanka won the bragging rights in 1999, winning the series 1-0 © Getty Images

1992 in Sri Lanka
The most enthralling contest between the two sides unfolded at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, the venue for the first Test. Australia were in for a real scare after three Sri Lankans – Asanka Gurusinha, Ranatunga and Romesh Kaluwitharana – amassed centuries, taking the score to a massive 547. Faced with a unlikely deficit of 291, Australia went into the final day 102 ahead with three wickets in hand and Greg Matthews’ crucial 64 helped push the lead to 180. Sri Lanka were cruising at one stage, needing 54 off nearly 25 overs but somehow let it all slip so dramatically. A magnificent running catch by Border dismissed de Silva and with it, all hopes of a famous victory for the home team. They lost their last eight wickets for 37 – Shane Warne picked three wickets for no run off 13 balls – and Australia snatched victory by 16 runs. The result was to prove decisive for Australia as the next two Tests were drawn, handing Australia the series. Sri Lanka’s 2-1 ODI series win was a consolation though.
Tests: Australia 1 Sri Lanka 0
ODIs: Sri Lanka 2 Australia 11995-96 in Australia
The series was dogged by controversy and remembered for all the wrong reasons, starting with ball-tampering allegations and then to chucking. During the second day of the first Test in Perth, the umpires suspected that the Sri Lankans had doctored the seam of the ball, leading to protests. Match referee Graham Dowling rather hastily convicted the Sri Lankans of ball-tampering, though the ICC reversed the findings later. Led by Micheal Slater’s 219, Sri Lanka were vanquished by an innings and 36 runs. The Melbourne Test was associated with one of the most infamous controversies in recent times. Umpire Darrell Hair no-balled Muttiah Muralitharan seven times in three overs for throwing. The events left a psychological scar on the visitors which, till date hasn’t died down. Sri Lanka lost the Test by ten wickets and Australia completed the series whitewash in Adelaide, led by Steve Waugh’s all-round show. The chucking controversy however moulded the Sri Lankans into a stronger unit as they powered to the finals of the tri-series, edging out West Indies. Though Sri Lanka ran out of steam in the finals, the spirit with which they played and their innovative batting strategies was a sign of things to come in the World Cup a few months later.
Tests: Australia 3 Sri Lanka 0

Darren Lehmann played a big part in Australia’s 3-0 whitewash in 2003-04, probably the most competitive series between the two teams © Getty Images

1999 in Sri Lanka
The new World Cup champions Australia were in for a rude and painful shock in the first Test in Kandy. Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa inflicted early damage on the visitors, reducing them to 60 for 7 in the first morning and Ricky Ponting’s defiant 96 could only lift his side to a modest 188. To add injury to insult, Steve Waugh and Jason Gillespie were involved in a bloody collision at the boundary, leaving Australia two men short for the rest of the match. Australia folded for a paltry 140 in the second innings, leaving Sri Lanka 95 for victory. Their six-wicket win was historic, for it was their first ever against Australia and rain in the next two Tests halted Australia’s comeback bid. Sri Lanka shrugged off their poor one-day form following the World Cup debacle and beat Australia in the final of the one-day tri-series, also featuring India.
Australia 1 Sri Lanka 02003-04 in Sri Lanka
The most incredible feature in the 2003-04 series was that Australia managed to overcome first-innings deficits in all three Tests and complete another series whitewash, this time away from home. In Galle, centuries by Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn and Darren Lehmann helped wipe out a big deficit of 161 and set an imposing target of 352. Shane Warne – returning after serving a drugs ban – took ten wickets in the match to give Australia a 197-run win. In Kandy, Australia folded up for a paltry 120, conceded a lead of 91 and yet found a way out. Martyn and Adam Gilchrist compiled hefty centuries to set Sri Lanka a target of 352… again. This time they nearly pulled off a series-levelling win and Sanath Jayasuriya’s 131 went in vain as Australia secured a narrow 27-run win. In Colombo, Lehmann and Justin Langer battled severe humidity and scored big hundreds to help Australia seal the series rout with just eight balls remaining in the match. Sri Lanka fell short of chasing another big target for the third time but the final result didn’t overshadow the fact that it was the most competitive series played out between the two teams. Sri Lanka had their moments in the one-dayers, sneaking home in the second match in Dambulla by one run, but Australia eventually bagged the series.
Tests: Australia 3 Sri Lanka 0
ODIs: Australia 3 Sri Lanka 22004 in Australia
The two-Test series called the Top End Series was scheduled during Australia’s off season, in July, in two of the newest venues – Cairns and Darwin. The bowlers called the shots in a low-scoring match in Darwin, starting with Chaminda Vaas’ five wicket haul to dismiss Australia for 207. Glenn McGrath’s five-for sent Sri Lanka crashing to 97, debutant Lasith Malinga took four to dismiss the home side for 201. Chasing 312, Sri Lanka had no answer to Michael Kasprowicz who took 7 for 39 to register a 149-run win. In Cairns, the batsmen put up a far better show, and Sri Lanka this time hung on to a close draw, ending on a nervous 183 for 8 on the final day.
Australia 1 Sri Lanka 0

The new-look Vauxhall End at The Oval© Getty Images

The regeneration of Surrey’s headquarters at The Oval will include an honouring of its previous generations, after it was announced that the club intends to name certain sections of the newly rebuilt Vauxhall End after 20 of its greatest players.The Oval staged its first Test match in 1880, making it the oldest Test venue in the northern hemisphere. But until last season, when it began a massive redevelopment ahead of this summer’s Ashes series, it was beginning to look its age as well, especially at the long-neglected Vauxhall End, which had changed little since Surrey’s heyday in the 1950s.All that has now changed, with the state-of-the-art OCS Stand dominating the Western skyline. The entrance from the Harleyford Road will be through the newly inaugurated Alec Stewart Gate, named in honour of the Surrey and England stalwart who played a record 133 Tests in a 13-year international career.Stewart retired after playing in England’s series-levelling victory against South Africa at The Oval in 2003, which means there are just three current players among the 20 illustrious names – Graham Thorpe and Mark Butcher, who toured with England this winter, and Martin Bicknell, who also featured in the 2003 series.Two overseas players are among the list – Saqlain Mushtaq, who was instrumental in Surrey winning three County Championship titles in four years between 1999 and 2002 (their first successes since 1971); and the West Indian Sylvester Clarke, who terrorised the county circuit for nine seasons from 1979 to 1988, but died in December 1999 aged 44.The great names of Surrey’s past include two more England captains in Douglas Jardine and Percy Fender, as well as the great opening batsman of the 1960s and 70s, John Edrich, and the former club president and captain in the 1950s, Stuart Surridge.In addition, two function rooms have been renamed. Micky Stewart, Alec’s father and a former England opening batsman and coach, now lends his name to the "Micky Stewart Surrey Clubs’ Room" (formerly the Sydney Room), while the Long Room Bar has been renamed "Ali Brown 268 Bar", in recognition of Brown’s phenomenal hitting in a now-legendary C&G Cup tie against Glamorgan in 2002.The club will announce the official openings through the course of the season.

Zimbabwe Cricket has announced a new set of selectors led by Bruce Makovah with former convener Macsood Ebrahim, Ethan Dube and Robin Brown, the Harare Sports Club curator, making up the four-man committee.Makovak played first-class cricket soon after Zimbabwe were granted Test status in 1992, and represented Mashonaland and Zimbabwe A as a medium-pace bowler. Ebrahim and Dube were retained, while former Rhodesian left-arm spinner Richard Kaschula lost his place amid revelations that he told Zimbabwe Cricket that he could not work with Andy Pycroft, who has been appointed joint coach of the Zimbabwe A side. Kaschula, who had been outspoken in his criticisms of Phil Simmons, until last month the Zimbabwe coach, resigned.Although Ebrahim retains his place on the selection committee, his replacement as head of selection will be seen by many as a concession to player power. It was widely believed that his eventual removal was one of the conditions the rebel players demanded before they returned to national colours earlier in the year.Unsurprisingly, Tatenda Taibu retained the captaincy and former captain Heath Streak remained vice-captain. Stephen Mangongo, the former head of selectors, bounced back as Zimbabwe A’s joint coach, while Walter Chawaguta will take charge of the Under-19s at the inaugural Under-19 Afro-Asia tournament in India in November and the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka next February.All the appointments were made at the Zimbabwe Cricket board meeting which followed the annual general meeting at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.There was controversy before that meeting when the media were banned from attending. Peter Chingoka, the ZC chairman, said they undertook the decision after he claimed that journalists hijacked last year’s meeting. It had been widely rumoured that reporters planned to ask the board potentially embarrassing questions resulting from the damning statement by Zimbabwe players at the weekend.

Warriors 251 for 7 (Jacobs 94, Boucher 77 Friend 3-36) beat Western Province Boland 164 for 9 (Gibbs 50, Strydom 4-26) by 75 runs (D/L Method)
ScorecardAt St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, three rain breaks resulted in reduced overs and, ultimately, a fairly easy first win for the Warriors, as Western Province Boland collapsed from 76 for 1 to 120 for 7.The Warriors batted first under threatening skies, and made a steady start with Mark Bruyns scoring 45, before rain forced the players off for a second time, causing a loss of five overs per team. On the resumption, Mark Boucher and Arno Jacobs took the attack to the WPBOL bowlers, scoring 128 in 89 balls, with Boucher making 77.Jacobs fell six short of his second consecutive hundred as he was bowled with three balls left in the innings. Two late wickets gave Quentin Friend three for the innings as the Warriors, scoring 126 runs in the final 10 overs, ended on 251 for 7.WPBOL made a perfect start in their pursuit of a revised target of 257, as Herschelle Gibbs and Andrew Puttick added 76 for the first wicket. Gibbs was the quicker of the two, and went to his 50 in 29 balls, striking six fours and three sixes, before running himself out in the twelfth over.The wickets of Gibbs and Puttick, stumped for 40, started a collapse that left WPBOL on 120 for 7, with the spin of Pieter Strydom and Bruyns doing all the damage. One more run was added when, once again, the rain came down with WPBOL well behind the asking rate. On resumption, Con de Lange and Friend had a bit of a flurry, but when the rain returned at 164 for 9, the umpires called it a day.

Dominic Cork has joined Lancashire on a three-year deal, after parting with Derbyshire in acrimonious circumstances at the end of last season. Cork, who was a Derbyshire player for 16 years, asked to be released when his role as captain was put in doubt by their new director of cricket, Dave Houghton.”I am delighted to be joining Lancashire," said Cork. "They have had a great season this year, and I feel sure that the county will go on to greater things. I’m looking forward to working with Mike Watkinson and the rest of the team, I’ve been impressed with the set-up and I’m confident that it will pay dividends with my game, and hopefully help Lancashire to further success.”Lancashire finished second in this year’s County Championship after a late surge up the table, in stark contrast to Derbyshire, whose future as a first-class county is in serious doubt after they finished rock-bottom of the second division. “It is not often a player of Dominic’s proven ability comes on to the market," said Lancashire’s chairman, Jack Simmons. "I am delighted that he has shown a real desire to join us and add strength to our first team squad.”"I’ve been very happy with the performance of the team this season," said Mike Watkinson, Lancashire’s coach. "However, a player of Dominic’s ability will provide additional strength especially to the bowling department, and I’m pleased that Dominic has agreed to join us at Old Trafford. He’s a proven performer in all conditions, and with his wealth of experience, he’ll be a valuable addition to the dressing room.”Cork, who played the last of his 37 Tests against India at The Oval in 2002, took 131 wickets at 29.81, and was an abrasive lower-order batsman with a proven matchwinning ability – never better demonstrated than by his unbeaten 33 against West Indies in England’s two-wicket victory at Lord’s in 2000. He currently has 722 first-class wickets to his name.Two scholarship players, Paul Horton and Oliver Newby, have also signed contracts with Lancashire. Horton, 21, and Newby, 19, both made their first-class debuts against Durham UCCE in 2003, while Newby also played against Derbyshire in the Twenty20 Cup.

The first cricket match against New Zealand at Hamilton starting next Tuesday must be a Test too far for the touring Bangladesh side which today just managed to get their four-day game against Auckland into the fourth day on the Eden Park Outer Oval tomorrow morning.Unless there is heavy and persistent rain the tourists are certain to lose the match. They are still 210 runs behind Auckland, with only one second innings wicket intact. It is many a day since Auckland beat anyone, even an international side, with such dominating comfort.Today on the tick of lunch Auckland completed their first innings at 495, a lead of 375 over the Bangladesh first innings of 120 in the first two sessions on Wednesday.There was some merit in the Bangladesh performance before lunch for they held Auckland to 91 runs in the session, took five wickets and denied the 21-year-old Nick Horsley his first century in his third first-class game by cutting off his 247-minute innings at 95.But Bangladesh lost all that ground and more when they lost four wickets for 71 by tea, two immediately after the break. It took a four-hour vigil for 71 not out by the No 4 batsman Aminul Islam, and solid support from Khaled Mashud and the tail-enders Enamul Haque and Mohammad Sharif, to enable Bangladesh to survive eight overs of extra time to get to 165 for nine wickets and push the match, however marginally, into the fourth and last day.The tourists worked hard when bowling at the Aucklanders in the morning, especially the left-armer Manjural Islam who ended with four wickets and Sharif with three – complemented by the tidy keeping from the captain Mashud who ended with four catches, three this morning.Horsley rather lost the powerful rhythm which had so splendidly marked his 57 not out on Thursday, and the accurate bowling on a pitch losing all life and lustre gradually drained his confidence. Also, he seemed to be out-thought as the Bangladeshis went totally on the defensive when Horsley was tip-toeing through the 90’s – and he rather got himself out trying to break the drought.But the fact remained that on a nondescript pitch which produced the odd low bounce, especially when the ball was new – there were countless lbw appeals for balls skidding into the pads – the Bangladeshis never quite attained the consistency needed at international level.Their bowling, Manjural and Sharif apart, was only workmanlike and the batting repeated the frailties it showed on Wednesday. There was again a bad start to the Bangladeshi second innings when Javed Omar went quickly. Again Al Sahariar looked a genuinely good stroke-maker, but again his concentration ran out. Habibul Bashar looked likely to leave at the earlier moment, the teenaged Mohammad Ashraful batted with boyish impermanence and Sanwar Hossain and Khaled Mahmud were temporary visitors to the crease.So it was really too late by the time, at 73 for six, that Aminul and Mashud joined together in a dogged if unlovely show of defensive defiance. Mashud went stolidly along to seven in 70 minutes, starting his scoring from the 26th ball he faced.Aminul was not exactly a spectacular batsman, either, but at the least he showed that he had some ability to produce the determination and concentration needed to merely survive at international level.So, as in the first innings, the second half of the Bangladesh batting showed much more grit and defiance than the supposedly senior batsman in the top half.Perhaps the Bangladeshis will learn from their Eden Park disasters and give a much healthier performance on a better pitch at WestpacTrust Park in the first Test at Hamilton next week. They will have to improve, perhaps by about 100 per cent, if they are to struggle as manfully as they did during the last two hours today.Chris Drum, who seems fated to be the Test 12th man at Hamilton (and if so Auckland would be delighted to field him at Carisbrook on the same day) again bowled with fire and accuracy, with five wickets for 33 today to add to his four for 32 on Wednesday.Andre Adams, Tama Canning and Kyle Mills all had their moments, but had Brooke Walker’s leg-spin been more accurate this afternoon Auckland would have earned themselves a holiday tomorrow.

Jack Russell – age does not wither his infinite variety Photo © Stamp Publicity

Jack Russell celebrates his 37th birthday next month, but there is no signof his talent or enthusiasm waning. The former England wicketkeeper took a sensational catch and hit a typically chirpy half-century to ensure Gloucestershire kept up the pressure on Worcestershire and local rivals Somerset at the top of the National League.The home side made it a winning end to the Cheltenham Festival by overhauling Kent’s moderate 199-6 with five wickets and more than four oversto spare.But it didn’t look that easy when skipper Mark Alleyne walked out to joinRussell with his team is some disarray at 109-5.Together the pair built an unbroken stand of 91, with Alleyne contributing35 and Russell ending unbeaten on 55, having faced 60 balls and hit 6 fours.It was one-day batting of the highest quality, helped by some slipshod Kentfielding and a very short boundary on one side of a true pitch.Russell was at his impish best, sprinkling his innings with sweetly-timedstrokes, but also scampering every possible run while building his scorewith some characteristic deflections and improvised shots.His form behind the stumps remains exemplary and his ability to stand up tothe stumps to Gloucestershire’s seam bowlers is one of the key elements thathas made them into such a formidable limited overs team.But it was standing back to James Averis that Russell produced theoutstanding moment of this match – a stunning one-handed catch diving fulllength to his right to dismiss danger-man Rahul Dravid after Kent had wonthe toss.The Indian Test star has been in supreme form and had moved menacingly to 16in an opening stand of 34 when getting an edge to a flashing square cut.It was a crucial dismissal. Although Alan Wells capitalised on the shortboundary to hit two towering sixes in his 38, Kent were never able todominate the bowling.Just when they had worked a good position at 103-2 off-spinner Martyn Ballstruck twice in the same over to send back Wells and James Hockley, who hadadded 67 for the third wicket.Matthew Walker and Paul Nixon fell cheaply and it was left to Mark Ealham,back from England duty, to ensure a respectable total with an unbeaten 49off 52-balls.Gloucestershire suffered an early setback when Tim Hancock fell to MartinMcCague, but the pace bowler proved erratic and his first three overs cost26 runs.Ian Harvey came out swinging and smashed 9 boundaries in making 41 off just36 deliveries before being bowled attempting another big hit off MatthewFleming.Opener Dominic Hewson needed a couple of escapes in contributing a valuable45, but when he fell in a spell of ten overs that also brought thedismissals of Jeremy Snape and Matt Windows, Kent were right back in thegame.Russell and Alleyne soon extinguished their hopes, but it was in the bowlingand fielding departments that Gloucestershire really excelled.Skipper Alleyne said: “We were always confident after restricting Kent to199. It was a good track and from then on all we had to do was avoid beingbowled out.”

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhrost has been handed a big injury boost over Ibrox midfielder Aaron Ramsey…

What’s the latest?

The Gers manager has provided a positive update on the Wales international’s situation and when he will be able to return.

The 31-year-old is among a number of first-team players who are unavailable tomorrow night, alongside Amad Diallo, Ryan Jack, Filip Helander and Steven Davis.

The club’s Twitter account quoted the head coach as saying: “Hopefully he (Ramsey) will join the team very soon, he is already working out on the pitch again. He is very disappointed and looking forward to a return.”

Delighted

Van Bronckhorst will surely be delighted with the prospect of Ramsey’s impending return to action, as it has been a frustrating time in Glasgow for the Juventus loanee so far.

He has only started one match in all competitions and is yet to make his full debut in the Premiership, with two substitute appearances to his name so far. The midfielder has been battling his own fitness and continues to do so, which has left Rangers fans with little to get excited about in terms of what he has offered on the pitch since his move to Ibrox.

However, this latest update suggests that he is on the right path and could start showing what he is capable of in the near future, as he is close to returning from his latest body blow. His track record suggests that he will provide a major boost to the team if he is able to remain fit and enjoy a run of games in the side.

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Ramsey has played more than 400 games for Arsenal and Juventus combined and it seems unlikely that he would be able to do that without possessing immense quality. His 142 direct goal contributions for those two clubs show that he has the quality to make a real difference at the top level, as he has demonstrated his ability to make a big impact in the final third over the years.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst will surely be eager to have him fit and available for selection, as the Welshman has the quality to be a huge player for Rangers. The head coach will be buzzing to finally be able to call upon him in his starting XI and hopefully this update means that he will be able to do so sooner rather than later.

AND in other news, Forget Roofe: Van Bronckhorst can save Rangers millions in “big talent” who scores every 41 minutes…

Peter Nevill, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa will make their Twenty20 international debuts at the World T20 in India, while Steven Smith will replace Aaron Finch as captain after Australia’s selectors dramatically shuffled the deck in a final effort to seek a winning combination.Finch was still chosen in the squad despite his removal as leader, but other recent T20 choices like Matthew Wade, Cameron Boyce and Nathan Lyon were not so fortunate as the panel chaired by Rod Marsh sought to find the right balance to claim a tournament Australia have never won.In order to take his place in the squad, Finch will have to prove his recovery from a hamstring injury, likewise with Nathan Coulter-Nile (shoulder) and James Faulkner (hamstring). They will be led by Smith, in a move Marsh said had been made to provide much-needed continuity to the T20 team.”Aaron Finch has done a very good job captaining Australia in T20 cricket,” Marsh said. “He will have benefited enormously from the leadership opportunity and will remain a highly-respected leader within the Australian squad.”However since he became T20 captain, there has been a broader leadership transition in Test and one-day international cricket with Michael Clarke retiring and Steve Smith assuming the captaincy in Test and one-day cricket.”We think now is the right time for Steve to lead Australia in all three forms of the game as it offers us important continuity, not only ahead of the World T20, but beyond that tournament as well.”The selection of Nevill will be welcomed by the likes of Brad Haddin, who had criticised the selectors for not choosing the best gloveman for the T20 team when Wade’s modest place in the batting order indicated that runs were not a major factor in his inclusion. Cameron Bancroft’s inclusion for the last T20 against India at the SCG now appears to have been a one-off experiment.”We feel our batting depth in this squad is sufficient enough that we can have a specialist wicket-keeper in the squad,” Marsh said. “We want Australia’s best wicket-keeper playing in this tournament and we consider Peter Nevill to be the best in the country right now.”Boyce and Lyon both have reason to feel miffed at their omissions, particularly as Agar had not figured in Australia’s limited overs team since last year’s tour of England. By contrast, Boyce has been the most consistently chosen T20 spin bowler since late 2014, and eight wickets at 19.00 with an economy rate of 6.60 from seven games is a strong return.Lyon, meanwhile, bowled one over in a T20 for Australia against India last month, the smallest possible sample size. Zampa was chosen for the Chappell-Hadlee series in New Zealand as a way for the selectors to view him at international level, and his two skilful displays were enough to earn him a berth.”Given the conditions we are likely to face in India, we wanted to have a number of different spinning options available to us,” Marsh said. “Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell give us plenty of flexibility in the slow-bowling department which is incredibly important in this format.”The inclusions of Nevill, Agar, Zampa and Coulter-Nile bring to 23 the number of players the selectors have included in various T20 squads over the past three weeks. After the two Tests in New Zealand, Australia have a three-match T20 series in South Africa before travelling to India for the ICC event.Australia also named the Southern Stars squad for the Women’s World T20 to be played concurrently. “We’ve got a number of options covered with our bowling attack as well as several batters who can produce the attacking game-style we want to play,” chairman of selectors Shawn Flegler said.The Southern Stars fly to New Zealand on February 18 for an ODI and T20 series ahead of their trip to India. Men’s squad: Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, James Faulkner, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill (wk), Andrew Tye, Shane Watson, Adam Zampa Women’s squad: Meg Lanning (capt), Alex Blackwell, Kristen Beams, Lauren Cheatle, Sarah Coyte, Rene Farrell, Holly Ferling, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy (wk) Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani.

Paul Collingwood: ‘It’s obviously unacceptable’ © Getty Images

England captain Paul Collingwood has been fined £1000 after admitting drinking at a lap-dancing bar in Cape Town on Saturday, the night before England’s crucial Super Eight match against South Africa. He was handed the fine by a panel that included England coach Peter Moores, chairman of selectors David Graveney and ECB chief executive David Collier.”Paul Collingwood has been levied with a suitable fine,” a terse ECB media release said. “The matter is now closed.””It’s obviously unacceptable,” Collingwood admitted. “I’m England captain and going to these places isn’t the thing to do. You learn from these lessons and hopefully it won’t happen again.”Collingwood was out the first ball in the game against South Africa which England lost by 19 runs. He claimed he had been taken to the club by friends and was not drinking seriously.The Collingwood incident will raise comparisons with the more serious ‘Fredallo’ incident during the World Cup in the Caribbean in March. As a result of that Andrew Flintoff was stripped of the vice-captaincy and banned for a match, while five other players were fined after being caught drinking into the early hours of a match day. However, Collingwood’s crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time rather than drinking to excess.Collingwood, whose captaincy in the current tournament won him praise from Graveney, said he was concentrating on Wednesday’s must-win match against India. “Hopefully we can quickly get over it and concentrate on this game on Wednesday. Mathematically we’re still hoping we can get through.”