The exodus of Australian cricket veterans continued Monday, with opening batsman
Justin Langer confirming
he will join bowlers Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath in test
retirement after the last Ashes match against England.
Langer, 36, said the fifth test starting Tuesday in Sydney would be his last.
"There hasn't been a waking moment for the last 20 years where I haven't thought about playing test cricket and wearing the baggy green cap, so this is a tough moment," he said. "There hasn't been a moment where test cricket hasn't been on my mind."
Langer has scored 7,650 runs at an average of 45.27, including 23 centuries, in 104 test matches. He has shared 14-century partnerships with opening partner Matthew Hayden.
He is the fourth long-standing member of the Australian side to announce his retirement this summer, joining all-time leading wicket taker Warne, all-time leading paceman McGrath and fellow West Australian batsman Damien Martyn.
Langer made his test debut against the West Indies in Adelaide in 1993, but did not hold a permanent place in the starting XI until 2001-02.
He and Hayden first opened together in the final test of the 2001 Ashes series and have been a fixture at the top of the Australian order ever since.
Australia leads the test and limited-overs world rankings, is a two-time defending World Cup champion and won all 10 test matches it played in 2006.
Ashes 4th test, 3rd day: England thrashed by an innings and 99 runs
Dec 28, 2006
Australia bundled England out for 161 to win by an innings and 99 runs inside three days in the fourth Ashes Test.
The Aussies were dismissed for 419 in the morning, with Sajid Mahmood taking 4-100, but ran through the tourists.
Brett Lee took four wickets, Stuart Clark three and Shane Warne - in his final Test on his home ground - two.
The result puts Australia 4-0 up and needing a win in Sydney next week to clinch the first Ashes whitewash since England lost 5-0 to them in 1920/21.
The Ashes Series, Fourth Test, Melbourne, Day Three : Australia 419 bt England 159 & 161 by an innings and 99 runs
Ashes 4th test, 2nd day: Hayden and Symonds put Australia in control
Dec 27, 2006
Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden both smashed centuries and shared a 279-run partnership to put Australia in complete control of the fourth Ashes test against England.
The Ashes Series, Fourth Test, Melbourne, Day Two (close) : England 159 allout & Australia 372-7
Australian leg-spin bowler Shane Warne accomplished two tasks with one ball at the Ashes Series test match today: he dismissed England's opening batsman Andrew Strauss at 50 runs and simultaneously created cricketing history with this his 700th test wicket.
England fast bowler Steve
Harmison has announced his retirement from one-day cricket
just three months ahead of the World Cup.
The 28-year-old decided to quit yesterday after being omitted from England's 16-man squad for the upcoming triangular series with Australia and New Zealand, the last tournament before next year's World Cup in the West Indies.
Harmison, who made a disastrous start to the Ashes series and has struggled to regain form, said he decided to abandon the abbreviated form of the game and concentrate on tests.
The paceman ends his one-day international career with 67 wickets from 46 matches at an average of 30.70.
Shane Warne, McGrath set to retire
Dec 21, 2006
Test cricket's most successful bowler Shane Warne and his equally illustrious compatriot Glenn
McGrath are set to announce their retirement after this Ashes series, decisions which would signal a change of guard in the Australian side.
Warne, who is one wicket away from becoming the first bowler ever to claim 700 scalps but has not been very successful against India, is to announce his retirement tomorrow while McGrath is expected to make a similar announcement after the fifth and final Test in Sydney
Their decision is bound to have an impact on world cricket given their stature and record as the most successful spinner and seamer.
The 37-year-old Warne in fact heads the all-time highest wicket-takers' list with 699 scalps while McGrath, 36, is third with 555.
While the leg-spinner had hinted at Perth, venue of the third Ashes Test, that he may quit the game, the decision of McGrath has come as a surprise since he was expected to play in the World Cup in March-April next year.
The Ashes Cricket Series 2006 - 07
Aussies regain Ashes from England
Dec 18, 2006
Australia regained the Ashes when they won the third cricket Test against England by 206 runs at the WACA Ground, Perth Monday.
The Ashes Series, Third Test, Perth, Day five : Australia 244 & 119-1 beat England 215 & 350 by 206 runs
Alastair Cook made 118 and Ian Bell 87 to demonstrate England's firm reluctance to surrender cricket's Ashes on the fourth day of the third test against Australia at Perth's WACA Ground on Sunday.
The Ashes Series, Third Test, Perth, Day Four (Stumps) : Australia 244 & 527-5 dec vs England 215 & 265-5
Adam Gilchrist posted the second-fastest century in test history, eclipsing centuries by Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke, as Australia and oppressive heat melted England's Ashes hopes on the third day of the third cricket test at the WACA Ground on Saturday.
The Ashes Series, Third Test, Perth, Day Three (Stumps) : Australia 244 & 527-5 dec vs England 215 & 19-1
Ashes debutant Monty Panesar spun England back into the series on the opening day of the third cricket Test against Australia at the WACA Ground here Thursday, claiming five wickets as the home side were dismissed for 244.
The Ashes Series, Third Test, Perth, Day One (Stumps) : Australia 244 vs England 51-2
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first in the third Ashes cricket test against England at the WACA Ground in Perth on Thursday.
Australia team : Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, captain, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath, Mitchell Johnson, 12th man.
England team : Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen, Andy Flintoff, captain, Geraint Jones, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Sajid Mahmood, Monty Panesar
Matthew Hoggard took seven wickets to help give England a 38-run first-innings lead over Australia on day four of the second Ashes cricket Test at Adelaide.
The Ashes Second Test, Adelaide, Day Four (Close): England 551-6 dec & 59-1 v Australia 513
Matthew Hoggard took four wickets to keep England on top in the second Ashes test after Ricky Ponting posted his 33rd test hundred to guide Australia's fightback.
The Ashes Second Test, Adelaide, Day Three (Close): England 551-6 dec v Australia 312-5
Mumbai was on Monday selected as the centre to host the 2011 cricket World Cup, to be jointly organised by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The two semi-finals of the mega event would be held at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, it was announced here today after a meeting of the representatives of the joint hosts of the tournament.
The meeting, held at the residence of the Indian cricket board president Sharad Pawar, also decided that the inaugural function of the tournament will be hosted by Bangladesh which would also conduct the opening tie at the Sher-e-Bangla national stadium in Dhaka.
The meeting was convened to sort out issues related to the staging of the cricketing extravaganza.
Apart from Pawar, others who attended the meeting were Pakistan cricket board chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf, CEO of Sri Lanka cricket Duleep Mendis, CEO of Bangladesh Cricket Board Mehboob Rehman, former BCCI president Inderjit Singh Bindra, secretary Niranjan Shah, joint secretary M P Pandove and chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty.
The meeting had been called at the behest of Pawar after Pakistan was said to be unhappy with an earlier agreement according to which India were to host the final.
Pakistan, apparently, was keen to host either the final or get more matches of the tournament.
After a preliminary meeting of the four countries earlier this year, it had been decided that India would host the final and Pakistan and Sri Lanka the semi-finals.
The Ashes Cricket Series 2006 - 07
England keeps pressure on in second Test
Dec 2, 2006
Paul Collingwood altered the course of the Ashes cricket series with a milestone double century and a 310-run partnership with Kevin Pietersen on the second day of the second test Saturday.
The Ashes Second Test, Adelaide, Day Two (Close): Australia 28-1 v England 551-6 dec
Both England and Australia have named unchanged sides for the second Ashes Test in Adelaide.
Australia team : Ricky Ponting (captain), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath, Mitchell Johnson (12th man)
England team : Andrew Flintoff (captain), Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Sajid Mahmood (12th man
