No loyalty in Ashes selection

INCUMBENCY is dead. Australia's cricketers are on red alert as up to 17 players embark on a dogfight to make the XI for the first Ashes Test.

Selector Greg Chappell put the elder statesmen in the middle order on notice that generational change will be implemented soon.

Michael Clarke rated Phillip Hughes a better batsman now than when he was peeling off Test hundreds last year and placed him at the top of the queue to enter the side anywhere in the top six before or during the Ashes.

"The Ashes is such a massive series and you're going to have so many guys pushing for spots when we get home," Clarke said. 

Anyway, anyhow, anywhere for Phil Hughes

PHIL Hughes is Australia's reserve Test opening batsman.

Vice-captain Michael Clarke reckons he should also be the back-up to Nos.3, 4, 5 and 6.

"I still see him as a player of the future who is going to get his opportunity probably sooner rather than later."

"I watched him bat just about every session over here in the nets and he's in really good touch," he said.

"I'm sure if he gets a chance during this Ashes series he will grab it with both hands."

Beaten Aussie Test men fly home

Australia's beaten Test players will fly home on Thursday while a pared back limited overs squad prepares to face India in three matches.

Captain Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson have all been rested from the series, while Test match specialists Simon Katich, Peter George and Marcus North are also on their way to home ports.

"We played very, very well for the majority of the first Test. We played pretty well for the majority of this Test match," said Ponting.

The one-day series will provide a challenge for vice-captain Michael Clarke, who made only 35 runs from four completed innings in the Test series.

It will also offer a chance for Nathan Hauritz to repair some of the damage.

rest frontline players Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha during the limited-overs series.

They will also be without the Delhi trio of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma due to injuries.

The three-match series will be held at Kochi (October 17), Vizag (October 20) and Margao, Goa (October 24).