Australian cricket team captain Michael Clarke (R) answers questions as team mates (back, L-R) Matthew Wade, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird, Peter Siddle and newly appointed vice-captain Brad Haddin look on during a media conference in Sydney April 24, 2013. The shallow depth of Australia's cricketing stocks were exposed on Wednesday with selectors being forced to recall two 35-year-olds in an attempt to wrest back the Ashes from England in July. Veteran wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, who had been dumped last year, and top-order batsman Chris Rogers, who had played just one test in 2008, were named in a 16-man squad for the first of back-to-back Ashes series against England. Haddin will reclaim the vice-captaincy from Shane Watson, who relinquished the post earlier this week but still made the Ashes squad as a batting all-rounder, while the uncapped James Faulkner was named the bowling all-rounder.
Australian Test cricket captain Michael Clarke (2nd-R), vice-captain Brad Haddin (2nd-L), with former Australian Test captains Steve Waugh (L) and Mark Taylor (R) pose for a photograph following the announcement of the squad for the upcoming Ashes cricket tour to England in Sydney on April 24, 2013. Haddin, who has played only one Test in the past 14 months and turns 35 next week, replaces Shane Watson as Michael Clarke's deputy in a 16-man squad for the five Test series starting in England in July.
Suspended Australia vice-captain Shane Watson received the backing of former skipper Rickie Ponting on Thursday as crisis surrounding the team rumbled on.
Watson, along with three other players, was suspended for the third test in India after failing to respond to a request from Australia's management for feedback on how the team could be improved.
Cricket Australia high performance manager Pat Howard described Watson as sometimes a team player but Ponting, one of Australia's most successful captains, begged to differ.
Shane worked as hard as anybody around his cricket, there's no doubt about that, Ponting was quoted in Australian media.
Shane Watson, James Pattinson, Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Johnson are now like the back-benchers in every school. Naughty boys who come to class late, make fun of the teacher and the monitor, talk back and throw attitude at every available opportunity.
India, on the other hand, is the interested observer -- watching the game from a distance, snickering away, pointing fingers and wondering how this 'squabble' will affect the Australian team ahead of the third Test.
In the eyes of many, India have already won the third Test following the crisis that has hit the Australian team. But Dhoni's team need to be careful - they cannot be caught ball-watching against an opponent that will be itching to get back on the field to forget all their off-field troubles.
And India can't forget what goes around comes around.
Sydney: Sacked all-rounder Shane Watson today said that it was wrong on his part not to submit the presentation to the coach but the harsh punishment for such a protocol breach was hard to accept.
I accept that I did the wrong thing with what I did, but I will always find it very hard to accept being suspended from a Test match for my country, Watson told the reporters at the airport after an 18-hour long journey from India.
Suspended Australian cricket vice-captain Shane Watson smiles as he talks to the media after his arrival at the Sydney International Airport March 12, 2013. Watson is determined to play for his country again and dismissed on Tuesday suggestions that he had a poor relationship with captain Michael Clarke. Watson was one of four players suspended from the Australian test cricket team due to disciplinary issues, according to a statement on Cricket Australia's website.
