Sydney, Feb. 2: Tough times may be hard to endure, but, they also provide an opportunity, says noted cricket columnist Peter Roebuck, adding that the Australian cricket establishment needs to use the recent retirement of performing players to recruit new ones and take bold steps to get back on track.

"Numerous names have been bandied about. By all means, let''s join that debate. But it does not go to the root of the problem. Selectors can only choose from players thrown up by the states," he says.

Perth, Feb. 2: Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has angrily denied claims by the New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori that he cheated during the one-day clash at the WACA yesterday.

The dispute centers around the dismissal of Black Cap Neil Broom at a vital stage of New Zealand''s two-wicket win.

Broome was given out bowled by Michael Clarke in the 36th over, but replays quickly showed Haddin had clipped off the bails with his gloves rather than the ball.

Perth, Feb. 2 : Australian cricket skipper Ricky Ponting is reportedly ready to urge the national selectors to pick Andrew Symonds for the tour of South Africa.

Ponting said he wanted the all-rounder in his squad for "all forms of the game" in South Africa after Australia lost the Test and one-day series at home for the first time in 16 years.

Sydney, Feb. 2: Former Australian cricket team coach John Buchanan has accused Cricket Australia of letting all rounder Andrew Symonds down.

Buchanan wants to know why Australia''s most controversial cricketer of recent times was allowed to go on a radio show in the first place.

Karachi, Feb 2: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) became the target of scathing criticism from various quarters over its inability to keep the Champions Trophy at home.

It also came under fire after the ICC decided to once again reverse the result of the infamous Oval Test at a meeting in Perth where PCB chairman Ijaz Butt represented Pakistan.

Senator Enver Baig, a member of Senate's sports committee, lambasted the PCB management, saying that it was incapable of safeguarding the interests of Pakistan cricket.

Sydney, Feb 1 : Former New Zealand all-rounder Craig McMillan has warned that Andrew Symonds had provided Brendon McCullum with the perfect motivation to take the game to Australia in the Chappell-Hadlee series starting in Perth today.

And South African coach Mickey Arthur added it was up to the likes of McCullum to help drive the stake further into Cricket Australia's heart by taking the fight to the hosts, who lost their world No. 1 one-day ranking to the Proteas.

Symonds was fined 4000 dollars by Cricket Australia for describing the Kiwi batsman-keeper as a "lump of s-t" during a radio interview in the lead-up to last weekend's domestic Twenty20 final between eventual champions NSW and Victoria, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.