Melbourne, Feb. 4: Andrew Symonds international cricket career is hanging in the balance after Cricket Australia ruled the troubled all-rounder emotionally unfit to tour South Africa.

The board of directors endorsed the view of CA management that Symonds should not be considered when the selectors meet today to choose the touring party.

The 33-year-old faces an uphill battle to convince his counsellors and employers that he can again represent his country when his situation is reviewed at the end of the Sheffield Shield season next month.

Melbourne, Feb. 4: Australian captain Ricky Ponting and his deputy Michael Clarke, were last night anointed joint winners of the Allan Border Medal in the first tie of the award''s 10-year history.

While the two upstaged favourite Mitchell Johnson, it was the crowning of young batting prodigy Phillip Hughes as the young player of the year that was arguably of more significance given his potential importance to the future of Australian cricket as it confronts a difficult period of generational change.

Karachi, Feb. 4: Just when the international cricketers of Pakistan who sided with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) were looking for making a comeback in their national squad after being cleared from the ban imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), there seems to be more problems brewing up, with reports suggesting that Cricket Australia may not allow its team to play against Pakistan if any ICL cricketer is a part of the Pak team.

Sydney, Feb. 3 : Australian off-spinner Nathan Hauritz has said that he is prepared to wait for his turn to turn out for the national squad, and has become immune to the speculation, opinion and criticism swallowing Australian cricket.

"Coming from being picked in a Test match after being 12th man for NSW the week before, I''m not worried about the pecking order or anything like that," Hauritz said as NSW defeated Tasmania by 114 runs yesterday on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at Newcastle No. 1 Sports Ground.

Melbourne, Feb. 3 (ANI): Fast bowler Nathan Bracken has said that Australia will use the Brad Haddin-Daniel Vettori ''''cheating'''' spat as motivation during the next one-day international to be played at the MCG on Friday.

"If we want to win this series we''ve got to play good cricket and if it means we''ve got to use that as a motivational thing then we have to," the Courier Mail quoted Bracken, as saying.

He maintained that the issue would help the team rather than disrupt it.

Melbourne, Feb. 3 : Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds has been dropped from the team that is to tour South Africa this month, and told to undergo further rehabilitation and counselling before he can be considered eligible for national selection.

A Fox Sports reports said that the Cricket Australia board met in Melbourne on Tuesday to make a ruling on Symonds.

Symonds has already copped a fine of 4000 dollars for calling New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum "a lump of shit in a radio interview.