London, Feb. 17: Former England fast bowler Simon Jones has revealed that he is fit again and ready to tear through the Aussies this summer.

The Worcestershire pacer has suffered a cruel run of knee injuries since his 18 wickets in four Tests helped England win the 2005 Ashes, reports The Sun.

Last season brought renewed hope of an England return, with 42 wickets from nine first class games, before further surgery was required.

But with his pre-season fitness looking promising, the proud Welshman is eyeing the first Ashes Test at Cardiff on July 8.

Johannesburg, Feb. 17: Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has revealed that he has developed a plan to counter the dominance of South Africa's young star batsman J. P. Duminy.

"He (Duminy) was probably the pick of their batsmen for the entire summer, and we''ve had a good opportunity to look at him for a long period of time. We''ve got some things up our sleeve, which we will hopefully be able to execute well if we get the opportunity. We''ll see how he reacts and responds to what he has in store," warned Ponting.

Karachi, Feb. 16 : Sri Lanka cricket captain Mahela Jayawerdene has described the Indian cricket team better than his because of its team spirit and cohesiveness.

"India won the ODI series because it was a better team. For the last couple of years, India has improved a lot and is playing well. They played really well against the host in recent ODI series in the Island," The Nation quoted Jayawardene, as saying.

Jayawardene, who arrived here for a two Test match series beginning February 21, said his teammates were looking forward to the series.

Sydney, Feb. 16 : The Australian cricket team flew to South Africa today with captain Ricky Ponting claiming that the South Africans would be under more pressure than his side.

Ponting wasted no time in trying to turn pressure on to the hosts before the three-Test series that will determine the official No. 1 team in the Test rankings.

"There won''t be any added pressure on us, maybe on South Africa with that at the back of their minds," he said at Sydney airport.

Sydney, Feb. 16: Having beaten Australia in Australia, the South Africans would naturally be cocksure about using their home advantage to challenge Ricky Ponting's team and dislodge it from its championship pedestal, feels cricket columnist Peter Roebuck.

In a column for the Sydney Morning Herald, Roebuck predicts a compelling series in South Africa.

While stating that the Australians ought to enjoy themselves in South Africa, Roebuck said that they could take a leaf out of Graeme Smith and company's book on exhibiting joviality.

Wellington  - The New Zealand government is likely to order the national cricket team not to go to Zimbabwe for a scheduled tour in July, Prime Minister John Key indicated on Monday.

The cabinet had not yet considered the issue, he said at his weekly news conference, "but I'd be deeply sceptical about whether they would be going."