Sydney, Mar. 12 : Australia's series defeat of South Africa on the latter's home turf, has convinced former skipper Mark Taylor that Ponting''s boys will start as favourites for this year''s Ashes series.

Taylor also said that ageing stars such as Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Andrew Symonds would have a tough time breaking back into a revitalized Test line-up.

"It just shows the value of going with young players," Fox Sports quoted Taylor, as saying after Australia''s 175-run victory in the second Test at Durban.

Sydney, Feb. 15 : Former Australian captains Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor will lead their celebrity teams in a fundraiser Twenty20 cricket match to gather aid for Victorian bushfire victims.

Waugh and Taylor immediately agreed to play when the proposal of the match was put before them, said David Gilbert, Cricket NSW chief executive.

"They said yes straight away. Once again, they are leading the way, just as they did in their playing days, and the response from players, past and present, plus the personalities has been fantastic," Gilbert stated.

Melbourne, Nov 4 : Former Australia captain Mark Taylor has said that current skipper Ricky Ponting should have known better than to become embroiled in an ugly on-field spat with Brett Lee.

Ponting and Lee were involved in a heated exchange during the second Test against India when the pacer was not given a bowl on the fourth morning of the match.

Australia maintained the reason for overlooking Lee was because of a slow over rate, but it was clear Ponting, who even turned to the rarely used medium pace of Mike Hussey, had lost confidence in his spearhead, who has struggled through the entire campaign.

Taylor, now a Cricket Australia board director, said the Australian skipper should have shown greater discretion.