Ricky Ponting believes he has Australia's 16 best cricketers available to him as his side prepare for their defence of the Ashes in England.
The Australians depart today for the four-month long tour, which includes the Twenty20 World Cup and a one-day series as well and Ponting is upbeat that the selectors have given him the right mixture of youth and experience to blunt the challenge of Andrew Strauss's side.
This is despite the fact Andrew Symonds, the all-rounder whose cause the Australian captain had championed publically prior to the selection meeting, had been left out of the squad.
"I think the selectors picked our best 16 players," he said.
"There was lot made of the comment I made the day before the actual team was announced about Andrew maybe being selected in the side or not being selected in the side. The facts are that unfortunately for him, he didn't make that final 16. Andrew is a very good cricketer, and he's been a lot of fun to have around the team over a long time. The facts are right now he's not in our Test squad."
It is a young Australian Test side touring, with only four players (Ponting, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich and Brett Lee) surviving from the 2005 series, and Ponting knows it is vital that the youngsters in the squad know how to handle the pressure.
"It will be important for me to get to those younger guys, and tell them what to expect when we arrive," Ponting said. "Some of us senior guys who have been around before need to get the younger guys well-versed on what to expect. I'm on my fourth Ashes tour, so I've been around the block a few times. It's important that we focus and be in the best shape we can. We know all about the hype of the Ashes."
Shane Watson, one of the all-rounders who was selected, subject to fitness, over Symonds, appears to have made a trouble-free return to bowling after a medium-pace workout at a players' training camp this week.
The often-injured Watson strained his groin while batting against Pakistan in Dubai in April, and the last time he bowled in match conditions was six months ago for his Queensland state side in the domestic first-class final. Form with the ball will improve his chances of a recall for the first Test beginning July 8 in Cardiff and also give Ponting more bowling options
The Australia coach Tim Nielsen said: "We're taking it softly, softly at the start and he appears to be going well at the moment. The plan will be to give him as much bowling as we can at the start of the [Twenty20 World Cup] series, keep working out where he sits and go from there."
* AP
PRISCILLA
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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'Dark Waters'
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper
Rating: ****
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
The five pillars of Islam
Anna and the Apocalypse
Director: John McPhail
Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton
Three stars
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
Sunday
Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
Monday
Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani