VB Series, 2004/05 /

Australia in New Zealand 2004-05

Symonds cleared for New Zealand tour

Feb 8, 2005: Andrew Symonds has been cleared to tour New Zealand after tests showed the Achilles injury that ruled him out of the second VB Series final was minor

VB Series 2004-05

Pakistan call for two neutral umpires

Feb 7, 2005: The Pakistan board has asked the ICC to stand two neutral umpires in one-day internationals and review all the decisions from the VB Series in Australia

VB Series 2004-05

Lee's series boosts Test prospects

Feb 7, 2005: Brett Lee, the Player of the VB Series, hopes his brilliant one-day form and a strong start to the New Zealand tour will earn a Test recall

Australia v Pakistan, 2nd final, VB Series, Sydney

McGrath and Gilchrist make the difference

Feb 6, 2005: For a moment, it seemed it would end as it had opened

Australia v Pakistan, 2nd VB Series final, Sydney

McGrath's five seal series victory

Feb 6, 2005: Glenn McGrath ruthlessly dismantled Pakistan's flimsy top order to set up Australia's VB Series victory before sealing it with the late dismissal of the dangerous Abdul Razzaq at the SCG

Fast bowler relieved to be back after four-year absence

Reon King delighted to be back for West Indies

Feb 5, 2005: Reon King is delighted to have made a comeback to the international arena

Tough times for Matt the Bat

Hayden determined to arrest ODI slide

Feb 5, 2005: Matthew Hayden is geared up to fight his way back into the one-day team after being axed for the VB Series final against Pakistan at the MCG

Australia v Pakistan, VB Series, 1st final

Razzaq not guilty of dissent

Feb 5, 2005: Chris Broad, the ICC match referee, found Abdul Razzaq not guilty of a dissent charge following a Code of Conduct hearing at the conclusion of the first VB Series final against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Australia v Pakistan, 1st final, VB Series, Melbourne

Back to the party in style

Feb 4, 2005: It was inevitable that Andrew Symonds would finally come to the party - given that it was Pakistan and given that there were murmurs about his form again, says Osman Samiuddin

Australia v Pakistan, 1st final, VB Series, Melbourne

verdict

Feb 4, 2005: Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath devastated Pakistan's top order after Andrew Symonds corrected an early batting wobble as Australia took a 1-0 lead in the VB Series at the MCG

VB Series 2004-05

We triggered Hayden's slump - Harbhajan

Feb 4, 2005: Harbhajan Singh, the Indian offspinner, has openly taken credit for triggering Matthew Hayden's batting slump while maintaining that the cricketing world has missed Hayden's attacking batting this season

The Friday Column

Australia's finals spree, and Pietersen the Plunderer

Feb 4, 2005: Perhaps numbers never do reveal the full story, but they tell a large part of it

Australia v Pakistan, 1st final, VB Series, Melbourne

Symonds and Lee put Australia one-up

Feb 4, 2005: Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath devastated Pakistan's top order after Andrew Symonds corrected an early batting wobble as Australia took a 1-0 lead in the VB Series at the MCG

VB Series finals 2004-05

High winds damage MCG crane

Feb 3, 2005: High winds snapped an 80-metre crane jib as heavy showers hit the MCG last night, but the surface was not damaged before tomorrow's first VB Series final between Australia and Pakistan

VB Series finals 2004-05

Pakistan return to good health

Feb 3, 2005: Pakistan have waited more than two months to bare their teeth to Australia

Australia v Pakistan, VB Series, 1st final

Hard work and consolidation the key, says Inzamam

Feb 3, 2005: Inzamam-ul-Haq has said that Pakistan will concentrate on preserving wickets early in the innings as they bid to upset Australia in the first match of the VB Series finals at Melbourne on Friday

Pakistan in Australia 2004-05

Inzamam fined for slow over rate

Feb 2, 2005: Pakistan's captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, has been fined 100% of his match fee, after being found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct for his side's slow over rate in their victory over West Indies on Tuesday

VB Series 2004-05

'Pakistan can win the finals' - Lara

Feb 2, 2005: After West Indies failed to qualify in the VB series finals, Brian Lara, their captain, felt that Pakistan have the killer instinct to beat Australia in the best-of-three finals beginning on Friday at Melbourne

VB Series finals 2004-05

Hayden faces one-day axe

Feb 1, 2005: After a poor run of form that has coincided with the remarkable rise of Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden is facing the axe from Australia's one-day side

Pakistan v West Indies, VB Series, Perth

Youhana steers Pakistan to final

Feb 1, 2005: Pakistan sealed a hard-earned place in the VB Series finals by dismissing the brave challenge of West Indies in a high-energy match at the WACA