Rob Quiney, the Victoria opening batsman, is likely to become Australia's 429th Test cricketer after he was called up as cover for the injured Shane Watson ahead of the first match against South Africa

Shane Watson's only faint hope of playing against South Africa at the Gabba is as a batsman alone - and the team performance manager Pat Howard has revealed the national selectors are considering the possibility

Australia's team performance manager Pat Howard has expressed his disappointment at the Sydney Sixers Twenty20 team not passing on information about Pat Cummins' condition before he was diagnosed with a back stress fracture

Alex Doolan's silky century against the No. 1 team in the world at the SCG has only strengthened his case for Test selection

Shane Watson has sent another shudder through Australia's camp ahead of the first South Africa Test by complaining of calf soreness while bowling

Watching Rob Quiney compile a sprightly innings for Australia A against the South Africans, the selectors John Inverarity and Rod Marsh would have seen plenty to like

His body cannot be expected to stand up to the demands that have been placed on it by New South Wales, the Sydney Sixers and Cricket Australia

In the tour match against South Africa in Sydney, Phillip Hughes will have the chance to make an impression against the side he began his now flagging Test career against with a bang

Though modesty caused Dale Steyn to shy away from the assertion that he is the best bowler in the world, it cannot be disputed that over the past eight years he has been the best managed

This time last week, as he was doing the rounds to inform players of their inclusion for Australia A against the South Africans, the national selector John Inverarity called Glenn Maxwell. The conversation featured not only a notification of Maxwell's sel

Michael Hussey and Alviro Petersen were united in their hesitance about the prospect of day/night Test matches

Pat Cummins' young career may again be held up by injury as he awaits the results of scans on a sore back following his return from the Twenty20 Champions League in South Africa

Perth Scorchers players who misbehaved en masse on the team's Twenty20 Champions League jaunt have escaped any further sanctions following an investigation by the WACA

South Africa bowling coach Allan Donald expects a pacy Gabba pitch for the first Test

At their best both Mitchell Starc and Ben Hilfenhaus are incisive Test match bowlers, but how close to their best can they possibly be in time for the first match against South Africa in Brisbane?

Brad Haddin knew for some time the Australian selectors preferred Matthew Wade as their first choice for the Gabba Test

Pat Cummins has been left out of the New South Wales side for their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland, to start at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Friday

Shane Watson acknowledged that this summer will be an unfulfilled one unless he can maintain his muscular technique for long enough to peel off a century or three

Six long years have passed since the South Africans were last beaten in a series away from home, a 2-0 reverse in Sri Lanka in 2006

Matthew Wade will go to Brisbane to face South Africa next week, but Brad Haddin may still go to England for the Ashes next year