Matt Cleary

What would an Ashes series be without Aussies and Poms giving each other stick about something or other? Answer: nothing

The squad that toured a country under apartheid in 1985-86 played some quality, hard-fought cricket, but at what cost?

Why Channel Nine should be applauded for not broadcasting domestic cricket in Australia

Going on a tour, writing a match report, talking to Big Merv... try doing some of these things before you meet your maker

One December afternoon in 1982, Allan Border found an ally in the form of No. 11 Jeff Thomson and they almost pulled off the greatest last-wicket chase in history

Their styles were completely different but the result was always the same: quick runs and defeated bowlers

The squad that has been selected isn't bad at all. The quicks could trouble batsmen, and someone like Usman Khawaja needs just one good score to start a chain of them

Show them a good time through the sidelights, and if they enjoy themselves they may come back for more

And so, for no reason, cricket's greatest beard XI

Seemingly because he used to be a rugby player, Cricket Australia's General Manager Team Performance has been on the receiving end of some unfair criticism. The team is not performing highly but that is not (yet) Pat Howard's fault

Once upon a time, selecting the Australia Test XI was a straightforward business but, nowadays, you could ask everyone in the country and get an entirely different team from each of the them. Here's mine

From Steve Waugh telling Herschelle Gibbs he's dropped the World Cup to Ian Healy's "Mars Bar" sledge, many infamous cricket yarns have taken on lives of their own - to the point that some seem to have been completely fabricated

Dear sweet Superman, Moses and Mr Lillee, is this fair dinkum? Have they really stood down four blokes because they didn't do an assignment? From the Australian Test team? A team down 0-2 in a four-Test series in India?

Australia need to make changes to the team of lumberjacks that have chopped themselves down in India - but those yukking it up in England should know that we've seen worse and haven't given up on the Ashes yet

When Sachin Tendulkar walks out to bat on cricket grounds in India, each one erupts like Old Trafford when Wayne Rooney's scored the winner