Hit KP in the ribs

Australia will take aim at Kevin Pietersen’s healing ribs when they face England in the Super Eights match on Sunday, according to Chloe Saltau in the Sunday Age. Pietersen was forced to leave the Australia tour with a fracture after charging Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting would like to inflict some more pain.

"If Glenn could hit him in the ribs, break his ribs and have him retire that would be lovely," Ponting said. But Ponting said the main tactic would be to greet the dangerous Pietersen by bringing Shaun Tait into the attack.

Kyle Mills, the New Zealand fast bowler, has taken his own aim at Matthew Hayden, calling him a “bully who tends to pick on guys he perceives as weaker players”. “I can't imagine him saying anything to Shane Bond.”

Mark Waugh says in his Sun-Herald column the idea of billionaires taking cricket to a new dimension through Twenty20 is “far fetched”.