Scalpers have Ashes tickets cancelled

More than 50 scalpers have had their Ashes tickets cancelled by Cricket Australia after they were exposed by private investigators. The Herald-Sun reported 650 tickets were revoked as the national body planned a heavy-handed approach to opportunistic selling.

"They won't be admitted into the ground," James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said in the paper. "Anyone who is thinking about buying tickets in that fashion risks losing their money." The final seats for the MCG Test went on sale yesterday and after two hours only spaces for days three and four were available.

Sutherland has also attacked the comments of Tim May, the Federation of International Cricketers' chief executive, who said the crammed international match schedule could leader to player drug use. "That is disrespectful and nothing more than mindless sledging on Tim's behalf," Sutherland said. "I am completely surprised with the comments and disappointed to mention drugs and Australian cricketers in the same breath."