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Losing battle as streak of misery shatters beliefAUSTRALIA have gone win-less in their past eight outingsand opener David Warnersays the longer that streakcontinues the harder it will befor them to come out on top inthe big moments.

Warner admits that beliefbecame an issue in Austra-lia’s second innings collapsein the fourth Test at Chester-le-Street. Once the walls start-ed caving in on their run-chase, doubt crept in.

After being swept in fourTests in India, Australia arenow 3-0 down in the Ashes af-ter three losses and a draw.

With another five-Testseries starting against Eng-land in November, Australiaare in desperate need of somepsychological relief at TheOval next week.

England haven’t beenmuch better, but they’vegrown an extra leg when itcomes to the crunch.

Australia are fighting to re-member how to win andWarner says that break-through victory will bring theconfidence back.

‘‘I reckon that’s probablywhat it comes down to. If youhave that belief to win, you’regoing to win,’’ Warner said.

Australia held a team meet-ing in Newcastle on Tuesdayto discuss what they can do toavoid future capitulations.

A blistering spell from Eng-

land fast bowler Stuart Broadwas the difference, and coachDarren Lehmann has spokento the batsmen about recog-nising those big moments in amatch and overcoming them.

‘‘I just know if we gotthrough that last 15 overs wecould have easily come backon the final day and won thatby lunch,’’ Warner said.

‘‘We spoke about how wecould get better. How couldwe identify those key mo-

ments and those key spellslike Broad.

‘‘How could we block outthose five overs.

‘‘Put away your shots, youdon’t need to play any shotsuntil you get a half volley or afull toss.’’

Warner has long been re-garded as an instinctiveplayer but he showed in hissecond innings 71 at Chester-le-Street that he’s become in-creasingly street smart.

As a left-hander, the 26-year-old is a prime target forGraeme Swann, but Warnerplayed the England spinnerwith class. He moved his feetand batted with discipline, re-fusing to take Swann’s baitand hit across the linethrough mid-wicket.

‘‘I know that he wants me tohit there but I’m not going tohit there at all,’’ he said.

‘‘You can see the line he isgoing to bowl.’’

Knee notabout torule outPietersenENGLAND batsman KevinPietersen remains availablefor next week’s final AshesTest despite undergoing ascan on his troublesomeright knee, the England andWales Cricket Board said.

Pietersen’s prospects ofplaying in the fifth Test atThe Oval, his Surrey homeground, were called intoquestion when it emergedhe was having a scan on hisknee. But an ECB statementsaid it was a routine part ofhis recovery from an injurysuffered earlier this year.

‘‘Kevin Pietersen had aprecautionary scan on hisright knee today (Wednes-day) as part of an ongoingmonitoring process follow-ing the bone bruising injurythat occurred in February,’’said the statement.

‘‘Kevin remains availablefor selection for the fifth As-hes Test and will continueto receive treatment on hisright knee as part of his re-habilitation program overthe course of the remainderof the series and beyond.’’

This has been a largelyfrustrating year for 33-year-old South Africa-bornPietersen, sidelined for sev-eral months after returninghome early from England’stour of New Zealand inMarch with a knee injury.

However, he has featuredin all four Ashes matches,helping England retain theurn and win the series at 3-0up, despite also suffering acalf problem in a mammoth347-run win over Australiain the second Test at Lord’s.

Pietersen made 113 asEngland avoided the follow-on in the drawn third Test atManchester’s Old Traffordand in the host’s 74-runfourth Test win at Chester-le-Street contributed an im-portant second innings 44 inpartnership with century-maker Ian Bell.

Pietersen is arguably theteam’s most talented bats-man but, with the Asheswon, England coach AndyFlower won’t want to takeany undue risks with one ofhis key players.

Flower had already madeit clear Pietersen would notbe released for Surrey’s ap-pearance in English countycricket’s Twenty20 finalsday at Edgbaston tomorrow.

It was a decision acceptedby Surrey caretaker coachAlec Stewart, himself a for-mer England captain andwicketkeeper/batsman.

Spot-fixer in fresh appeal to clear namePAKISTAN leg-spinner Dan-ish Kaneria has filed anappeal in a London courtagainst his life ban for spot-fixing, vowing to fight on toclear his name.

The 32-year-old was barredfor life last year after an Eng-land and Wales Cricket

Board disciplinary panelfound him guilty of spot-fixing in a 2009 county match.

Kaneria was banned forluring his Essex county team-mate Mervyn Westfield intoconceding a set number ofruns for money in a pre-arranged deal.

His appeal against the pen-alty and an attempt to have itreduced were both rejectedearlier this year.

‘‘Through my lawyer inEngland I have filed an ap-peal in the Commercial Courtas my fight against the banwill go on until I am proven

innocent,’’ Kaneria said. Theban effectively prevents himfrom playing any internat-ional or domestic cricketworldwide as boards underInternational Cricket Coun-cil jurisdiction have agreedto uphold punishments.

Former Pakistan captain

Rashid Latif, famous forblowing the whistle on team-mates’ involvement in match-fixing in 1994, demanded anindependent inquiry.

Westfield was bannedfor five years and also jailedfor four months in 2012 by aBritish court.

On road to the Ashes

Leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed could make his Test debut for Australia in the home Ashes series this summer Picture: MICHAEL KLEIN

CRICKET

SQUADAustralia:Michael Clarke (capt),

George Bailey, Fawad Ahmed, Nathan

Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron

Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Hughes,

Mitchell Johnson, ShaunMarsh, Glenn

Maxwell, Clint McKay, Steve Smith,

Mitchell Starc, AdamVoges, Matthew

Wade, DavidWarner, ShaneWatson

FAWAD Ahmed has taken hisfirst step towards a possibleTest debut in the summer,earning selection in Austra-lia’s limited overs squad,which goes into action in Eng-land after the Ashes series.

Leg-spinner Ahmed rep-laces Xavier Doherty in the18-man squad that will be cutto 15 after the two Twenty20matches against England onAugust 30 and 31 ahead of anODI against Scotland and fiveODIs against England.

Alongside Doherty, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh isthe other notable omission,replaced by Steve Smith.

Mitchell Johnson has beenrecalled and fellow fast bow-ler Josh Hazlewood has over-come injury troubles to re-turn to the internationalframe after a debut at 19years of age in 2010.

Pakistan-born asylumseeker Ahmed became anAustralian citizen in earlyJuly and has been in selec-tors’ sights for some time.

He’s played on the last twoAustralia A tours of the UKand Africa, and is now set tomake his international debutin the one-day side.

Nathan Lyon performedwell in the recent fourth Testat Chester-le-Street andAshton Agar made a remark-able debut earlier duringthe Ashes, but national selec-tor John Inverarity said Ah-med was in contention for acall-up during the home sum-mer against England startingin November.

‘‘He would be in contentionfor that. We’ll see how hegoes,’’ said Inverarity.

‘‘He played in some (Shef-field) Shield matches at theend of the last Australiansummer, bowled well andtook wickets, so we’re justkeen to see how he goes at in-ternational level. He and anumber of other spinnerswill be contention as well.’’

Ahmed struggled in diffi-cult conditions in his matchesin the UK and was patchy forAustralia A in Africa.

However he’s shown poten-

tial, averaging 31.44 from 18first-class matches and Aust-ralia are said to be keen onhim for the home Ashesseries should he come upwith a few performances thatdemand selection.

‘‘I don’t know about it be-ing a surprise because it’sbeen brewing for some time,’’Inverarity said. ‘‘But this isthe time for his opportunity.’’

The upcoming series repre-

sent a great opportunity forbatsman Shaun Marsh, whohas scored 136 not out and 96against South Africa A on theAustralia A tour, and is ingreat one-day form.

He is a prime candidate toreturn at No. 3 for Australiaduring the home Test sum-mer and will be looking tomake his return to the inter-national frame count.

Teenager Agar has been

left out of the limited overssquad despite his shock Testdebut during the Ashes.

It seems selectors are keenfor him to hone his game fur-ther at Sheffield Shield levelleading into the home Ashes.

Captain Michael Clarkeand allrounder Shane Wat-son have been included forthe limited overs contests.

George Bailey captained theside for much of the Champ-ions Trophy before the Ashesdue to Clarke’s back injuryand he’ll be vice-captain.