Mike Hussey prepared for South Africa decider

Mike Hussey has urged his Australia team-mates to play with no fear in the deciding one-day international next to South Africa on Friday.


The tourists will enter the third and final game in Durban coming off an 80-run loss to South Africa in Port Elizabeth, which leveled the series at 1-1.

Australia is hopeful of having big-hitting Shane Watson (back spasms) and Shaun Marsh (shoulder) fit for the clash, But, regardless of whom plays, veteran Hussey wants his side to banish memories of their recent loss and play with freedom.

"I think it's significant not to dwell on it (the loss) too much, just get out of it what we needed to improve on, work on that over the next few days in do and come in with a real positive approach into the last game," he said.

"I don't think we can come in with any fear or misgivings, we've just got to make sure we play with our freedom. That's when we play our best cricket.

"It's like an impressive final for us and we're really looking forward to it." Watson suffer from back spasm on Sunday, while Marsh has been out since ache his left shoulder in the field during the second Twenty20 match on October 16.

Australia retains world number one status in the 50-over game when the latest rankings were released on Tuesday, while their opponent sits fourth.

And Hussey says they are proud of their place as the world's best and often use it as incentive.

"They're (South Africa) a very good team, but we have a lot of pride in that number-one position in the world and it's something that (captain) Michael Clarke continually talks to us about," Hussey added.

"He says to us, often: 'We're the number one team in the world for a reason and we've got to keep showing the world out there why'.

"He keeps demanding us in that way. The guys are very aggravated for this last game and we are very self-important of that number-one ranking and we want to hang on to it for as long as we can."

Flower: We must be trained to struggle spin


England plumb new lowest point in their ODI whitewash in India - but Andy Flower is hoping the contact of evident limits can kick start needed self-improvement.

The England coach liken Tuesday night's unfortunate collapse, almost completely to spin, of all 10 wickets for 47 runs at Eden Gardens, to an early low point in his occupancy back in February 2009.

Flower was still only provisional coach, and in his first match in charge too, when England were skittled for 51 at Sabina Park, Jamaica, to lose by an innings on the way to a 1-0 Test series beat in the West Indies.

The team was still reeling from the New Year fall-out from Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores' acrimonious differences of opinion and subsequent loss of their personal positions as captain and coach.

With a more established arrangement now, Flower look back on this month's series and said: "We have to change the traditional limitations against spin and certainly by the time we come out here in 14 months' time to play another limited-overs series, we have to look at it very differently."

Flower's reign could hardly have started more inauspiciously with the Sabina Park debacle; yet within six months England had won the Ashes and begun an upward graph which would see them clinch the urn down under for the first time in almost a quarter-of-a-century and become the world's top Test team.

They also prevailed in an International Cricket Council event for the first time, on their return to the Caribbean for the 2010 World Twenty20.

Sadly, there has been no such period of consistent ODI achievement.

Even so, it has been a shock to the system that Alastair Cook's young team have failed so miserably in India to consolidate last month's NatWest Series home superiority against the same opponents.

Flower, however, is hoping this chastening reality check may bring with it the 'Jamaica effect'.

He said: "If we can use this as a catalyst for that sort of change then some good can come of it.

"I was unfortunately reflecting last night on a similar feeling after being 51 all out in Jamaica two-and-a-half years ago.

"If we can use it to start something better in our subcontinent limited-overs batting then some good can come of this."

In the much shorter term - and with Cook already on his way home, deemed surplus to Twenty20 requirements - England must raise their game under Graeme Swann's captaincy for Saturday's one-off match against India, again in Kolkata, in the shortest format.

They were named the ICC's first Twenty20 number ones just three days ago, and Flower does not anticipate - will not tolerate, in fact - any difficulty in England readying themselves for one last push to salvage some pride here.

"I don't think that is a challenge," Flower said.

"We're representing England, and you can't win all the time.

"We want strong people in our squad. If anyone is going to be cowed by a few defeats then this is not the place for them."

MS Dhoni take 3rd place in ODI rankings



MS Dhoni, named the player of the series next India's 5-0 whitewash over England in the ODIs, jump two places to arrive at the third spot in the newest ICC rankings.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also broke into the top 20 for the first time after claim 10 wickets in the series.

For this attempt, the 25-year-old from Chennai manages a jump of 16 places that has put him in the 20th spot.

Ashwin's colleague Ravindra Jadeja, who was the man of the match in Kolkata, has also been satisfied for finishing as the most winning bowler of the series with 11 wickets. He has domed 12 places to 26th.

Jadeja also jump 11 places to reach the 12th spot in the all-rounder ranking, which is top by Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh, follow by Shane Watson of Australia.

Dhoni, who scored 212 runs and was not dismissing even once in the series, communal the third spot with England's Jonathan Trott, who gain three places following his series gift of 202 runs.

The two batsmen now follow second-ranked AB de Villiers of South Africa by 18 points, who will carry on losing points while he is out of act due to an injury. At the top of the table is Hashim Amla.

Virat Kohli, at the fifth place, was the only other Indian inside the top-10 batting, while Gautam Gambhir was positioned at the 13th position.

Other batsmen from the India-England series to head in the right way are Suresh Raina in the 26th spot (up by four places), Alastair Cook in 36th (up by three places), Kevin Pietersen in 47th (up by three places) and Craig Kieswetter in 66th (up by 26 places).

WICB is playing intelligence games with Chris Gayle



Chris Gayle has accuse the West Indies Cricket Board of "mind games" and vow to address their insist for a regret at the end of the Regional Super50 Series.

Gayle, who led Jamaica in the ongoing event in Georgetown, was told last week by the WICB that he would have to withdraw the contentious comments he made earlier this year, to be measured for selection to the regional side.

The honest Gayle was highly significant of the Board and head coach Ottis Gibson during an interview with a Jamaica radio station. He has been unnoticed for selection since.

"I established a message about the confession at a team meeting the day before we (Jamaica) had to play the Leeward’s Islands last Thursday in the middle of a local event," Gayle told reporters.

"I think they (WICB) are playing mind games with Chris Gayle. I have said them that I want to spotlight on winning this event for Jamaica and I will deal with the admission of guilt issue at the end of this competition."

The WICB mandate last week that Gayle properly back away from his earlier criticism of the Board or face separation from the West Indies side.

In a statement, the Board said they hope Gayle would "comply with the standard and supplies" they had set out as they think he could still make a meaningful payment to the regional side.

However, a enthusiastic up Gayle said the Board wanted to make it clear what precisely he had said that necessary a withdrawal, and contended it was unjust for anyone to query his commitment to West Indies cricket because of the stalemate.

"They need to say accurately what Chris Gayle should make an apology for? What in the interview?" Gayle said.

"I don't imagine the Board wants to resolve this issue. This needs to be stopped up as soon as probable and they need to be obvious on what I should make an apology for. This whole thing is sad and I am getting fed up with my name being all around, inquiring my commitment to West Indies cricket.

"Over the years, I have hut blood, sweat and tears for West Indies cricket and it's sad that some would query my promise to West Indies cricket. I stand for what I consider in, that's the type of person I am, playing once more for the West Indies is in their (WICB) hands.

Following the highly emotional interview, Gayle was told by the WICB that he wanted to give details his comments before he could be careful for selection.

However, a June meeting in Jamaica connecting Gayle, WICB and West Indies Players Association official failed to resolution the issue and the Board later said it had ended in uncertainty.

Since then, Gayle discusses the matter with Gibson and also met with WICB chief decision-making, Ernest Hilaire, but no solution was it seems that reached.