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Shoaib Akhtar faces a make-or-break fitness test at Pakistan’s practice camp this week to determine how much of a role he will play in the upcoming series against England.Akhtar, 30, has faced constant criticism for his poor fitness record and many still question his attitude. Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan, a supporter of Akhtar, said: “With his age he is at the crossroads. I think the England series is make-or-break for Akhtar. He is 30 so he has four years left in him but it is Akhtar who gives Pakistan the hope to win against England.”Akhtar has a reputation for breaking down mid-series and has previously been fined for going out on late nights. Pakistan’s coach Bob Woolmer, who has publicly asked for more commitment from Akhtar, said: “He is in our scheme of things because he is a genuine fast bowler but the question mark is whether he can last five days of a Test and 15 of a series.”Rameez Raja, a former Pakistan captain and ex-chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board, said Akhtar has a lot to prove. “It’s up to Akhtar to prove everyone wrong, he should understand the importance of playing for Pakistan,” he said. “There are always lots of expectations of Akhtar and he has got to prove a point to everyone against England and then against India.”

Justin Langer
On the heat
I feel pretty good and we’re in a pretty goodposition. I started cramping – I tend to do that atAdelaide – after lunch and that probably affected myconcentration. But that went away and I felt prettygood.On the century
I don’t think it’s one of my best. Besides the firstcouple of overs and a couple with the second new ball, it wasa gritty innings. But my balance was really goodbecause footwork is one area of my game that I’ve hadto improve over the last 12 to 18 months.On it being his 20th hundred
Statistics are a really funny thing in cricket. Whenyou are playing the game they mean a lot. I spoke toTugga [Steve Waugh] a couple of months ago and he saidthat in retirement statistics mean nothing. While I’mplaying and getting paid to score runs it means Ihopefully get a game next week.On the pitch
It’s a very good wicket and is actually getting morecarry than I’ve seen before. I’m not sure it’s goingto get up and down. We’re going to have to giveourselves plenty of time to get 20 New Zealandwickets.On Hayden’s caught-and-bowled
It was a big banging double noise so he must havethought that he’d thumped it into the ground. He wasprobably hoping it was a bump ball because he wasstarting to hit it pretty well. I thought it was out.On using the third umpire for a catch
I’m not saying it was obvious, but it looked to methat it was it probably out. The umpires did the rightthing. If the technology is there they might as welluse it.On New Zealand’s performance
They fought hard all day. Jacob Oram is an outstandingcricketer to bowl that economically on that track.Chris Martin runs in hard all day and hasn’t had thatmuch luck, but definitely has the spirit.On their mood in the field
They were a bit quiet, but I’m not sure how they play.They had a tough week last week, it was 38 degrees orso, they lost the toss on a good wicket. They did anadmirable job.On his run-burst in the first two overs
I keep telling Haydos that he’s the blocker and I amthe aggressor. I can’t believe he’s playing one-daycricket and I’m not. [The rooms laughs loudly] Heknows how I feel about this.Paul Wiseman
On his performance
I started off a bit rusty but came back well in thesecond spell and had good rhythm.On the heat compared to Bangladesh
It was hot and dry; Bangladesh was humid. You don’tget wet out there, it’s just dry, your mouth’s dry.But we had a breeze today.On Hayden’s catch
I thought it was just a regulation caught-and-bowled.He wasn’t sure whether he’d squeezed it into theground. I was pretty sure, but it put doubt in my mindwhen he didn’t go. He’s entitled to stick around. Itwas pretty amicable, no dramas.On the feeling in the side
It was good honest toil. We lost the toss on a prettygood batting wicket and the Aussies played very well.There weren’t too many chances and the boys stuck atit. Jacob Oram bowled beautifully, Chris Martin ran inwith good rhythm and Dan [Vettori] did a good job on awicket that’s not turning much yet. The guys are okand certainly not down.On the side’s position
It would have been nice to get a couple more at theend and maybe we could have done better with thesecond new ball, but we had an opener who was 120 bythat stage.On the pitch spinning
I think it will start turning quite a bit by daythree, especially if the heat stays. If we get to bowla second time I look forward to it.

The WACA Selectors have released the Retravision Warriors Second XI for the Cricket Australia Cup match against Tasmania at the WACA Ground.The four-day fixture begins on Monday.The Second XI team is:
Scott Meuleman (Captain), Kade Harvey, Sam Howman, Andrew James, Brett Jones, Shaun Marsh, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Luke Ronchi, Craig Simmons, John Taylor, Michael Thistle and Adam Voges.The team includes Vodafone Cup players Sam Howman from Subiaco-Floreat and Dimitri Mascarenhas from Melville.Swing bowler Howman was the Vodafone Cup’s most prolific wicket-taker last season with 56 victims.All-rounder Mascarenhas is a star in English County cricket. He has played over 100 games for Hampshire.

Otago opening batsman Brendon McCullum has forced his way into the CLEAR Black Caps side to compete in the VB tri-series with Australia and South Africa starting next week.It is a rapid rise for McCullum from the New Zealand Under-19 side which he led so capably last summer in a home series against South Africa where he dominated with the bat.He is a graduate of New Zealand’s Cricket Academy in 2001 and recently achieved his maiden first-class century for his Otago side in the State Championship.He has been preferred to Mathew Sinclair who the selection panel chairman Sir Richard Hadlee said had to address some problems with his technique.”He has been very vulnerable with the new ball and taking him back to Australia and the hostile environment of the two teams [Australia and South Africa] is not a good option at this stage,” he said.The selectors were looking further down the track with McCullum’s selection and the panel were keen to test him in the VB environment.”We are not apologetic about introducing youth,” Hadlee said.The team is: Stephen Fleming (captain), Andre Adams, Shane Bond, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Brendon McCullum, Craig McMillan, Kyle Mills, Dion Nash, Adam Parore, Mark Richardson, Scott Styris, Daniel Vettori, Lou Vincent.Whether McCullum plays in many of the matches on the tour would depend on the tour selection committee.”Brendon has been scoring prolifically for the State Otago Volts and at a strike rate of over 90.”He’s young and talented and it’s his challenge now to take the step up to the highest level,” Hadlee said.The selection of Adam Parore as the preferred wicket-keeper ahead of Chris Nevin was in response to Parore’s own reaction to being excluded from the team named to tour Pakistan.”We put the pressure on him and gave him reasons why he had not been selected. He is the best ‘keeper in world cricket at the moment and he is back into some sort of batting form,” he said.Hadlee said the selectors had been on the phone all day and there had been one or two split decisions in the selection but they were all agreed on the side now.There would be some disappointed players, like Chris Martin, Sinclair, James Franklin and others but there were just not enough places to put all these players in the side.Hadlee also announced there was a much more pleasing prognosis on Nathan Astle’s broken hand and there was every indication that he would be ready to prove his fitness in some State Shield games being played on January 20 and 22.Astle would be asked to take part in those games and if he came through them satisfactorily he would probably join the side as New Zealand’s 15th player for the back-to-back games in Adelaide later that week.Mark Richardson has also been included in the one-day side for the first time.Hadlee said the selectors had not wanted to complicate things for Richardson after he made his Test debut last summer.However, this season the selectors felt his range of stroke play had broadened and he was in good form.”He deserves his opportunity,” Hadlee said.”Mark has been very consistent and he has shown us that he has increased his range of scoring shots.”He really wants to play one-day cricket and he now has the opportunity to prove his worth,” Hadlee said.The options for an opening partner for him centred on Lou Vincent or McCullum. Either player could also bat No 6 in the order.Kyle Mills has also been included. He had gone through some difficult times recently and Hadlee was hopeful the expression of faith given him by the selectors would be a boost for him.Andre Adams has also been included and with his outstanding play this summer is shaping as a central player in New Zealand’s strategy for the future.”As well as being an aggressive middle to lower order batsman, we believe Andre will have an important role to play bowling at the death.”It’s our belief in his ability to bowl with control in that situation that gave him the edge over some other contenders.”

Hemalatha helped Indian Railways to a comfortable seven wicket winwith 9.3 overs to spare against South Zone in the CricInfo Rani JhansiTrophy women’s tournament at the Southern Railway ground in Chennai onWednesday. This was the fourth straight defeat for South Zone in thetournament.Having to score 170 for a win, Railways started in real earnest whenopeners Balvir Kaur and Purnima Choudary. Though Balvir thrashed twoconsecutive square cuts in the first over, she was adjudged leg beforeto Swarnalaxmi at the score of 16 in the fourth over. Rajni Venugopaljoined Purnima but the partnership did not last long. Purnima wascaught behind off Mamta in the ninth over while trying to steer theball to backward square leg.Purnima’s dismissal brought together Rajni and Hemalatha. Both werelooking to play their shots, especially Hemalatha. They chose theballs to be hit and never hesitated to run the singles hard. But Rajniin a rare misjudgement, found herself short of the crease when Mamtathrew the stumps down with a direct hit.Shyama now joined Hemalatha in a fruitful partnership. They added anunbeaten 101 runs for the fourth wicket in 24.1 overs. The two puttheir heads down and steered the score to 109 at the second drinksbreak in the 27th over. Hemalatha was more sensible in the selectionof her shots and her placement than Shyama who was moreflamboyant. But the two in tandem were more than a handful for themediocre South Zone attack. During the last stretch, Shyama tried tofinish off in style by hitting two crisply struck boundaries.Earlier, South put up a poor batting display. Openers Vanita and SudhaRani started their innings by conceding a maiden. With a predominantlyoff side field, the Railways bowlers Sunita and Umesh bowled far toomany balls down the leg side. But the openers were not able tocapitalise on this. Vanita was willing to go for her shots but all shecould find were the Railways’ fielders.The twelfth over saw a double change in the bowling as off-spinnerRupanjali and left arm-spinner Neetu David replaced Sunita andUmesh. They struck a good line and length and restricted the Southopeners to mostly singles. At the first drinks break after the 19thover, both Neetu and Rupanjali had conceded only eleven runs in eightovers between them. Soon after the drinks break, the openers tried toget out of the rut and tried making some lofted shots. But that speltdisaster as South soon lost Vanita when she mistimed a drive andspooned an easy catch to Shyama Shah at point.The entry of Karuna saw some good running between the wickets. Theystarted to take some good singles, peppered with boundary hits. Aftera good spell of bowling by the two spinners Neetu (1 for 19 in 10overs) and Rupanjali (none for 20 in 10 overs) Diana replaced Neetuand continued in the same vien. In the 35th over Diana had Karuna legbefore, when she was starting to look good.After holding the South inings together during a fine innings of 52,Sudha was run out in the 39th over. Her departure prompted both Harshaand Manjula to go for some risky running between the wickets and itwas only a matter of time before both of them were dismissed. Towardsthe closing stages of the innings, South did make an attempt to stepup the scoring rate but instead they lost wickets in a flurry. Thelast ten overs saw 55 runs being scored but for the loss of eightwickets. The innings folded up in the 50th over at the score of170. There were six run outs, ample proof of the fine performance byIndian Railways on the field.

West Brom have been in horrendous form, picking up just one point from their last seven games, and new manager Steve Bruce will be hoping that he can capitalise on Hull City’s inconsistency to seal all three points when his side travel to Humberside this afternoon.

Despite the injury picture remaining mostly unchanged, with Daryl Dike, Matt Phillips and Kenneth Zohore all still unavailable for selection, the former Newcastle boss will be able to bring more experience back into the side, with Jake Livermore returning from suspension for the match against the Tigers.

With that in mind, here is how Football FanCast expect to see West Brom line up against Hull today…

We expect to see three changes to the team which lost 2-0 to Swansea City on Monday night, as Bruce has hinted at making a few changes in his pre-match press conference.

The first change we expect to see is the addition of Taylor Gardner-Hickman in the backline for his first starting appearance since the 61-year-old was appointed as Albion manager last month. The 20-year-old – who was hailed as “bright” by Chris Lepkowski – was handed a permanent contract by the club at the end of 2021 after impressing former Baggies manager Valerien Ismael.

If Bruce’s comments are anything to go by, the youngster will get his opportunity to impress once again today against Hull City, with the Albion boss telling the press on Friday: “Certainly, he will get his opportunity and he is right in my thoughts for tomorrow.”

The second change we predict is the return of Livermore in the starting XI, returning from suspension following a four-match ban due to receiving his second red card of the season.

The 32-year-old worked with his current manager, coincidentally at Hull, and it would be no surprise at all to see him instantly restored to the starting XI, with the ineffective Adam Reach axed to accommodate his return and Jayson Molumby moved over into the left central midfield position.

The third and final predicted change to the starting line-up is the return of Karlan Grant, replacing Grady Diangana in the forward line just behind Andy Carroll in an attempt to freshen up the attacking threat after the disappointing defeat at The Hawthorns earlier this week.

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Grant is currently the Baggies’ top scorer this season, with 10 goals in the current campaign, and he will be hoping that Bruce will give him the opportunity to start against Hull today to prove that he can get back to his goalscoring ways, having failed to find the net since West Brom’s last victory in January against Peterborough.

A win for the Baggies this afternoon is an absolute must, as they has now fallen to 13th in the Championship and are running out of time to gain a play-off place, and Bruce will be hoping to secure his first win at the club to take the pressure off amid some question marks over his appointment.

In other news: Steve Madeley has dropped a worrying update on this Baggies gem