Kaif’s career has since stalled and subsided, but Yuvraj went on…to some extent. But how much can we say that he has improved by in the past nine years? For a long while he was the ‘anointed one’: destined to be the first to step into the test-match spikes vacated when one of the four batting giants retired. And so it transpired, in 2008 when Sourav Ganguly bowed out: the time had come for Yuvraj to shine on the test stage alongside the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in the approaching twilight of their careers.

Two and a half years on from that moment and where does he stand? Playing again in the Indian middle order, but only due to the absence of Sehwag and Gambhir. He sits behind Suresh Raina, probably Cheteshwar Pujara and maybe soon Virat Kohli in the pecking order, especially now that the Indian injury hoodoo has struck to rule him out of the remainder of the series.

It was painful to watch both Yuvraj and Raina struggle so desperately against the short ball at Trent Bridge and both have received enough criticism for it. But if I had to pick which player is more likely to come away from the match and practice and persevere, accept the blows on the body with determination and return to conquer the demons, I would undoubtedly choose Raina. Five years younger than Yuvraj and already picked once to captain his country in the absence of the senior players, Raina shows more ability to shoulder responsibility and will to be the best he can be than Yuvraj does.

So what is it with Yuvraj? He’s clearly got a huge amount of talent and is very rewarding to watch in full flow, but three test centuries in 35 matches tells its own story. A mischievous person might suggest that Yuvraj is all to happy bashing out sixes on a national highway in Hyderabad (quote Harbhajan Singh), but when confronted with the challenge of a swinging ball and short pitched bowling, he just doesn’t fancy it.

My fear is that he’ll fancy it even less after having the index finger on his left hand broken by a Tim Bresnan bouncer. But even before that moment, and indeed right back to the start of the test match, Yuvraj’s body language was interesting to watch. His fielding was passable, but lacked the electricity and commitment that one might expect to have seen from a player trying to force his way back into the first XI. His first innings batting garnered results, but he was dropped early in an innings which was far from chanceless.

It’s true that every player is different, and Yuvraj is much closer to the insouciance of a Chris Gayle than the flinty-eyed focus of a Dravid or a Jonathan Trott, but can it really be the case that his obvious failures at the highest level do not irk him? He is undoubtedly a rich man due to his skills in the game’s shortest form, and he is at the moment secured of a place within India’s limited-overs sides, so why should he feel the need to focus all his will on regaining his test place?

To me, he need not go far to find out the answer: just ask Sachin. Or for that matter Dravid, Laxman or Sehwag. All four are famed and revered for their achievements in test matches, and two of them haven’t played the shorter forms of the international game for some time. The game will move on from them and their era, that’s for sure, but it’s still test cricket that gives the fullest and most challenging inspection of a batsman’s worth, both technically, mentally and physically. A Yusuf Pathan or a Kieron Pollard can belt any number of fifties and hundreds in the shorter forms of the game, but until they’ve compiled a few Dravidian test match centuries, they won’t be counted amongst the greats of the game.

And so here is my challenge to Yuvraj Singh: do you want to be remembered as a great batsman? Do you want to be recalled in the same breath as the likes of Tendulkar, or consigned to a footnote of cricket history? Do you want to bask in personal glory, or live, however rich, in complacency?

You can come back from this and succeed Yuvi. One sparkling innings of redemption…you just have to want it enough.

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Bell was run out on the stroke of tea on the third day of the second Test at Trent Bridge after incorrectly assuming the ball had gone ‘dead’.

Although the England batsman, who’d then made 137, was not seeking to gain an extra run, India were well within their rights to run him out and, after several minutes of confusion, Bell was eventually dismissed.

But India sportingly withdrew the appeal during the interval, following an approach by England, and the jeers of the crowd when the tourists returned turned to cheers when they saw Bell coming out to resume his innings.

Bell eventually made 159 in a match England won by a crushing 319 runs with more than a day to spare as they went 2-0 up in the four-match series.

Many former players said Bell had been in the wrong, with West Indies fast bowling great Michael Holding adamant the batsman should not have been reprieved having taken it upon himself to assume the functions of an umpire.

India batsman Rahul Dravid said afterwards the thought of ‘what if it had been one of us?’ had played a key role in the withdrawal of the appeal and Flower insisted: “You should consider what their reaction would have been if the England side had run out an Indian player like that.

“I’m not convinced there wouldn’t have been uproar.

“If an England side had done that in Mumbai (India star Sachin Tendulkar’s home town), I think there would have been a proper international incident on the cards,” the former Zimbabwe batsman added.

“I don’t think that’s being overly dramatic.”

Flower, who accepted Bell made a mistake, and England captain Andrew Strauss both approached India, whose coach Duncan Fletcher, like Flower a former Zimbabwe international, was previously in charge of England, to try to get the appeal rescinded.

“We didn’t think sitting in our changing room and fuming quietly to ourselves was going to do any good,” Flower explained. “We thought communicating like that would be the way to go.”

India’s withdrawal was hailed in some quarters as a triumph for the ‘spirit of cricket’ and ‘common sense’.

“I think this was one of those incidents where that rule (common sense) should be applied,” Flower added. “I think he (Bell) used the word ‘naive’ and that’s probably accurate. He was certainly innocent.

“One of the factors that has not been discussed much is that the fielder’s (Praveen Kumar’s) body language, after stopping the ball, indicated that it was four because he showed no urgency in returning the ball to the wicketkeeper.

“His whole body language gave the message to Bell that it was four.

“So I do have sympathy for Bell, because the tacit message implied by the body language of the fielder was that it was four, but in no way was the fielder duping Bell.”

England will replace India at the top of the ICC’s Test Championship table if they maintain or better a 2-0 lead in this four-match series, with victory in the third Test at Edgbaston, starting on August 10, assuring them of the number one position.

However, Flower said: I would like to emphasise right now — and we’ve done the same in our dressing-room — that we’re ahead in the series but we’re only halfway through the series.

“There is no point in triumphalism. We don’t even know if we’re going to win the series yet.”

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After spending so much time touring with England before the World Cup, Anderson seemed to suffer from fatigue more than most. But he has accepted that this was not the only reason.

“It was a different ball game than the Ashes,” Anderson told M.E.N. Sport.

“In Australia, the red ball was swinging but in India the pitches were flat and the white ball wasn’t doing as much. I found it tough and in a competition like the World Cup if you are not on top of your game you get found out, and I got punished.

“I couldn’t argue when I was left out. I hadn’t done anything to keep my place, I wasn’t bowling well.

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Tendulkar, who is Mumbai captain, followed up an unbeaten 46 against Delhi last week with a 55 not out knock to help his team defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore with nine wickets to spare.

Bangalore, led by Daniel Vettori, struggled to get going but 91-run third wicket partneship between Tillakaratne Dishan (59 not out) and AB de Villiers (38) allowed them to set a challenging total.

In the end, Tendulkar’s superb strokeplay was to much for Bangalore as Mumbai reached their target with nine balls to spare.

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“I think Afridi should be made captain for the long term so that he gains more confidence, because he is developing into a good captain,” Akram told The Hindu.

Akram also backed Afridi’s call for a batting coach.

“I agree the team needs a batting coach. Every team now has a full—time specialist batting coach with them and I have always believed that even at this level, the best players sometimes need to be given guidance and tips on batting issues.”

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Kumar Sangakkara was named captain, while Yuvraj Singh was decided as Player of the Tournament.

The tournament’s top two run-scorers, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sachin Tendulkar were named the team’s openers.

Muttiah Muralitharan, Shahid Afridi, Zaheer Khan, Dale Steyn, Mahela Jayawardene, Shane Watson and AB de Villiers completed the team

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India beat Sri Lanka in the Cricket World Cup final to claim the trophy, but sources have now said that this was a fake. If the reports are true, it would be the first time the real trophy has not been handed out in the competition’s history.

The Times of India today reported that according to its sources, Team India were given a replica of the World Cup trophy.

“The original is lying with the Customs,” the TOI quoted a BCCI source without elaborating.

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The Sri Lanka all-rounder has a thigh injury, and will most likely be replaced by off-spinner Suraj Randiv.

Meanwhile, India seamer Ashish Nehra is a major doubt for the final, after injuring a finger on his right hand during his team’s semi-final win over Pakistan.

Sri Lanka Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is expected to play through his injury, in what will be his last game for his country.

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The duel between the world’s highest wicket taker and leading batsman can only add even more intrigue into what will be a fascinating match.

Muralitharan, 38, will retire from international cricket after the game. He leaves with more Test (800) and one-day (534) wickets than any other bowler in history.

Tendulkar, 37, has no retirement plans but is unlikely to carry on much longer. Despite being the most successful batsman ever with 32,785 runs including 99 centuries, Tendulkar has never won a World Cup.

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Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar got India off to a great start as they batted first, with Tendulkar coming close to acheieving his 100th international century. Pakistan were eventually set a target of 260.

However, the total proved much for Pakistan. Mohammad Hafeez struck 43 and Misbah-ul-Haq made a defiant 56 but Pakistan were all out for 231 in the final over.

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After Ponting’s resignation yesterday, Clarke, 29, was confirmed as captain at a press conference today.

Clarke said: “What an honour it is to be named captain of Australia.”

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Warne wrote on his twitter page: “Congrats to Michael Clarke on his appointment as skipper of Australia – I believe and know he will do a great job.”

Warne’s message  pre-empts an official announcement which is expected tomorrow, although Clarke does appear to be the overwhelming favourite.

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Ponting, 36, made the announcement in Sydney after arriving home from the Cricket World Cup, where his team were soundly beaten by co-hosts India at the quarter-final stage.

“I have decided to stand down as captain of the Test and one-day teams as of now,” he told a news conference.

Michael Clarke is favourite to replace Ponting as captain.

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Dhoni realises the significance of this match, which is not only one of the great sporting events but also has massive political significance.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited his Pakistani counterpart Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to watch the game with him, which will be the first meeting between the leaders since April 2010 in Bhutan.

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Sri Lanka will be playing on the same wicket where they thrashed England, but Sangakkara does not want his team to get complacent.

“The guys have done that pretty well and tomorrow is not going to be any different, you can’t play too much to the crowds, or too much to show off,” Sangakkara said. “There’s no room for complacency – at all.”

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Captain Kumar Sangakkara has said Muralitharan is carrying multiple injuries.

The world’s leading wicket taker strained a hamstring in the group matches before aggravating a quadricep muscle in the quarter-final win over England.

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Former England captain Vaughan thinks that a bowler may be a better option, although Alistair Cook has been tipped to take over the role should Andrew Strauss step down.

“I just think the one-day team might grow under someone like Stuart Broad who plays it pretty tough,” Vaughan told BBC Sport.

“Maybe the one-day team needs a different approach and direction.”

Many have aimed the blame for England’s exit from the Cricket World Cup on Strauss, including a shock defeat to Ireland.

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While England are hopeful that Strauss and Swann will recover in time for tomorrow’s vital game against the West Indies, Shazad is now a doubt.

“Azmal Shahzad has been struck by (the stomach bug) as well. He probably won’t practise but we are not sure if that would affect his chance of playing tomorrow,” Strauss told reporters on Wednesday.

“I’m feeling very well, Graeme Swann is also recovering well… I don’t know if he’s equally buoyant as I am but we are still confident that he will be fine tomorrow.”

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Both men were expected to be able to play in the vital match against the West Indies tomorrow, but if they miss training again today it seems increasingly likely that they will be unable to take part.

According to the Independent, the bug leaves the patient lighter and enfeebled for a few days.

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The result leaves India, West Indies, Bangladesh and England fighting for the three remaining quarter-final places.

Ireland did well to limit South Africa to 272, but were then bowled out for just 141.

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Former England bowling coach Gibson, who now works with the West Indies, could have vital information on England’s key players.

England are currently fifth in their group with one game to play. Only four teams will advance to the next round.

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A team spokesmen has said that they should both recover in time for Thursday’s must win match against the West Indies in Chennai.

West Indies opening batsmen, Chris Gayle, should also be fit to play after recovering from an abdominal injury.

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England need to win on Thursday if they are to have any chance of going further than the group stage and also hope other results go their way.

During the loss to Bangladesh, Swann was caught swearing as he became frustrated with the conditions. He was unable to grip the ball well because of the evening dew.

“It’s obviously something that’s disappointing, what happened, and I’m a bit ashamed about my own behaviour,” said Swann, who was fined 10 percent of his match fee.

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New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Australia have already made it out of Group A, and Pakistan will join them if they beat Zimbabwe this afternoon.

Group B has been much more unpredictable with no team securing a quarter-final place yet. Bangladesh are the team causing problems, as India and South Africa will go through as soon as Bangladesh lose a match. A lot hangs in the balance of England’s next match against the West Indies. If the West Indies win, Bangladesh could go through after their win today against the Netherlands. If England win the game, Bangladesh will have to beat South Africa as well to stand a chance.

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Morgan, 24, missed out on selection after breaking a finger playing in Australia. He was replaced by Ravi Bopara, but with Pieterson now out of the tournament with a hernia problem, Morgan will get his chance after all.

The left hander is a similar player to Pieterson, and England will hope his talent at finishing games off will boost their chances of winning the title.

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Having been narrowly defeated by England, Amla said South Africa would not crumble when taking on the tournament favourites in front of 45,000 Indian fans.

Amla said: “I think the pressure is more on India, there will be a big crowd and lots of expectation on them. Being at home, they will know the conditions, but there’s also going to be big pressure on them. We’ve played before in front of big crowds, so the noise factor won’t be a surprise. It will be a big occasion and we are used to those and enjoy them,” Amla said.

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The Dhaka crowd turned on the co-hosts last week as they crashed to a  record low 58 against the West Indies and lost the match by nine wickets.

It was a far cry from an earlier match when a 27-run win over Ireland prompted nationwide celebrations.

The country’s premier stepped in to appeal for supporters to calm down and armoured personnel carriers were introduced to give added security for all teams.

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Broad was ruled out of the tournament on Tuesday after straining his side in England’s win over South Africa.

Tremlett, already with the squad as a stand-by player, is more or less a like-for-like replacement for Broad. However, 29-year-old Tremlett, who is 6ft 7in, has played only 13 one-day internationals.

Broad, 24, has an impressive tally of 130 wickets from 76 ODIs, including a best haul of 5-23 against South Africa at Trent Bridge in 2008.

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Broad told BBC Sport he was “pretty much a no-go” for Friday’s match with Bangladesh. When asked if he would take any further part in the World Cup he said: “At the minute it’s not looking so great.”

An injury to Broad would be another blow to England who already lost Kevin Pietersen because he needs hernia surgery. He has now returned to England and was replaced by Eoin Morgan.

Chris Tremlett is likely to come into the squad should Broad be unable to continue in the tournament.

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England, now captained by Andrew Strauss, play South Africa on Sunday and will be looking for a victory to keep hopes of progressing in the tournament alive.

Flintoff told BBC Sport. “Rather than worrying about the Ireland result, they need to worry about the next game. The South Africa match is massive but we can beat them. We have got a good chance but it will be tough.”

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O’Brien hit the fastest century in World Cup hisory as Ireland recovered from a poor start to overhaul England’s total of 327, with five balls and three wickets to spare.

Half centuries from Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell had driven England to an imposing 327-8.

But O’Brien, a 26-year-old all-rounder who had never made a fifty in nine previous World Cup innings, had other ideas and his powerful display means that Ireland completed the highest run chase ever at the World Cup.

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All-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate heaped pressure on a lacklustre England team with a man of the match performance, scoring 119 off 110 balls and taking two wickets. England’s bowling was awful, with Jimmy Anderson severely struggling. Then, despite a solid start, the batsmen also looked out of sorts until Paul Collingwood and Ravi Bopara took the initiative.

England eventually shuffled over the finishing line with eight balls to spare, but this is one victory they will want to soon forget.

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With the 4th Test beginning on Boxing Day, and the 5th Test on the 3rd January 2011, there’s plenty of time to join the Barmy Army and watch the action live.

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One of the best batting displays in Ashes history means that England feel they have turned their luck around, and shown the Australians that they will be tough to beat in the next tests. Captain Strauss will lead the team into the Second Test on Friday.

After a poor performance on the first day, England batted a more than respectable 517-1 to get a comfortable draw, and give them confidence going into the Second Test at Adelaide Oval, which begins on the 3rd December.

England batsman Alastair Cook was the hero, hitting an astonishing 235 runs during England’s second innings.

The test at the Gabba was exciting and what every cricket fan wants to see from the Ashes. With tickets still available online for the Second Test at the Adelaide Oval it’s still possible to experience the action live from the stands. The Ashes tickets are currently selling from £7, so get ahead of the crowd before it’s too late.

The first day of the First Test has seen England get off to a slow start, with Australian bowler Peter Siddle taking a hat-trick, the first in the Ashes since Shane Warne in 1994. England were all out for a weak 260,  after looking strong at tea-time with an impressive 174-4. However three wickets in three balls by the impressive Siddle started a quick demise. Australia then batted 25-0 before the end of the day.

Today will see more excitement as England’s bowlers try to reduce the deficit, and stop the Aussies running away with the First Test.

The Ashes tickets are still available to compare and buy online, so fans are still able to join the Barmy Army for the next exciting days in crickets most exciting duel.

With what is arguably the biggest event in cricket, certainly for the two participating sides, and a rivalry lasting over one hundred years, getting to experience the event live would be memorable for any cricket fan, even more so if England win in Australia.

Luckily The Ashes tickets are available to compare and buy online.

We can confirm that England vs Pakistan tickets are still on sale for the match which is set to take place at The Rose Bowl in Southampton this Wednesday (September 22nd).

Adult ticket prices for the ODI match between Pakistan and England start at less than £40 – £15 less than face value.

This is the final chance to see the England international cricket team take to the crease and face Pakistan in what will no doubt be yet another exciting match.

The last few remaining England v Pakistan tickets will be on sale until tomorrow.

England welcome the Aussies to Twickenham on November 13th 2010 for an Autumn International, and the match will show what kind of shape the countries are in for the forthcoming 2011 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. Neither team is expected to treat the match as ‘just another game’.

There are over 2500 England v Australia tickets on sale now for the match, and prices begin at £84 for Upper Tier seats from GetMeIn. Lower tier seats close to the pitch are available from £108 from Seatwave.

The fourth and final test will take place at Lord’s at the end of the month, before September’s one day international fixtures.

England v Pakistan tickets are available for one day fixtures at Durham County Cricket Club on September 10th, Headingly Cricket Ground on September 12th, The Oval on September 17th and Lord’s on September 20th.

Still, England are a tad fortunate to be in such a position. Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has had a nightmare session, dropping catches and missing stumpings that England ought not to have got away with.

England now are favourites to claim victory in the first Test, and before play started this morning were on a score of 331-4. However, given that India and Sri Lanka made 707 and 642 respectively in their recent match, they will have to continue where they left off yesterday if they are to emerge victorious.

England v Pakistan tickets are available for all their remaining matches – from all Test encounters to the five One Day Internationals to come in September. A full price and venue guide is below.

Competition / Fixture:                                                    Venue:                         Lowest Price:sfafdfdafaga Date:

England v Pakistan 1st Test Match Day 3 tickets:  Trent Bridge, Nottingham                 £45                   July 31st 2010
England v Pakistan 1st Test Match Day 4 tickets:  Trent Bridge, Nottingham                £135                 August 1st 2010
England v Pakistan 1st Test Match Day 5 tickets:  Trent Bridge, Nottingham                £67                  August 2nd 2010

England v Pakistan 2nd Test Match Day 1 tickets:  Edgbaston, Birmingham                 £40                   August 6th 2010
England v Pakistan 2nd Test Match Day 2 tickets:  Edgbaston, Birmingham                 £43                   August 7th 2010
England v Pakistan 2nd Test Match Day 3 tickets:  Edgbaston, Birmingham                 £55                  August 8th 2010
England v Pakistan 2nd Test Match Day 4 tickets:  Edgbaston, Birmingham                 £80                  August 9th 2010
England v Pakistan 2nd Test Match Day 5 tickets:  Edgbaston, Birmingham                 £80                   August 10th 2010

England v Pakistan 3rd Test Match Day 1 tickets:          The Oval, London                    £34                    August 18th 2010
England v Pakistan 3rd Test Match Day 2 tickets:          The Oval, London                    £45                    August 19th 2010
England v Pakistan 3rd Test Match Day 3 tickets:          The Oval, London                    £45                    August 20th 2010
England v Pakistan 3rd Test Match Day 4 tickets:          The Oval, London                    £48                    August 21st 2010
England v Pakistan 3rd Test Match Day 5 tickets:          The Oval, London                    £32                    August 22nd 2010

England v Pakistan 4th Test Match Day 1 tickets:             Lord’s, London                       £48                    August 26th 2010
England v Pakistan 4th Test Match Day 2 tickets:            Lord’s, London                        £48                   August 27th 2010
England v Pakistan 4th Test Match Day 3 tickets:            Lord’s, London                        £44                   August 28th 2010
England v Pakistan 4th Test Match Day 4 tickets:            Lord’s, London                        £34                   August 29th 2010
England v Pakistan 4th Test Match Day 5 tickets:            Lord’s, London                        £101                 August 30th 2010

England v Pakistan 1st ODI tickets:                         Durham County Cricket Club           £33            September 10th 2010
England v Pakistan 2nd ODI tickets:                             Headlingley, Leeds                      £55           September 12th 2010
England v Pakistan 3rd ODI tickets:                              The Oval, London                       £55            September 17th 2010
England v Pakistan 4th ODI tickets:                                 Lord’s, London                         £71             September 20th 2010
England v Pakistan 5th ODI tickets:                     The Rose Bowl, Southampton             £66            September 22nd 2010

Fortunately for English confidence, they have an almost immediate chance to redeem themselves. They will take on Bangladesh in three ODIs: at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on July 8th, Royal Sun & Alliance County Ground in Bristol on July 10th, and Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham on July 12th.

England v Bangladesh tickets are available for all three matches, and the first match at Trent Bridge is currently the cheapest available. Tickets are on sale from £29 from Viagogo, while the prices for games in Bristol and Birmingham are from £33 and £39 respectively.

There is much left to play for though, and Australia have started brightly in the second ODI at Cardiff SWALEC Stadium. Captain Ricky Ponting opted to bat first, and at present his side are a respectable 66-1, with Tim Paine caught by Craig Kieswetter from Stuart Broad’s delivery. It completed a century of One Day wickets for Broad, and at 24 years of age he is the youngest ever Englishman to reach one hundred.

There are England v Australia tickets available for each the remaining games of the series, with the cheapest coming for Wednesday’s match at The Oval Cricket Ground. Tickets for the matches at Lancashire County Cricket Club and the potentially decisive fifth ODI at Lord’s are also on sale now, and both sides will want to put on a good show with the Ashes fast approaching.

That match made England world champions, and with the current pessimistic air surrounding the national football team, it is natural to want to latch on to the buoyant wave of enthusiasm surrounding English cricket. Players such as Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann and Craig Kieswetter have all firmly made their mark on the team, and having beaten Bangladesh comprehensively in their last match, England will want to keep their momentum going.

All five matches will most certainly be fantastic battles between old rivals, and England v Australia tickets are cheapest for the second ODI – held at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff – at £40. With tickets for the final test at Lord’s Cricket Ground on sale from £175, this offers a significant saving.

The band were said to be on top form during the show, performing all of their greatest hits. In recognition to the country’s World Cup participation, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong was seen taking a break from Green Day’s career-spanning set in order to wave an England flag to the sell-out crowd.

Green Day Wembley Stadium tickets are currently trading from £40 to £450 and there are over 300 still available.

Results after the ICC World Twenty have been impressive – with England defeating Bangladesh twice in Test matches, and with the Ashes looming on the horizon, this is a chance for England to keep the momentum they began so impressively in the West Indies.

England v Australia tickets for the June – July ODI series are available for cheaper prices the earlier fans go to see them.

The first match at Southampton Rose Bowl has tickets available from £50 from Seatwave, while the fifth ODI at Lord’s Cricket Ground is substantially more expensive. The current cheapest tickets are on sale – again through Seatwave – for £145 apiece.

Tickets get gradually more expensive the later the match is in the series. With the Lord’s match being the last in the series, it is more likely to be critical in the overall outcome, and this and the fact that it is to be played on a Saturday mean that demand is inevitably higher. Furthermore, it will take place in London, which harbours the densest population per square mile in the UK.

Still, the high surrounding English cricket is a rare one – particularly when facing Australia – and star players such as Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann, Eoin Morgan and Craig Kieswetter will hope to spur England on to victory. That will give the nation much cause for optimism for the Ashes in Australia this November.

England v Australia tickets are available for each of the matches but there is a large discrepancy in the prices of the cheapest tickets.

The cheapest England v Australia tickets available are for the 3rd ODI at Old Trafford with Seatwave offering seats in Block A from £49.

Unsurprisingly the most expensive tickets are for the matches in London with the fifth and final ODI taking place at the home of cricket – Lord’s.

The cheapest available tickets can be bought through GetMeIn for the Mound Stand at £143. There are 200 tickets still on sale for that particular fixture and the prices will fluctuate depending on the state of the series.

If the match proves to be the decider, fans can expect to pay markedly more for the same seat.