Venues of Ashes series 2010-11

FIRST TEST — Gabba, Brisbane, November 25-29

Australia is relishing getting its first crack at England in the five-Test Ashes series at Brisbane’s Woolloongabba (Gabba), a ground where the home team has not lost to England in 24 years.

The Gabba has been the nemesis of touring English teams drawing only once in their last five visits down under while the Australians have set up their home Ashes series with some heavy morale-deflating victories in the opening Test.

Often regarded as the premier cricket wicket in the country, the Gabbais a haven for fast bowlers who can move the ball off the pitch in the sultry conditions.

SECOND TEST — Adelaide Oval, December 3-7

If England can come away from Brisbane without losing it may fancy its chances at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, where it has won eight of 29 Ashes Tests (five drawn) with a victory there four tours ago in 1995.

Adelaide, the home ground of the immortal Don Bradman where his influence still looms large, has a reputation as a flat batting wicket and the rock-hard pitch scuffing up the ball can be conducive to reverse swing, which works in the England bowlers’ favour.

The square leg boundaries are the shortest but it is possible to run four. Spinners are more likely to take wickets in Adelaide.

THIRD TEST — WACA Ground, Perth, December 16-20

The series swings to the other side of the vast continent and Perth’s WACA ground for the third match in the series, finishing just days before Christmas.

England has only won once in 11 Tests in Perth when Bob Willis and John Lever bowled Mike Brearley’s tourists to a 166-run victory 32 years ago.

The WACA wicket, once famed as the paciest in Australia, has lost his venom in recent years and India and South Africa have beaten Australia at the WACA in two of the last three years. The famed ‘Fremantle Doctor’ blows in most afternoons making it back-breaking work for medium-pacers.

FOURTH TEST — Melbourne Cricket Ground, December 26-30

The fourth Boxing Day Test at the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground will be an unforgettable experience for the England players as they are expected to play before a near capacity 100,000 first-day crowd.

One of the special days on Australia’s annual sporting calendar, the MCG on Boxing Day truly resonates as the home of Australian cricket.

England won a famous victory here in 1998 with Dean Headley taking 6-60 in the second innings as the tourists won by just 12 nail-biting runs. South Africa beat Australia in the 2008 Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

FIFTH TEST — Sydney Cricket Ground, January 3-7

The series winds up at the famous Sydney Cricket Ground where England won the corresponding 2003 Test with Andy Caddick claiming 7-94 after Michael Vaughan had amassed 183 in the second innings.

The SCG has a reputation as spin-friendly opening up the possibilities for Australia’s Nathan Hauritz and England’s Graeme Swann.

If England can get to the final Test still in contention to retain the Ashes it will be encouraged that overall England teams have won 21 times at the SCG in 53 Tests. Ricky Ponting has scored five centuries and six half-centuries in 15 SCG Tests.

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Zulqarnain Haider controversy

Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, who reached London yesterday in mysterious way has announced, in a telephonic talk with TV chennel today, his retirement from international cricket.

Zulqarnain Haider quit international cricket on Tuesday saying he feared for his safety after being ordered to cooperate with match-fixers during the recent one-day series with South Africa.

He said that he is writing to the Pakistan Cricket Board in this regard.

He said that he was receiving threats from an unknown person and thus he decided to leave Dubai immediately and went to London where he is seeking an asylum.

Zulqarnain, 24, who said he had fled the team hotel before the start of the fifth one-dayer on Monday in Dubai and reached London hours later, he told that he felt unable to continue in the Pakistan team after being approached by a person who asked him to fix the fourth and fifth one-dayers.

"I have decided it is best for me to retire from international cricket since my family and I are constantly getting threats," he said.

"It is best for me to step down because I can't play in these circumstances. But I would like to continue to play domestic cricket."

Zulqarnain, who scored an unbeaten 19 and hit the winning runs in the fourth one-dayer on Friday, left the team hotel hours before the fifth one-day match eventually won by South Africa who took the series 3-2.

He landed in London hours after leaving Dubai and spent almost four hours locked in discussions with immigration authorities before finally emerging from Heathrow airport.

"I was told to cooperate or I would face lot of problems," Zulqarnain said.

"This person approached me while I had gone out of the hotel for dinner. He told me cooperate with us and you can make a lot of money.

"He said, 'If you don't cooperate you will no longer be part of the team and we can make life very difficult for you'."

Zulqarnain said he had not yet decided whether to seek political asylum in Britain.

"I have not thought about this, I don't even have enough money to hire a lawyer, my only concern now is the security of my family in Lahore," he said.

Zulqarnain, who has played just one test and four ODIs, said he had gone to London because he felt safe there and knew that in Britain the law protected those in the right.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday the player had not informed them he was planning to leave the hotel nor had he told them the reason for his sudden decision.

"I was not confident enough to speak to the team management about it because I didn't want to get my other team mates into trouble," Zulqarnain said.