MELBOURNE: Three of Australia's most successful captains will investigate the present national team's recent decline in Test form. Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh were named Thursday as members of a team performance review panel commissioned by Cricket Australia and chaired by Don Argus, the former chairman of mining giant BHP Billiton. The review was sparked by Australia's 3-1 Ashes series loss to England and its slump from No. 1 to fifth in the world test rankings. “The catalyst for the review was our poor performance in the Ashes and probably losing the Ashes two series in a row,” CA chairman Jack Clarke said. The panel will talk with current Australian team members, coaching staff and selectors, as well as the state cricket boards. It may also look into the setups of Australia's cricketing rivals, or other sports in Australia. “The review will be wide-ranging,” Clarke said. “Although it's been called an Australian team review it will look really at our elite systems.” The panel make its report in time for its recommendations to be considered ahead of the 2011-12 international season. Former International Cricket Council and CA chief executive Malcolm Speed will be deputy chair, while current CA chief executive James Sutherland will join the panel in a non-voting capacity. Tahir can play despite fractured thumb Leg-spinner Imran Tahir will be available for South Africa's remaining World Cup matches even though he has been advised to rest his fractured thumb for 10 days, a team official said Thursday. The Pakistan-born cricketer suffered a fracture in his left thumb, his non-bowling hand, during the game against England while catching the ball to dismiss Jonathan Trott. Tahir, who has taken 11 wickets in three matches, had the injured finger X-rayed Wednesday and the pictures were sent back to hand specialist Dr. Mike Solomons in South Africa. “It was a chipped fracture. Scans have been sent back to South Africa and the period of recovery recommended is for 10 days,” team manager Mohammed Moosajee said Thursday. “Imran bowled in the nets this morning and he's fine because it (injury) is not on the bowling hand. The selectors will decide when the 10-day period starts, whether it starts now or after the game against India. Imran is pretty much part of the World Cup squad.” The streaked-hair bowler, who became eligible to play for South Africa after gaining his citizenship in January, was able to bowl in the nets Thursday. South Africa plays India Saturday at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur in a high-profile Group B match. After that it has group matches left against Ireland and Bangladesh. United no match for Cup dream England batsman Eoin Morgan said he was happy to turn his back on his beloved Manchester United to realize his World Cup dream. Morgan was summoned to replace the injured Kevin Pietersen in the England squad, which means he had to ditch plans to watch United tackle Marseille in the Champions League next Tuesday. “I wanted to go to the match. But that plan has now been canceled. I will have to watch it on television instead,” said Morgan. O'Brien's missing bats turn up Six bats belonging to Irish World Cup wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien, which went missing earlier this week, have been found among the Indian squad's luggage, a team spokesman said Thursday. “Niall's bag containing six bats has been traced in the luggage of the Indian team,” said Ireland media manager Barry Chambers. The bag was mixed up with the Indian team's equipment after the two sides met in Bangalore Sunday.
