Colombo, Aug 25: Australian opening batsman Phillip Hughes has said that he feels desperately sorry for `dumped' Simon Katich, but admitted that he wants to do the best he can to be the experienced batsman's replacement.

Hughes will open for Australia in the three-day tour match against a Sri Lankan board selection, which started today in Colombo, and he is also expected to do the same in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

Sydney, Jan 2 : Australia have called New South Wales (NSW) batsman Phillip Hughes as a cover for injured opener Simon Katich for the second Test against Pakistan starting here Sunday.

National Selection Panel (NSP) chairman Andrew Hildtich said Katich, who is also the NSW captain, hasn't fully recovered from the arm injury he sustained during the first Test in Melbourne.

Melbourne, Dec 21 : For Phillip Hughes, recall to the Australian squad for the Boxing Day Test is the best Christmas present.

The left-hander was named in the 13-man squad as cover for captain Ricky Ponting, who is still recovering from an elbow injury sustained in the third Test against the West Indies.

Hughes, the New South Wales (NSW) opener, shone with the bat in the last two Sheffield Shield games which include a 122 against Victoria in Newcastle this week and 75 in the Blues' first innings against Queensland at the Gabba.

Melbourne, Dec 21 : Australian opener Phil Hughes makes a comeback to the Test side for the first Test against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from Dec 26.

The National Selection Panel (NSP) chaired by Andrew Hilditch Monday selected Hughes in the 13-member squad for the Boxing Day Test.

"Phillip Hughes has been added to a squad of 13 players for the Boxing Day Test match against Pakistan. While Ricky Ponting is expected to be fit for the Test, the NSP has picked a squad of 13 players for the match so there is adequate cover in the event that Ricky Ponting does not recover as quickly as is hoped," said Hilditch.

Sydney, Nov 28 : Phillip Hughes, who is desperate to regain his spot at the top of the Australian order, reminded the national selectors of his potential, as New South Wales put Western Australia on back foot on day one of the Sheffield Shield clash at the WACA.

Hughes hit 12 boundaries on the way to a quick-fire 58 off 65 balls to help the Blues cruise to a first-innings lead yesterday.

NSW reached 4-168 at stumps, a lead of 37 after bowling out Western Australia for 131 in 40.2 overs.

Sydney, Nov 17 : Australian opener Phillip Hughes'' hopes of earning a Test recall have been dented after he failed to complete the one-day game against Tasmania.

Hughes, who is playing for New South Wales in the domestic tournament, injured a finger on his right hand while attempting to take a slips catch during the six wicket one-day loss to Tasmania at North Sydney Oval.

Sydney, Sep. 13 : Out of favour Australian opening batsman Phillip Hughes had lunch and a long one-hour chat with Sachin Tendulkar when he was in India. He also spent some time in Nagpur with his coach Neil D` Costa, who is contracted to the Vidarbha Cricket Association academy.

"The first thing Phillip said when he arrived was ''I can''t change the past, but I can prepare for the future''," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted D''Costa, as saying from Nagpur.

London/ Nagpur, Aug 28 : Sacked Australian opener Phillip Hughes is determined to make his way back into the squad and hopes to return against the West Indies in the first Test at Brisbane.

Hughes, who was axed after the Lord''s defeat against England, has been training in India with his coach Neil D''Costa and even has a chance to have a one-on-one session with Sachin Tendulkar this weekend.

London, Aug. 12 : Dumped Australian opener Phillip Hughes has declared he has no fear of the short ball, citing his enormously successful debut tour in South Africa as proof it is not a major flaw in his game.

Hughes also retained hope his Ashes series was not over despite his replacement Shane Watson excelling at the role with three half-centuries in as many innings.

The Australian team selectors have axed opener Phillip Hughes from the playing elevens for the Edgbaston Test, which is going to start from today. Hughes will be replaced by all-rounder Shane Watson.

Hughes was unable to perform to his potential in previous two test matches. He scored 36, 4 and 17 in the two test matches at Sophia Gardens and Lord's while he managed to score only 10 and 68 in the practice match against Northamptonshire.

London, July 15 : Australian opener Phillip Hughes has said that he is eyeing off another showdown with giant England quick Steve Harmison, who has been drafted into the host squad for the second Test, beginning at Lord''s tomorrow.

Harmison twice bounced out Hughes in a tour match at Worcester and England insists the 20-year-old opener has a clear weakness against extreme bounce.

"Whatever is in front of me I''m looking forward to it - for me I look for challenges and this will be a challenge but that''s what Test cricket is all about - tough and uncompromising and that''s what I like," The Telegraph quoted Hughes, as saying.

Sussex (UK), June 27 : Australian opener Phillip Hughes was once again amongst the runs, 13 days before the first Ashes Test against England to be played at Cardiff from July 8.

Hughes, Ponting and Clarke all passed 70 and the Australians declared their second innings against Sussex with a lead of 417 so as to give the bowlers a second crack at the county batsmen on Saturday.

Sydney, May 19: Australian opener Phillip Hughes has said that he is ready for anything, even failure.

Currently playing in England''s division two county cricket with Middlesex, Hughes will be the focus during the Ashes for both nations.

Sydney, Apr. 4 : Australian opener Phillip Hughes has become the youngest player ever to win the prestigious Steve Waugh Medal.

Hughes received the coveted gong for being New South Wale''s most outstanding cricketer this summer.

The 20-year-old made it a one-horse race with 231 votes - 72 votes clear of his nearest rival, fast bowler Aaron Bird.

Cape Town (South Africa), Mar. 15 : Australia’s latest batting sensation, opener Phil Hughes, prefers to be called Phillip rather than Phil in print.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, this seemed a bizarre request, given Hughes - unshaven, a fan of shorts and thongs, the son of a banana farmer, vertically challenged, and a country bumpkin to the bone.

But, it seems, he is about as prim and proper as a stubbie-holder.

Melbourne, Mar 14 : Former Australian captain Greg Chappell and other cricket experts have dismissed the criticism about new opening sensation Phillip Hughes homemade batting technique.

"I've felt for a long time in cricket there has been too much of a focus on technique and a misunderstanding of what technique really is," Chappell said.

Melbourne, Mar 12 : Australia's two most exciting prospects for Ashes 2009 series, Mitchell Johnson and Phillip Hughes, have made big impressions in the latest ICC player rankings.

Johnson, the new pace spearhead in the absence of injured duo Stuart Clark and Brett Lee, has climbed to the second spot in the bowling rankings alongside South African rival Dale Steyn on 811 points.

Melbourne, Mar. 9 : Former Australian captain Bill Lawry believes current opener Phillip Hughes should have been picked earlier than he was, claiming he was held back because of a selection process that required overhauling.

"The success of Hughes is a wake-up call to our selection panel that you don''t need to be 30 before you play for Australia,'''' Lawry, a left-hand opener himself, was quoted by the Herald Sun, as saying today

Johannesburg, Feb. 25 : Debutant Australian opener Phillip Hughes is not too concerned about walking out to the middle of the Wanderer’s cricket ground on Thursday to meet South Africa’s much vaunted pace attack.

Hughes is unperturbed and unflappable. Waiting to ruin his day, will be Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini. Steyn took 10 wickets here last time and it has always been a happy hunting ground for Ntini.

But what does Hughes say?

"They played very well in Australia and now we come here. It''s definitely going to be a tough series and it''s definitely one we''re looking forward to.”

Potchefstroom (South Africa), Feb. 20 : Young New South Wales opener Phillip Hughes has put his hand up to face South African fast bowler Dale Steyn and company first in the Johannesburg Test next week.

The 20-year-old has told his opening partner Simon Katich he wants to put his nerves to the test by taking strike for the first delivery against South Africa''s pace ace Dale Steyn.

"The young bloke put his hand up for it so he''s definitely got it," Katich said on Thursday in Potchefstroom.