Hobart (Tasmania), Nov. 13 : The Tasmanian Parliament is debating Ricky Ponting''s captaincy of the Australian cricket team.

Sports Minister Michelle O''Byrne has put a notice of motion to the house regarding the leadership qualities of the Apple Isle''s favourite son, who is under fire for his handling of the losing Test series in India.

London, Nov. 13 : Believe it or not, former England football star Paul Gascoigne is set for a shock comeback, playing in next season’s FA Cup.

Gazza, 41, is being lined up to appear in a team made up entirely of former Cup winners. He will join a host of former aces in a non-league side that will be entered for the game’s most coveted trophy.

Sydney, Nov. 13: Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has received strong backing from Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland over the over rate debacle in the fourth Test against India.

Speaking at the launch of Ponting''''s Captain''''s Diary 2008, Sutherland backed Ponting''''s decision to bowl spinners and part-timers in a bid to reel back a slow over rate when wickets were needed to salvage the series, ultimately lost 2-0.

Sydney, Nov. 13: Though it is ranked seventh among Test-playing nations, New Zealand has said that it has the firepower to knock the Australian top order over.

Black Caps pacer Chris Martin was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying that Australia were finally beatable without Warne and McGrath, citing the side''s inability to dismiss India in the failed Test series.

He said that his side is planning a similar bowling strategy to that used effectively by Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan to rattle the top order.

Lahore, Nov 13 : India’s decision to cancel their junior hockey team’s visit to Pakistan is giving jitters to the cricket establishment which is fearing that the BCCI can pull out its team from Test and ODI series.

Former captains Javed Miandad and Rashid Latif fear that M S Dhoni’s men would also be asked to pull out of the Test and ODI series scheduled next year.

Sydney, Nov. 13: Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting says the current over-rates controversy ranks with last summer''s Sydney Test turmoil as his toughest time in cricket.

"(Sydney) was probably the most difficult time I''ve had to deal with as an Australian captain and an Australian player and I''m probably confronting the other one right at the moment," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting, as saying.