Melbourne, Dec 25 : A defiant Matthew Hayden has said that his future in Test cricket is up to him and not in Australian selectors hand, as long as he keeps making runs.

Hayden is facing a run chase of his own after scoring 282 runs at 23.5 in seven Tests since recovering from an Achilles injury, The Age reported.

The opener admitted he needed to perform well in Melbourne and Sydney (January 3-7) if he wanted to continue his career.

Melbourne, Dec 25 : All rounder Andrew Symonds and Nathan Hauritz have been included in Australia's playing XI for the crucial Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Victoria paceman Peter Siddle kept his place in the team despite a moderate showing in the Perth, but all-rounder Shane Watson was again overlooked, FOX Sports reported.

Symonds has been suffering from knee soreness but on Wednesday night was cleared to play.

Opening batsman Matthew Hayden has indicated that he may review his future with Australia after the series with South Africa but stressed "I`m not anywhere near" retirement and any decision on his future would be based on his performances.

DubaiLahore, Dec 24 : The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said that Pakistan would provide best security to everyone involved in the forthcoming series against Sri Lanka.

"From the ICC''s perspective, what would be required is that the match officials are afforded the same level of security as any or everyone else involved in the series and the ICC would expect that to be the case in the forthcoming series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka," The News quoted an ICC spokesman, as saying.

Former BCCI president and the current ICC Vice-President Sharad Pawar along with ICC president David Morgan and CEO Haroon Lorgat met rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) chief Subhash Chandra in New Delhi on Monday evening.

ICL wants ICC to recognize it as an official league. From the very beginning, the BCCI had adopted a hard-line approach against the ICL, barring Indian cricketers associated with the league from accessing even their local college grounds. It also used its significant influence within the ICC to ensure other national boards imposed similar bans on ICL cricketers and officials.

Dec 24: South Africa captain Graeme Smith has said that his team is better placed against Australia ahead of the second Test at the MCG, starting on the Boxing Day.

Smith said while the Proteas' history-making victory in Perth had given his side extra self-belief, it was also handy having the first match completed after a long build-up to the series.