Jesse Ryder says he will meet with Black Caps coach Mike Hesson at the end of the month to discuss a return to the side for the England tour of New Zealand.

Captain of the world's best team, heading for his 100th test in charge when Pakistan arrive in Johannesburg for the February 1 start of the first of their three tests, and he's got a peach of a fast bowling operation to oversee.

Former captain Ross Taylor is preparing to return for the England tour, but Brendon McCullum says a process will be needed to ensure "smooth integration" back into the side.

Shane Watson hopes to bowl during the Ashes series later this year but for now is keen to resume his 38-test career purely as an opening batsman.

With the test series against South Africa coming to a predictable end, Kris Shannon of APNZ speculates on how the Black Caps' batting order can be improved.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum insists the end of the second test against South Africa was not the darkest day of his international career.

Sri Lanka aren't insulted by the picking of so-called second stringers by Australia for the initial games in the one-day series, evergreen batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan says.

Australia's selectors have recalled four players including NSW allrounder Moises Henriques to their squad for the third and fourth one-day internationals against Sri Lanka.

BJ Watling had a day to savour at St George's Park today - and earned high praise from the world's best bowler.

Much as they would prefer it to go away, the RT question keeps dogging the New Zealand camp.

This is a good time to be Faf du Plessis; it's a good time to be a South African batsman.

As New Zealand plunged towards another batting embarrassment, the St George's Park band launched into the South African national anthem Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika.

New Zealand were in deep trouble at stumps on day two of the second test against South Africa at St George's Park.

Australias latest one-day international batting star Phil Hughes has another century on his mind as he prepares for today's clash with Sri Lanka in Adelaide.

As school reunions go, this was just a touch different. South African batsmen AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis are old boys of the famous Affies boys' school.

Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill have failed to inspire as a test opening partnership since resuming against India in August.

James Franklin's misfortune is Colin Munro's good luck, with the Auckland allrounder to make his test debut against the country of his birth tonight (NZT).

He may not have thought so at the time, but Trent Boult is "kind of happy" his New Zealand career got off to a false start.

Martin Guptill's excitement about a shark diving excursion in the midst of NZ's poor performances in South Africa hasn't gone down too well with some cricket fans.

NZ coach Mike Hesson doesn’t believe the Ross Taylor saga had a significantly undue effect on his team.