Damien Martyn’s plans to attend U2’s Melbourne concert have been scrapped, as Alex Brown reports in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Such was Martyn's belief that his 61-Test career had expired, he had planned to take in a U2 concert and play for his grade club during the three-match series in South Africa. But an announcement aboard the Australian team bus in Durban by selector-on-duty Andrew Hilditch changed all that, ensuring South Perth must find an extra batsman and a pair of U2 tickets will be heading for eBay.

While Martyn celebrated, Brad Hodge was devastated. Martin Blake writes in The Age how he has been pinned with the “Not Quite Good Enough” badge.

The selectors might well be right. But surely Hodge was entitled to another couple of opportunities to prove himself before he was cast out. Who can say on the sample of five Test matches? Hodge is dead unlucky, make no mistake about it.

Shane Warne was stunned when he heard the news.

Richard Earle belts out a parochial column in The Advertiser about how South Australia and Jason Gillespie are missing out in selection meetings.

Darren Lehmann has his say in the same paper here.

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