This will make for must-see TV given their history. Pietersen accused England's bowlers of being bullies in his autobiography, to which Swann responded by accusing him of the same thing. According to an England and Wales Cricket Board document on Pietersen, he is alleged to have also called Swann a "c---". Swann has described Pietersen's book as "a work of fiction" and even mocked Pietersen by impersonating him in an interview on Australian radio. "It will be a highlight of the coverage," Ten's BBL chief David Barham told The Tonk. Pietersen and Nine are finalising a deal that will see the former Test star be part of the network's Ashes coverage for the first three Tests and the one-day international and Twenty20 series.

But we are unlikely to see him interview Alastair Cook, with the network keen to stick with its current on-field team. Pietersen was initially unavailable but the abandonment of the T20 Global League in South Africa has created an opening. His return could be a sign of things to come, with talk he could follow in the footsteps of Tony Greig, who was also born in South Africa and captained England, by becoming a Channel Nine regular. The Tonk has been told the network is a big fan of Pietersen's commentary and sees him as an integral part of the team. Whether he stays for decades like Greig will depend, among other things, on whether Nine retains the rights, but we're told Pietersen has received strong feedback in all his commentary roles around the world. A long-term role for Pietersen would give Nine's team another international voice alongside Mark Nicholas, which critics feel it has lacked since it stopped inviting guest commentators. Former West Indies great Michael Holding, the late Tony Cozier, New Zealand's Ian Smith and Greig had featured in yesteryear. Nine, however, have in the past two summers used the services of Smith, Pietersen and former Pakistan legend Waqar Younis.

Wade's Paine Matthew Wade may not be fighting just for his spot behind the stumps in the Test side; there's suggestions he might lose the gloves entirely if he's overlooked for the Ashes. Wade will keep wicket for Tasmania until the Test squad is named after round three, but The Tonk is hearing if he misses out, forgotten wicketkeeper Tim Paine will take over. Wade would then play as a specialist batsman. Paine was left out of the Tigers' team for the first round of the shield, with Tasmania selectors keen to see more runs from the former international representative. There are some in Australian cricket who believe Paine is the best wicketkeeper in the land, and though he has performed well in the international arena with the bat he has just one first-class century from 89 games.

Paine, who was considering retirement at the end of last season, is the incumbent in the national Twenty20 side. He has been named in a Cricket Australia XI squad to take on England in tour matches in Adelaide and Townsville. Captain Clark It is one of cricket's biggest nights – the Bradman Foundation gala dinner in Sydney, when former prime ministers rub shoulders with the great and good of the game, and next week a woman will join the organisation's list of honorees for the first time. Belinda Clark, the former Australian captain, will be inducted on Wednesday night at the SCG, in recognition of her enormous influence on and off the ground for nearly 30 years. The captain of Australia's World Cup-winning teams of 1997 and 2005, one of her many distinctions was being the first man or woman to score a double century in a one-day international. Clark joins the likes of Steve Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar as honorees. Those two were inducted three years ago on a memorable night when the Little Master's devotees were so keen to get close to him that they were following Tendulkar into the bathroom.

Pitch to Mitch We suggested in last week's column that for old times' sake Mitchell Johnson should be thrust into the team to play England in their first Ashes warm-up match, a two-day outing at the WACA Ground starting on Saturday . Turns out officials in Perth had the same idea. John Townsend of the West Australian reported on Thursday that Johnson had been quietly asked whether he wanted a run in the WACA XI, but had declined. Son of a gun A very familiar name began training with Hawkesbury Cricket Club on Thursday. Usman Qadir, son of Pakistan leg-spin great Abdul Qadir, is in Sydney for a stint in the Sydney grade competition after touring here with a squad of rising stars from Pakistan Super League T20 franchise Lahore Qalandars.

Like his famous old man, Usman, 24, bowls leg breaks, and it is also not his first time in Australia. A former Pakistan under-19 representative who has played eight first-class matches, Qadir jnr had four years ago plied his trade with South Australia in the Futures League. This was around the time Fawad Ahmed received his Australian citizenship and a teenage Qadir had also expressed interest in representing Australia. His father stood in the way of that move, but after watching his son get limited chances at home since then he said last year he could no longer hold him back. Future tourist England Ashes squad members Mark Stoneman and Mason Crane have done their time in the NSW Premier Cricket competition, and one of their countrymen is also turning heads here. England under-19 wicketkeeper Oliver Pope has just spent a season with Surrey playing alongside Stoneman and a prolific Kumar Sangakkara, and has linked up with Campbelltown-Camden.

The teenager doesn't actually wear the gloves for his county team because of the presence of England back-up Ben Foakes, but there are plenty who believe he could one day be back here on an Ashes tour himself.