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England batsman Kevin Pietersen and Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson were involved in a heated argument before the start of the final day's play in the first Ashes Test here Sunday.

The tiff took place when Pietersen struck a ball that landed where the Australian players were warming up and missed Johnson narrowly.

The Australian bowler confronted Pietersen, and the duo were seen standing against each other and exhanging words before Johnson was pulled away by Stuart Clark.

The incident completely rattled Pietersen. When the day's match began, he played some rash strokes during his 16 minutes' stay at the crease before his stumps were flattened by fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus.

Pietersen edged Johnson just short of second slip and also survived a leg-before shout from Peter Siddle and was dismissed for just eight runs.

The crisis in West Indies cricket deepened with the board saying that the second-string side currently playing in the Test series against Bangladesh would be considered for selection for September's Champions Trophy.

'This ensures that there will always be a solid pool of approximately 29 contracted players from which to draw for the board's future tour commitments,' West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said in a statement.

The WICB also said that it would begin interviewing prospective captains.

The board hastily pulled together a second-string team that included nine uncapped cricketers for the first home Test series against Bangladesh following a boycott by its top players because of a long-pending contractual row with the WICB.

WICB said it was 'committed' to the players who made themselves available for selection for the Bangladesh series.

Former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams, secretary of the West Indies Cricket Players' Association (WIPA), said they are monitoring the situation.

'The players are fed up with things going nowhere. They are prepared to sit out and see what happens,' Adams was quoted as saying in Cricinfo.

Meanwhile, WICB president Julian Hunte has vowed to resolve the problem.

'This is damaging to West Indies cricket and these problems before tours and during tours must be eliminated,' he said.

Talks have failed between the board and WIPA, which refused to give in to WICB's demands to end the strike before discussions.

'Before a series starts, there will be a flurry of activity, and then they (WIPA) will want to meet to negotiate,' Hunte said.

'We are going to put a stop to this. This is damaging to West Indies cricket and these problems before tours and during tours must be eliminated,' he said.

Australian all-rounder Marcus North was so nervous in the moments before his first Ashes century that he could barely breathe.

The left-hander brought up his first Ashes century in a strange fashion when he dived through the crease, even though he appeared in no danger of being run out.

North, who smashed 125 not out on the Cardiff pitch in the first Test England Saturday, revealed that he was almost derailed by suffocating nerves.

'Leading into that I could hardly breathe I was that nervous,' North was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph Sunday.

'I guess the emotion was kind of taking over a little bit and once I hit that ball through gully, I saw there was an opportunity for two.

'Looking back on it now, I don't know why I put the big dive in. I wasn't really looking at the ball. It was probably more panic than anything else and relief to finally get there.

'It is something that I will remember forever.'

Australian spinner Jason Krejza, who has been out of the national squad for long, has expressed an eagerness to make a comeback.

"I see myself as being the best spinner in Australia, and I'm working to get better so I can get picked again. I saw my getting dropped as an indication that I need to improve, which is not a bad thing.

Getting dropped was upsetting, but I responded in the best way that I could," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Krejza, as saying.

"I'm bowling really well right now. I did about a month's work back at home, and it's been good to get outside again," he added.

However, the 26 year-old spinner who took 12 wickets on debut against India, has wished counterpart Nathan Hauritz the best for the Ashes series.

"Nathan got his chance a few months ago and did quite well when he got that opportunity," Krejza said.

Krejza also highlighted that he would prove his worth when he gets an opportunity to represent the team.

"He (Hauritz) was given a job to do, and he did it very well. As for my non-selection, it's just about taking wickets, and when I get another opportunity, hopefully I can hold on to it for more than two Tests," he added.

Australian left-hander batsman Marcus North has revealed that he was so nervous towards reaching his first Ashes century in the first test match at Cardiff, that he could hardly breathe.

North brought up his century in a strange manner, as he dived through the crease to complete two runs, even though he appeared in no danger of being run out.

"Leading into that I could hardly breath, I was that nervous. I guess the emotion was kind of taking over a little bit and once I hit that ball through gully, I saw there was an opportunity for two," The Courier-Mail quoted North, as saying.

"Looking back on it now, I don't know why I put the big dive in. I wasn't really looking at the ball. It was probably more panic than anything else and relief to finally get there. It is something that I will remember forever," he added.

North also highlighted that keeping the England team on the field for so long was part of the team strategy, and now it would be difficult for the tired England team to cope with the Australian bowling attack.

"We saw an opportunity there to keep them out there to put an opposition in the field for 180 overs is going to be pretty hard work for them. It was disappointing the rain came when it did but we are sitting in a good position, at the moment there is probably only one winner," North said.

"I don't think I've ever seen a cricket team that can be in the field for that long and have great body language. It does take its toll. When you take the third new ball and the bowlers are quite stiff and sore it can be hard work," he added.