(left leg) all returned to practice from injuries, participating to varying degrees. Thomas did the most, taking part in seven-on-seven drills. Wilson participated in a "walk-through" and Galette mostly watched. ... C

Cricket Australia XI 4 for 3 (Amir 3-3) trail Pakistanis 208 (Younis 54, Sarfraz 39, Valente 4-36) by 205 runs Scorecard Mohammad Amir took three wickets with the pink ball, including two off his first two balls, in Pakistanis day-night tour game in Cairns, ahead of the day-night Test against Australia in Brisbane, starting December 15. Amirs burst came after Pakistanis stumbled around Younis Khans half-century to 208 all-out.Amirs new-ball partner Rahat Ali also picked up a wicket in his only over as Cricket Australia XI closed the day at 4 for 3 in three overs.Having opted to bat, Pakistanis were kept in check by regular strikes from Cricket Australias seamers. Mark Steketee and Cameron Valente did the bulk of the damage, claiming combined figures of 7 for 83.Younis, who managed all of 16 runs in four innings in New Zealand, hit form and briefly steadied Pakistanis innings with 54 off 138 balls, including four fours. Barring Younis, Sarfraz Ahmed was the only other batsman to pass 25.Captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who had missed the Hamilton Test, following the death of his father-in-law, returned with 20 off 44 balls, before Valente had him caught behind. The visitors were ultimately bowled out in 84.5 overs.Speaking after the days play, Younis Khan said, Cricket Australia XI bowled really well. They hit the deck hard and didnt give us any easy runs. The outfield was large as well. It was a good effort by them.Im happy that we got to come here early and have time for preparation, which we didnt get in New Zealand. We had a nice net session before this and we have time to think about the Australia tour and the Australian team. It wasnt a bad day at all for us, especially with the four wickets in the end. I feel bad for the [Cricket Australia XI] youngsters. Its not easy to play under the lights, especially if youre facing someone like Amir. 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That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected.METAIRIE, La. -- Hardly two years removed from playing college football on a 12-man defence in western Canada, Akiem Hicks is primed to emerge as a full-time starter on an NFL defensive line. Just dont tell him that, because he wont even admit to being encouraged by the fact that he played with the starting unit in the New Orleans Saints preseason opener and is regularly practicing with the first team. "Not yet, because theres so much more to go," said Hicks said, referencing a metaphor defensive line coach Bill Johnson uses about each day of good work amounting to nothing more than a bean in a jar, which has to be full to represent a good season. "I dont have enough beans to be encouraged yet." Maybe not, but his effort in practice on Tuesday certainly seemed worthy of another bean. He was a force in 11-on-11 drills, registering what would have been a sack on Drew Brees if he were allowed to touch the quarterback. Later, during a 2-minute drill, he had two more standout moments. First he batted down one of Brees passes, then he perfectly read a screen pass to Darren Sproles, who Hicks wrapped up for a 4-yard loss in a 2-minute drill. The 6-foot-5 Hicks, who said he now weighs about 330 pounds, is currently playing the left defensive end in co-ordinator Rob Ryans new 3-4 defence (three linemen, four linebackers). Last year as a rookie, drafted in the third round out of the University of Regina (Saskatchewan), Hicks played reserve defensive tackle in a 4-3, then made the transition this year to what Johnson calls "the most physical position on our defence." It wasnt clear whether Hicks would emerge as a starter when 2013 training camp opened because the Saints had signed 11-year veteran defensive lineman Kenyon Coleman, who had played the past two seasons in Ryans 3-4 defence in Dallas. Last week, however, Coleman tore a pectoral muscle, which has likely ended his season. Third-year pro Tom Johnson also is in the mix to start at that spot, though he has missed more than a week of practice with a hip injury. Johnson conceded that Hicks is in position to win the starting job, but stressed that three weeks of evaluation remained..dddddddddddd "Thing Ive said all along about Hicks is that hes raw but he has a lot of versatility," Johnson said. "I thought our scouting people did a great job watching him in Canada to know." Hicks, who grew up near Sacramento, was recruited by LSU out of the community college ranks, but an NCAA violation related to financial help provided by an assistant coach left him ineligible to play in the United States, hence his move to Canada, where he thrived as a stand-up defensive end. "What was hard was to evaluate him versus the people he was against," Johnson said. "It wasnt like if he had went to LSU and stayed. You could evaluate him against guys who would potentially be in this league. It was like guys that were just little kids and he was obviously dominating up there." Big NFL offensive tackles can find him tough to block as well. "Hes a good athlete that weighs (330 pounds) that moves like hes 300 or 290," said Saints right tackle Zach Strief, who has to block Hicks in practice. "Thats something pretty God-given thats pretty hard to find." NOTES: RB Pierre Thomas (left leg), OLB Martez Wilson (left elbow) and OLB Junior Galette (left leg) all returned to practice from injuries, participating to varying degrees. Thomas did the most, taking part in seven-on-seven drills. Wilson participated in a "walk-through" and Galette mostly watched. ... Courtney Roby, a veteran special teams leader and reserve receiver, needed help off the field after apparently hurting his left foot. Payton said Roby had a toe injury. He did not get more specific. ... Jerry Romig, who has been the public address announcer for Saints home games since 1969, and who also handled P.A. announcing for the first four Super Bowls in New Orleans, said his last game on the job will be this Fridays home preseason game against Oakland. Romig, 83, said his voice is fine but back problems have made it tough to get around. His 57-year-old son, Mark, who will take over, said his father wants him to show his own personality. But Mark Romig added, "My mother told me I have to do it just like my father." ' ' '