Man breaks into Ed Cowan's family home

Police have arrested a man who broke into the family home of cricketer Ed Cowan, a day after he was named as a potential opener for Australia in the first Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Police said Thursday the man barricaded himself inside a bedroom at the home and held police at bay for more than four hours, saying he had a gun, before they stormed the home and arrested him.

There was no immediate confirmation whether Cowan, who was in Melbourne with the rest of the Australian team, still lives at the house in the suburb of Darling Point in eastern Sydney.

Police Superintendent Jason Joyce said it was a difficult situation for police because "he (the man) did make threats at the time."