Tag: australia

England Test team vice-captain Harry Brook believes Australia ace bowler Pat Cummins’ injury could play into their hands, giving them an extra advantage going into the Ashes 2025.

Cummins is in a race against time to be fit for the first Ashes Test, and according to some reports, he could be ruled out of the series due to a lower back stress injury, suffered earlier this year.

Earlier today, Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, also hinted that Cummins needs at least “four, four-and-a-half weeks” of bowling in the nets to get ready, which has not started yet.

Speaking ahead of the New Zealand tour, Brook hailed Cummins’ bowling and stated that his exclusion from the playing XI will give England an advantage.

“Obviously he is an amazing bowler and has been for many years; he bowls at high pace with high skill,” Brook said at the Professional Cricketers’ Association Awards on Thursday.

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“With him out of their side for the first game, from [the reports] we’ve seen, hopefully that plays into our hands.”

However, the right-hander also mentioned Australia’s bowling depth, emphasizing the threat the likes of benched players pose for them.

“But they have a hell of a lot of good, quick bowlers out there. Guys who can come into the side and, when their tails are up, they can plough through teams. So we can’t take anybody lightly.”

Brook also backed Ben Stokes to feature in all five Tests despite having fitness concerns in the past year. He praised the skippers’ character and mentioned their performances despite having injuries.

“It’s an honour to have any leadership role. But it’s not something that I’m biting at the bit to do. If you want it too much, then it’s not a good thing. And I see Stokesy playing all five Tests, if I’m being honest. I think he’ll power through even if he has a little niggle.

“Everybody in the world knows what he’s like, his character, and the way that he just cracks on. That is the way that the team is built now; everybody keeps going. If you do have a little niggle, just power through – and that is what he does so well.

He further mentioned about Stokes’ bowling long spells and revealed what he would say if it gets too much on him.

“Because he wants to bowl long spells, that can sometimes be to his detriment. But he told us last year as a group that if he gets into a position like that again, then go up and have a word with him.”

The opening Ashes Test between England and Australia will commence on November 21 at Perth Cricket Stadium.

READ: ‘Age is just a number’: Azhar Mahmood on Asif Afridi’s inclusion in Pakistan’s squad

England ace batter Joe Root has shut down the noise ahead of the 2025  Ashes in Australia, stating that his side is ready to ‘bring the urn home’.

England’s ace batter Joe Root has shut down the noise ahead of the 2025 Ashes in Australia, stating that his side is ready to “bring the urn home.”

Root has 39 Test hundreds to his name; however, the batting maestro is yet to score a ton in Australia. He has nine fifties and has a decent average of 35.68 in 14 Tests.

The Three Lions have not won the Ashes since 2015, and their last Test series victory in Australia dates back to 2010-11.

Speaking on the much-anticipated series, Root admitted to the Ashes drought and sees this time around as a great opportunity.

“It does feel like a long time, and it’d be nice to put that right and bring the urn home. I just see it as a great opportunity for the group,” Root said.

“There’s no other way to look at it, really. It’s a beautiful country, it’s a great place to go and play cricket.

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Joe Root has been under the spotlight from former Australian cricketers, who have highlighted his record in Australia, including Matthew Hayden, who has issued a bold statement.

Hayden had stated that he would “walk nude” around the Melbourne Cricket Ground this summer if Root does not scratch his Australian century itch.

“Just soak it all in and expect a little bit of ‘abuse’ or ‘banter’. It could be six weeks that live long in the memory if we get it right.” “At the end of the day this tour is not about me,” Root continued.

“They are going to say what they want to say anyway, so why bother worrying about it?

“When we look back in five years’ time no-one is going to remember what Matthew Hayden said to me, or Greg Blewett, or Mark Waugh, whoever it is,” Root remarked.

“If I am scoring runs and scoring heavily it gives us a great opportunity to win a series out in Australia and that is the main focus,” he concluded.

READ: Cummins, Head knock back Rs 2.8 billion offers to quit international cricket

COLOMBO: Beth Mooney’s rescue act for the ages, followed by Kim Garth’s three-wicket haul, sealed a comfortable win for Australia against Pakistan in the ninth fixture of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 here at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Set 222, Pakistan were skittled for a mere 114 runs in 36.3 overs.

The loss marked Pakistan’s third consecutive defeat in the World Cup and their 17th overall against Australia in ODIs. Meanwhile, the defending champions are now at the top of the points table with three wins.

Pakistan started the chase on a shaky note as opener Sadaf Shamas was caught after scoring just five in the second over.

Muneeba Ali (3) also fell in the fifth over, whereas Sidra Nawaz (5) and Natalia Pervaiz only scored one run. Eyman Fatima player her first game of the tournament also went back without scoring while attempting a wild slog.

As a result, Pakistan slumped to 31-5 in 8.4 overs.

After early wickets, Australia never allowed Pakistan to make a comeback and took wickets in quick succession, which bundled them out for a mere score.

Sidra Amin remained the standout batter for Pakistan, making 35 from 52 balls with the aid of five fours.

For Australia, Kim Garth picked up three wickets, whereas Annabel Sutherland and Megan Schutt scalped two apiece.

Earlier, A dominant bowling display from Pakistan women had defending champions Australia women reeling, before Beth Mooney’s rearguard century lifted them to a respectable total.

Put into bat first, Australia managed to score 221-9 in their 50 overs

Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield added 30 runs for the opening wicket before both openers got dismissed in the span of three balls.

Healy made 20 from 23 balls with the aid of three fours, while Litchfield made 10 from 22 deliveries with the help of a boundary.

As a result, seven-time champions Australia were reduced to 30-2 in 7.3 overs.

Pakistan continued to chip away at Australia’s middle order with wickets at regular intervals; however, Beth Mooney held firm and ensured that Australia posted a respectable total.

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Ellyse Perry was stumped for five, Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner were bowled for one run respectively. Tahlia McGrath could add only five to the total, whereas Georgia Wareham fell for nought.

Consequently, Australia were left reeling for 76-7 in 21.2 overs. Kim Garth provided Aussies some respite with a 39-run stand on the seventh wicket, however, Pakistan bowlers also removed her to take complete control of the game.

The architects of Australia’s middle over collapse were Nashra Sandhu and Rameen Shamim. Both combined to pick up five wickets with economical bowling spells.

However, Alana King and Beth Mooney forged a 106-run partnership for the eighth wicket. King scored 51 from 49 balls, striking three sixes and three fours.

Mooney, on the contrary, soaked up all the pressure and went on to score her fifth ODI century. She eventually departed after making 109 from 114 balls, studded with 11 fours.

For Pakistan, Nashra Sandhu was the standout bowler, picking up a three-wicket haul in her quota of ten overs.

READ: Imran Farhat appointed batting coach for South Africa Tests

COLOMBO: Pakistan women have won the toss and opted to bowl first against Australia women in the ninth fixture of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 here at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Playing XIs

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Alana King, Megan Schutt

Pakistan XI: Muneeba Ali, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Amin, Eyman Fatima, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (capt), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal

Head to Head

Both teams have faced each other 16 times in Women’s ODI matches, with the Green Shirts remaining winless in all of these encounters.

Matches Played: 16  Australia, 16 Pakistan, 0

READ: BCCI responds to call for scrapping India-Pakistan matches

MELBOURNE: Top-order batter Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from the Australia ODI squad against India, which is set to begin on October 19 at Perth Cricket Stadium

Labuschagne has been dropped on the back of his poor run in the format, while Matt Renshaw has been added to the squad and is lined up to make his debut after having impressive outings for Australia ‘A’.

Renshaw was also named in the ODI squad against Pakistan in 2022; however, he didn’t get a game.

Meanwhile, ace pacer Mitchell Starc’s addition to the squad has also bolstered Australia’s pace attack. The left-arm pacer will be playing his ODI after a year.

Glenn Maxwell is not included in the squad as he is recovering from a wrist injury, which also kept him out of New Zealand T20Is.

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Following the squad announcement, chair of selectors George Bailey emphasized the Ashes and home season, hinting at workload management at the back end of the series.

“We have named a squad for the ODI series and first two games of the T20 series as there will be some management through the back end of the series as individuals prepare for the summer through Sheffield Shield cricket,” he said.

The majority of the T20 squad will remain together as it’s an important period in the build towards the World Cup next year, however we are trying to strike a balance to ensure we simultaneously prepare certain individuals for the Test series ahead,” he explained.

The three-match ODI series will begin from October 19 and end on October 25 followed by a five-match T20Is, starting from October 29.

Australia ODI squad vs India

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Mitchell Owen, Matt Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

Australia T20I squad vs India (first two matches)

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

READ: Markram picks THIS batter as game-changer against spin-slaught on Pakistan tour

COLOMBO: The fifth match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 between Australia and Sri Lanka has been abandoned without a ball bowled due to persistent rain here on Saturday.

The conditions in Colombo worsened, which prevented the toss from happening as both teams were awarded one point.

Following the washout, Australia now sits at the top of the table with three points, whereas Sri Lanka slipped to fifth place with a negative run-rate of -1.255.

Before heading into the match, both teams had contrasting results. Defending champions Australia defeated New Zealand by 89 runs in a one-sided affair, while India outplayed Sri Lanka by 59 runs (Via DLS method).

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Meanwhile, Pakistan is set to clash against arch-rivals India at the same venue; however, the forecast shows an ample chance of rain, which could interrupt the match.

The 13th edition of the marquee event is jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, running from September 30 to November 2 across five cities.

Eight teams are competing in a round-robin format, out of which the top four will advance to the knockout stage.

READ: Jadeja stars as India crush West Indies inside three days

INDORE: Skipper Sophie Devine’s ton went in vain as Australia humbled New Zealand by 89 runs in the second fixture of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 here at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

The defending champions started their title defence with a 16th straight victory over New Zealand.

“The defending champions started their title defence on a perfect note, as Australia’s opening World Cup win marked their 16th straight victory over the Black Caps.”

Set a daunting 327-run target, New Zealand’s batting faltered and were bundled out for 237 in 43.2 overs.

Australia’s bowlers endured a miserable start in New Zealand as they lost both of their openers on ducks. As a result, they were reduced to 0-2 in 1.3 overs.

However, Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine put New Zealand back on course in the chase with a 75-run partnership. However, Australia chipped in with regular wickets in the middle, which never allowed the Black Caps to play with freedom.

Devine remained the top-scorer with 111 off 112 balls, laced with 12 fours and three sixes.

For Australia, Annabel Sutherland and Sophie Molineux starred with the ball, picking up three wickets each.

Earlier, Ashleigh Gardner rose to the occasion with a masterful century, rescuing her side as Australian women posted a strong total.

After opting to bat first, Australia were bowled out for 326 runs in 49.3 overs.

The openers were off to a flyer with 40 on the board at the end of five overs. Skipper Alyssa Healy scored 19 from 17 balls with the help of three fours before getting dismissed by Bree Illing.

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Australia batters kept up the run rate despite the wickets tumbling, and at the end of the powerplay, they were 81-1. However, New Zealand made a strong comeback once the fielding restrictions were lifted.

Phoebe Litchfield was bowled on the first ball after the power play. She made 45 from 31 balls, striking two sixes and half a dozen fours.

The wickets in the middle over shifted momentum towards New Zealand until Ashleigh Gardner’s arrival, who added a string of partnerships with the lower order, which steadied Australia’s innings.

The 28-year-old was involved in 64, 47, and 69 runs stands with Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, and Kim Garth, respectively.

She was eventually removed in the 46th over after scoring 115 from just 83 balls, peppered with 16 fours and a six.

For New Zealand, Lea Tahuhu and Jess Kerr shared six wickets between them.

READ: Marsh’s sublime knock powers Australia to victory in T20I opener

Mitchell Marsh’s swashbuckling knock overshadowed Tim Robinson’s maiden ton as Australia cruised to a comfortable six-wicket win over New Zealand in the opening T20I at Bay Oval on Wednesday.

Skipper Mitchell Marsh led Australia’s chase with 85 off 43 balls as they raced to 185-4 off 16.3 overs in response to the home side’s 181-6.

The powerful Marsh struck nine fours and five sixes in cold, windy conditions at Mount Maunganui.

He was caught in the deep in the 15th over to fall short of what would have been his first century in 74 T20 internationals.

Fellow-opener Travis Head scored 31 in an electric opening stand of 67 off just 5.3 overs that set up victory and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

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Marsh said he and Head complemented each other as opening batters.

“We’ve got a great relationship off the field and I’m hoping that translates into good partnerships,” he said.

“Tonight was a lot of fun.”

Robinson plundered 106 not out off 66 balls after a dreadful New Zealand start when they were asked to bat first.

The hosts collapsed to 6-3, with seamer Ben Dwarshuis removing Devon Conway and Mark Chapman off successive balls in the second over.

The fightback was launched by Robinson and Daryl Mitchell (34), whose fourth-wicket stand of 92 came from just 55 deliveries.

Robinson, 23, became the second-youngest New Zealander to score a T20 century when he blasted a four and then a six from the last two balls of the innings from Dwarshuis.

“I got streaky through the middle there and got away with a few chances but that’s cricket,” Robinson said.

“Those Aussies bowled really well at the top and Daryl and I spoke about getting through that really tough period when the ball was nipping around.”

Both teams had a key player ruled out of the series in training incidents on Tuesday.

New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra suffered facial cuts when he collided with a boundary fence during fielding practice.

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell broke his arm when struck by a shot from team-mate Mitchell Owen while bowling in the nets.

The remaining two games are also day-night fixtures in Mount Maunganui on Friday and Saturday.

READ: Never apologised to BCCI nor will I: Mohsin Naqvi dismisses Indian media reports

LONDON: The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday named a 16-member pace-heavy squad for the Ashes tour to Australia with Harry Brook replacing Ollie Pope as vice-captain.

Alongside Ashes, England have also named IT20 and ODI squads for the white-ball tour of New Zealand, which precedes the Ashes.

The squad features five 90mph seamers: Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue. Among the notable inclusions is the recall of all-rounder Will Jacks, whose last appearance in the longest format came against Pakistan in 2022.

The 26-year-old, who will provide England with an attacking option with the bat, is picked ahead of Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, and Jack Leach.

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Besides the inclusion of Jacks and the change of Ben Stokes’ deputy, the squad is largely as expected.

The decision to change Pope as vice-captain was looming since Brook took over the captaincy reins from Jos Buttler in white-ball cricket. Notably, Pope has captained the Three Lions five times in the absence of Ben Stokes in the past five months.

England Test squad vs Australia:

Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.

England T20I squad vs New Zealand:

Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood.

England ODI squad vs New Zealand:

Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Jamie Smith replace Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, and Phil Salt from the T20I squad.

New Zealand fixtures (all D/N):

T20Is: October 18, 20 (both Christchurch) and 23 (Auckland).
ODIs: October 26 (Mount Maunganui), 29 (Hamilton), and November 1 (Wellington).

Ashes fixtures:

1st Test: November 21-25 (Perth)
2nd Test: December 4-8 (Brisbane, D/N)
3rd Test: December 17-21 (Adelaide)
4th Test: December 25-29 (Melbourne)
5th Test: January 3-7 (Sydney)

READ: PCB chief meets Shan, Azhar ahead of Test series against South Africa

Australia suffered another setback ahead of their three-match T20I tour of New Zealand as wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis was ruled out with a calf strain, with Alex Carey drafted in as his replacement.

Inglis complained of discomfort in his right calf during a running session in Perth on Tuesday, and scans the following day confirmed the injury.

The 29-year-old is now sidelined for the series scheduled from October 1–4 in Mount Maunganui.

This marks Inglis’ second calf issue in less than a year, after a low-grade strain during the Boxing Day Test against India curtailed his BBL campaign last season.

Despite the latest setback, he is expected to regain fitness in time for the ODI series against India starting October 19 in Perth.

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The absence of Inglis adds to Australia’s growing list of withdrawals for the tour. Captain Pat Cummins is missing due to lumbar bone stress, Cameron Green has stayed back for Sheffield Shield duties as part of his Ashes buildup, and Nathan Ellis withdrew to be present for the birth of his first child.

With no reserve wicketkeeper in the original 14-man squad, selectors turned to Alex Carey, who was preparing to feature for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield.

Carey last appeared against South Africa in Cairns in August 2023, stepping in when Inglis was unwell, and hasn’t kept wicket in a T20I since 2020.

Australia T20I squad for New Zealand series

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

READ: Australia skipper Pat Cummins ‘hopeful’ of playing in Ashes