Tag: australia

Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon has recently spoken about his exclusion from the Playing XI for the third and final Test against the West Indies, which took place earlier this month.

Lyon was left out of Australia’s Test XI for the first time in over a decade, due to factors other than injury, as he missed the pink-ball Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park.

The decision ended a remarkable run for Lyon, who had been a fixture in Australia’s Test side since 2013. With conditions expected to overwhelmingly favour pace, selectors opted for an all-seam attack, leaving no room for spin.

Speaking publicly for the first time since that match, Lyon admitted the decision stung, especially because it meant missing a special milestone alongside a close mate.

“There’s no point hiding behind it. I was disappointed with the decision, but I totally understood it,” Lyon said in Melbourne on Tuesday.

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“I believe I can play a role in any conditions, and I still honestly believe that. And then honestly, the other one was not to walk out on the field with Starcy [Mitchell Starc] in his 100th Test.”

Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc have shared the field in nearly 90 Tests, and the 37-year-old was hoping to mark the milestone together.

Despite the personal disappointment, Lyon acknowledged the bold call had paid off.

“If I’m going to miss a game, Scott Boland’s probably the guy you want to see go out and perform,” he said.

“For him to go out there and bowl like he did, like we always know he does, to take a hat-trick, was pretty special. And to witness the guys bowl them out for 27, that was pretty amazing.”

READ: Dale Steyn criticizes Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar for chasing personal milestones

An England XI will take on the Prime Minister’s XI in a two-day pink-ball match at Canberra’s Manuka Oval on November 29 and 30, slotted between the first Ashes Test against Australia in Perth and the day-night clash at the Gabba.

The match, traditionally a one-day fixture, was upgraded to a multi-day format in 2022-23 and will now serve as a key preparatory outing for England’s red-ball specialists.

This year’s fixture gives the touring side a valuable opportunity to get accustomed to the pink ball under match conditions before the second Test in Brisbane.

While the match doesn’t overlap with the Sheffield Shield, it remains the only fixture England will play outside the five-Test Ashes series once it begins.

Earlier, they’ll have a three-day internal game against England Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth, although it’s expected to be more of a centre-wicket practice session than a competitive fixture.

Last season’s PM’s XI match against India was reduced to a one-dayer due to rain, but it still proved significant.

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Young batter Sam Konstas made headlines with a century that propelled him into national reckoning, later earning a call-up for the Boxing Day Test.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged the historical value of the fixture.

“An Ashes series is something every cricket fan looks forward to,” he said. “Like many Australians, I grew up admiring, and begrudging, the brilliance of players like Ian Botham, David Gower, and Graham Gooch.”

He added that he’s looking forward to finalising a competitive PM’s XI squad to challenge a strong English side.

“I look forward to meeting with the selectors to finalise a PM’s XI squad that showcases the best available talent from across Australia to take on the strong English team,” he added.

READ: Pakistan kick off training in Lauderhill ahead of West Indies T20Is

BASSETERRE: Ben Dwarshuis took three wickets to help Australia beat the West Indies here on Monday to sweep the five-match T20I series.

The 31-year-old pacer dismissed both openers early and returned later to claim the prized wicket of top-scorer Shimron Hetmyer.

Chasing a modest 171 to win the fifth T20I, Australia recovered from 25-3 and 60-4 to score 173-7 with three overs to spare.

Cameron Green anchored the middle-order recovery with 32, big-hitting Tim David raced to 30 off 12 balls with four sixes and a four, and Mitchell Owen scored 37.

When Green departed, Australia were 141-6, still needing 30, and the West Indies sniffed a consolation win.

But Aaron Hardie kept his composure to see Australia home by three wickets with an unbeaten 28.

“I didn’t expect 5-0 at the start of the series. But we played some great cricket,” said Australia captain Mitchell Marsh.

West Indies captain Shai Hope pinpointed the reason for his team’s failure to win a match.

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“We never put together a proper batting display. We either started well or finished poorly, or the other way round,” said Hope. “Against a quality team, you can’t get away with that.”

The West Indies were in trouble early, having been asked to bat when the Australia captain won the toss.

Ben Dwarshuis removed Brandon King for 11 and Hope for nine to reduce the hosts to 22-2 in the fourth over.

That became 64-4 until Hetmyer led a fightback, hitting three fours and three sixes on his way to a half-century.

It looked like the left-hander might take the West Indies to a challenging total, but Dwarshuis returned to induce a miscue to Sean Abbott at long-off from a slower bouncer.

Hetmyer departed for 52 from 31 balls to leave West Indies 155-7 in the 17th over.

“It was a little bit of a slower wicket, so we tried to hit the wicket hard and use the slower balls as well,” said Dwarshuis, who was named player of the match.

Australia also won the three Tests which preceded the T20 series to sweep all eight matches on the tour.

READ: Usman Khawaja reacts after fan asked to cover the Pakistan jersey in England

Cameron Green, unbeaten 55, and Glenn Maxwell, quick-fire 47, propelled Australia to a three-wicket win over the West Indies in the fourth match of their Twenty20 International series.

West Indies were 205 for nine after being sent to bat first after the visitors won the toss, but took five wickets after the midpoint to keep the pressure on Australia chasing 206 to win.

The Aussies seized a 4-0 lead in the five-match series and can complete a sweep by winning Monday’s finale at Warner Park.

Green struck his half-century off 35 balls with three sixes and three fours, while Inglis had one six and 10 fours in 30 balls, and Glenn Maxwell had 47 runs off 18 balls, hitting six sixes and a four.

But a night after Tim David bashed Australia’s fastest T20I century off only 37 balls, he was rested from the Aussie lineup, and the chase had some tense moments.

Australia’s Mitchell Marsh was out lbw for a second-ball duck from West Indies left-arm fast-medium pace bowler Jediah Blades.

Inglis entered to partner with Maxwell but flew out to deep backward square, caught by Sherfane Rutherford off a ball from Romario Shepherd to start the seventh over, leaving the Aussies on 66 for two.

The visitors reached 129 for two at the drinks break, but on the next ball to start the 11th over, Glenn Maxwell was caught by Jason Holder at long on from a Akeal Hosein delivery.

Blades bowled Mitchell Owen for two thanks to Rutherford’s deep cover grab and two balls later Blades got his third wicket, sending off Cooper Connolly for a duck on Holder’s mid-off catch, the Aussies stuck on 134 for five.

Holder took Aaron Hardie for 23 on a long off catch by Shimron Hetmyer to open the 17th over with the Aussies still 21 runs from victory.

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A drive by Green deflected off Shepherd’s fingers and into the stumps of Xavier Bartlett out of his ground, his seventh wicket gone for nine, and the Aussies two runs from victory.

Green, however, scored runs off the next two deliveries, and Sean Abbott pushed Australia across the line, scoring the final run with four balls to spare.

West Indies managed only a top score of 31 as Aussie fielders shone.

Bartlett bowled out Brandon King for 18 when he chipped out midwicket to Hardie, and removed Shai Hope for 10 after Maxwell made a diving catch mid-on.

Maxwell made a one-handed grab to retire Roston Chase for nil off a Hardie delivery, leaving West Indies on 42 for three, only one ball into the fifth over.

Rutherford went out for 31 when caught by Marsh at backward point off a nice delivery from Adam Zampa to make it 67 for four.

Owen made a diving catch at deep backward point to retire Hetmyer on 16.

Maxwell struck again for the seventh wicket, flicking the ball before going over the boundary so Green could make the catch and send off Shepherd on 28.

Green then caught Matthew Forde for 15 to put the West Indies on 184 for eight.

Rain hit with four balls remaining, but after a 55-minute delay, the hosts scored two final runs.

READ: Kamran Akmal’s blazing ton helps Pakistan Champions crush West Indies

JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Thursday unveiled its squads for the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia, marking the return of key players though, experienced batter David Miller was notably absent from both the ODI and T20 line-ups.

South Africa’s regular white-ball skippers Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma are set to lead the T20I and ODI squads, respectively, after missing out on the Zimbabwe tour.

Bavuma was out of the Zimbabwe Tests with a hamstring injury sustained at the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June, while Markram was rested from the Proteas Test and T20I series against Zimbabwe.

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Among the South African regular players, David Miller and Marco Jansen are not included in either of the squads. The left-arm pacer is out due to injury, while David Miller, who will be playing in the hundred, will return to the team for the White-ball tour of England in September.

South Africa’s pace attack will be led by Kagiso Rabada in both squads, while Keshav Maharaj will take the responsibilities in the spin department, although in ODIs.

The Proteas batting line welcomed the return of opening batter Ryan Rickelton and midlde-order batter Tristan Stubbs. Moreover, young batters Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis, currently playing in the Zimbabwe tour, have been retained.

South Africa ODI Squad

Temba Bavuma (capt), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen

South Africa T20I Squad

Aiden Markram (capt), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Rassie van der Dussen

READ: England set to host Pakistan for Test series in 2026

KINGSTON: Debutant Mitchell Owen announced his arrival in style as Australia edged past West Indies by three wickets in the first T20I of the ongoing five-match series at Sabina Park on Sunday.

Chasing a daunting target of 190, the visitors crossed the finish line with seven balls to spare, thanks to an all-round masterclass from the 23-year-old Owen, who backed up his bowling effort with a game-changing half-century.

Earlier, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to field first, a decision that saw the hosts put up a competitive 189/8.

Roston Chase led the West Indies charge with a stroke-filled 60 off 32 balls, peppering the boundary with nine fours and two sixes.

Skipper Shai Hope added a fluent 55 off 39, while Shimron Hetmyer chipped in with a quick 38 off just 19.

However, the rest of the West Indies batting order failed to capitalise, with six batters dismissed in single digits.

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Ben Dwarshuis was the pick of the bowlers for Australia, finishing with impressive figures of 4/36. Owen, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, and Cooper Connolly claimed a wicket each.

In response, Australia’s chase began shakily, but Cameron Green steadied the innings with a powerful 51 off 26 deliveries, clearing the ropes five times and hitting two fours.

His counterattack gave Australia the momentum, but it was Mitchell Owen who truly turned the tide.

Walking in during a tense phase, the youngster smashed 50 off just 27 balls, including six massive sixes, before falling with 15 runs still needed.

His composed assault ensured Australia remained in control, and the remaining batters wrapped up the chase in 18.5 overs.

For the West Indies, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, and Gudakesh Motie picked up two wickets each, while Akeal Hosein chipped in with one.

READ: Mike Hesson labels Mirpur pitch as ‘unacceptable’ for international cricket

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has thrown his weight behind 19-year-old Sam Konstas to open the innings alongside Usman Khawaja in the upcoming Ashes series later this year.

Speaking to ICC Digital, Ponting shared his thoughts on Australia’s top-order options for both the Ashes and the beginning of their new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, urging selectors to persist with Konstas despite his recent struggles.

“The batters that they’re talking about in the last couple of weeks in particular have been Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja, and then there was some talk about Cameron Green, whether he’s a long-term number three or not,” Ponting said.

Ponting also hinted that Green’s gritty second-innings knock in the Caribbean may have cemented his place at No. 3.

“Green’s second innings in the West Indies might have put that to bed. As tough as the conditions were, the way he batted might have silenced a few of those critics,” he added.

Sam Konstas, meanwhile, endured a nightmare tour of the West Indies, managing just 50 runs across six innings.

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However, Ricky Ponting believes his form shouldn’t be judged in isolation, pointing to the extremely challenging conditions during that series.

“I read a really interesting piece by Robert Craddock about how they tried to protect Sam from the Sri Lanka tour, thinking the Caribbean would be easier,” he added.

“But it turned out the pitches in Sri Lanka were better for batting and the West Indies surfaces were really tough.”

Despite the lean run, Ponting urged Konstas to block out the noise and trust the process.

“If I were him, I’d be sticking to one or two trusted voices and ignoring the rest. It’s hard in today’s world with media and social platforms, but keeping your preparation and mindset clear is essential,” he concluded.

For the unversed, Sam Konstas burst onto the scene last year with a fearless 60 off 65 balls on debut against India in the Boxing Day Test, going after Jasprit Bumrah with authority.

READ: West Indies unwilling to scrap ODIs for T20Is against Pakistan

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell is set to follow Nicolas Pooran’s footsteps in retiring from International cricket during the T20I series against Australia.

A month earlier, former West Indies white-ball captain Nicholas Pooran had stunned cricket fans around the world as he announced his retirement from international cricket at just 29 years of age.

The left-handed batter, who had become a vital part of the West Indies’ limited-overs setup, brought the curtain down on an international career spanning eight years.

Now, the 37-year-old Russell, who has been named in the West Indies squad for the five-match series against Australia set to commence on 20 July at Sabina Park is also in line to bid farewell to international cricket.

According to Cricinfo, the opening two games of the series at Andre Russell’s home ground will be his farewell matches. The all-rounder known for his explosive batting has 84 T20I caps to his name and has only featured in the shorter format for the West Indies since 2019.

Andre Russell, hailing from Jamaica, is the second high-profile West Indies player after Nicholas Pooran to hang up his boots in international cricket in less than two months.

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Andre Russel was a vital cog of the West Indies squads that won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016.

Following the squad announcement for the series against Australia, head coach Daren Sammy expressed confidence ahead of the 2026 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

“Our goals and strategic plans are aligned to winning the T20 World Cup in 2026,” he said.

“We have continuity in the squad from the previous series and as a unit we will continue to fine tune our style and brand ahead of the World Cup,” he added.

Sammy mentioned previous series results while stressing on the momentum for the next few months.

“Our previous two T20 series at home we were on the wrong end of the results but starting against Australia, we want to regain our form at home as we build momentum into next year’s World Cup with our exciting and dynamic group of players,” he concluded.

West Indies squad for T20Is against Australia

Shai Hope (capt), Jewel Andrew, Jediah Blades, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

READ: Tri-series: Jacobs, Robinson propel New Zealand to victory over South Africa

Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Kishore Shallow has called for an emergency meeting with past greats after the team was bowled out for just 27 runs in their loss to Australia during the third Test.

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc took 6-9 as the West Indies made the second-lowest score in Test history, suffering a humiliating 176-run defeat at Sabina Park on Monday.

West Indies just avoided New Zealand’s record low of 26, set in 1955, and Shallow said there would be an inquest to review a dismal 3-0 series loss.

“The result hurts deeply, not only because of how we lost, but because of what West Indies cricket has always represented to our people: pride, identity, and possibility,” Kishore said in a statement.

“There will be some sleepless nights ahead for many of us, including the players, who I know feel this loss just as heavily.”

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The previous lowest total for the West Indies was the 47 they scored against England in 2004, before the recent Kingston Test against Australia.

“We are in a rebuilding phase, steadily investing in the next generation, and reigniting the spirit that has long made West Indies cricket a force in the world,” said Kishore.

“Progress is rarely straightforward. It takes time, perseverance, and belief, especially in our most difficult moments. The road ahead will test us,” he added.

“Now is not the time to turn away.”

Kishore said he had invited West Indies greats Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, and Brian Lara to take part in discussions concerning the team’s decline, which also saw them fail to qualify for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, played in India.

READ: Ian Bishop praises Shaheen Afridi, calls him ‘Baby Starc’ during third West Indies-Australia Test

The Caribbean great Ian Bishop made an interesting comparison between Pakistan’s premier left-arm pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Australia’s Mitchell Starc during the recently concluded third Test between Australia and the West Indies.

Bishop, speaking in commentary, referred to Shaheen as a “Baby Starc,” praising his knack for attacking the stumps in a style reminiscent of the Aussie spearhead, who had just ripped through the West Indies lineup with a blistering five-wicket haul in just 15 deliveries.

“It’s well known with Mitchell Starc and Shaheen Shah Afridi, at his best, watch and guard your stumps,” said Bishop, highlighting how both pacers pose a consistent threat with the new ball by targeting the base of the wickets.

The veteran broadcaster also paid homage to legends of the past, including Glenn McGrath, Curtly Ambrose, and Courtney Walsh, crediting their relentless accuracy and discipline for the havoc they caused across generations.

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“McGrath terrorised batters around the world by hitting that perfect length again and again. Ambrose and Walsh did it too, and now you see Josh Hazlewood following that method,” Ian Bishop added.

“But then there’s Shaheen Afridi, the rising star. I thought he was baby Starc at his fittest. A different style, but the same intent.”

Shaheen has built an impressive resume since making his international debut against the West Indies in 2018.

Across formats, the left-armer has already claimed 345 international wickets, including seven five-fors, and continues to be a central figure in Pakistan’s bowling attack.

His standout 2021 campaign earned him the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year award, with his match-winning spells in the T20 World Cup that year.

READ: Pakistan T20I squad departs for Bangladesh in two groups