Tag: australia

Cricket Australia (CA) has planned to pay tribute to late top-order batter Phil Hughes on his 10th death anniversary on November 27.

Hughes tragically passed away on November 27, 2014, after being struck in the neck by a bouncer off Sean Abbott during a domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

In a heartfelt effort to honour Hughes’s memory, Cricket Australia (CA) has organized a series of commemorative activities aimed at paying tribute to his legacy.

These plans include special observances during the Sheffield Shield matches as well as the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test between India and Australia, set to take place in Adelaide.

CA has shared that flags will be flown at half-mast during the upcoming round of Sheffield Shield matches, signalling a collective moment of mourning. Throughout the matches, players will don black armbands.

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Moreover, a minute of silence will be observed on the fourth day of each game, including those involving Hughes’s former teams, South Australia and New South Wales.

During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test, beginning on December 6, Hughes will be honoured in a special way. A documentary chronicling his life and remarkable cricketing journey will be presented, crafted with care in collaboration with Hughes’s family.

The documentary will be screened before the start of the match, providing fans with an intimate glimpse into the life of a player who left an enduring impact on the sport.

“We understand this will be a time of reflection for the many people who knew and admired Phillip Hughes,” Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said.

“We wanted to ensure that the Hughes family, particularly, were comfortable with any commemorations and that we celebrate Phillip’s life and incredible achievements appropriately.”

READ: Jasprit Bumrah puts India back on top in first Australia Test

PERTH: Jasprit Bumrah brought India back in the first Test against Australia after being skittled for 150, taking seven wickets in the final session to put themselves in the box seat on Friday.

At the close of the opening day, the hosts were in disarray on 67-7 after Bumrah demolished the Australian top order in a devastating spell to end the day with 4-17.

Alex Carey (19*) and Mitchell Starc (6*) will resume Australia’s innings on the second day.

After opting to bat the visitors were blown away for 150, no match for the hosts’ lethal pace attack with Josh Hazlewood taking 4-29.

Impressive debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) and flamboyant Rishabh Pant (37) showed some spirit but once again superstar Virat Kohli flopped, out for five.

The 36-year-old has only managed two Test centuries in the last five years, with questions mounting over whether he still warrants selection.

But Australia fared no better in reply as the bowling attack of India wreaked havoc.

Captain Bumrah removed rookie opener Nathan McSweeney lbw for 10, another headache for a team struggling to find a decent replacement for the retired David Warner.

Marnus Labuschagne had a massive letoff two balls later, with Kohli putting down a sitter in the slips, leaving Bumrah with his head in his hands.

But India quickly snared another breakthrough with Kohli this time holding the catch off Bumrah to remove Usman Khawaja (8), and when Steve Smith was trapped lbw next ball, it was game on.

Harshit Rana clean-bowled Travis Head (11) for a maiden Test wicket before Mitchell Marsh departed for five, caught low in the slips by KL Rahul off Mohammed Siraj.

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Labuschagne rode his luck for 52 balls to eke out two runs before he too was on his way, lbw to Siraj, then Bumrah returned to dismiss skipper Pat Cummins (3).

After a crushing 3-0 home series defeat by New Zealand, India sprung a surprise by dropping veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, allrounder Ravindra Jadeja and middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan from the first Test against Australia.

Coupled with the absence of opener and regular skipper Rohit Sharma following the birth of a child, and without injured number three Shubman Gill, it left them a fragile batting lineup.

Yashasvi Jaiswal left without scoring in the third over, edging an attempted drive off Starc to McSweeney, who did well to collect low at gully.

With Gill missing, left-hander Devdutt Padikkal came in at three, facing 23 deliveries without scoring before his luck ran out when Hazlewood steamed in and enticed an edge taken by wicketkeeper Carey.

That brought Kohli to the crease, in dire need of a big score.

Despite a stellar record in Australia, he lasted just 12 balls before fending off a climbing Hazlewood thunderbolt that took an edge to Khawaja at slip.

India’s woes worsened when opener Rahul (26) feathered to Carey on the cusp of lunch.

Pant and Dhruv Jurel needed to hang around after the break.

But Jurel, preferred to Sarfaraz, survived barely 10 minutes before succumbing to Marsh on 11, getting an edge that carried to third slip Labuschagne.

Marsh struck again to account for Washington Sundar to leave the visitors staring down the barrel on 73-6 before Pant and Reddy led a mini-recovery.

Cummins finally ended Pant’s exploits, taken sharply at slip by Smith, which signalled India’s demise.

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed joins ICC Champions Trophy tour in Karachi

Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah insisted Thursday that India were carrying no baggage from their Test whitewash by New Zealand and warned Australia that star batsman Virat Kohli was looking “ominous”.

India head into the first of five Tests against Australia on Friday in Perth on the back of their first home series loss in 12 years.

But speedster Bumrah, who will captain the side after Rohit Sharma stayed home following the birth of his second child, said they were only looking forward.

“The beauty about cricket is even if you win, you start from zero, and even if you lose you start from zero,” he told reporters. “So that’s how I look at the game.”

“Obviously, yes, we were disappointed and we were down that we had a tough series [against New Zealand].

“But we are not carrying any baggages. We come with a fresh mindset, different opposition and you learn from the changes that have happened in our team.”

With Rohit out, KL Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran are in line to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, while there are doubts over number three Shubman Gill who has hurt his thumb.

Their bowling line-up is also unclear. Bumrah said India had settled on who would partner him in the attack, but he would wait until the toss to reveal all.

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Kohli is certain to play but will stand up under increasing scrutiny after managing only two Test centuries in the last five years and averaging just 15 against New Zealand.

Despite signs that one of the world’s greatest batsmen may be past his best at 36, Bumrah cautioned that Kohli should never be written off.

Kohli holds a stellar record in Australia, having scored 1352 runs across 13 Tests at an average of 54.08 with six centuries and four half-centuries.

“He is one of the greats of the game,” said Jasprit Bumrah. “He’s the utmost professional that we have in our team. He’s got a lot of success.”

“Okay, one or two series here and there can go up and down, but the confidence that he has at this moment, I have no doubts.

“He’s looking to contribute. And the way I’ve seen him at training … the signs are ominous.”

With Bumrah taking the armband, the first Test will have two fast bowlers captaining their teams, with Pat Cummins in charge of Australia.

“I love the responsibility. I wanted to do the tough job since I was a child,” he said. “I’ve never followed a copybook plan… I’ve never followed a model and I go with my instincts and that’s how I’ve always played my cricket. I have a lot of faith in my instincts and gut.”

READ: ‘They look like mummies’: Salman Butt takes a dig at Pakistan players’ fitness

SYDNEY: Australia have won the toss and elected to bat first in the second T20I of the three-match series against Pakistan at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here on Saturday.

Australia opted to go with an unchanged side, that defeated Pakistan in the rain-effect first T20I in Brisbane. Meanwhile, Pakistan have replaced Haseebullah Khan with left-arm wrist-spinner Sufiyan Muqeem.

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Playing XIs

Australia: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, Josh Inglis (c)(wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson

Pakistan: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan, Salman Agha, Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah

READ: ‘The King is back in his territory’: Ravi Shastri warns critics of Virat Kohli

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has issued a stern warning to those doubters of Virat Kohli, emphasizing that the star batter could make a resounding comeback in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Kohli has been under fire lately due to his below-par form, having scored a solitary half-century and averaging only 21.33 in five Test matches.

During India’s first-ever clean sweep at home in a three-match Test series against New Zealand, Kohli managed only 93 runs from six innings at an average of 15.50.

However, Shastri, who served as the head coach during Kohli’s tenure as captain, has shown his faith in the star batter.

“Well, the King is back in his territory. That’s all I will tell them,” Shastri stated in The ICC Review while responding to a question about Kohli’s critics.

The former all-rounder emphasized that Virat Kohli earned the title of ‘King’ due to his dominant batting performances in Australia, and he is likely to replicate his previous successes in the upcoming series.

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“When you’ve earned that title after your exploits in Australia, it will be on your [opponent’s] mind when you go out to bat.”

For the unversed, Kohli led India to their first-ever series victory in Australia during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He holds a stellar record in Australia, having scored 1352 runs across 13 Tests at an average of 54.08 with six centuries and four half-centuries.

Ravi Shastri advised Virat Kohli to remain calm and play naturally, avoiding reckless dismissals like in the New Zealand series.

“Your juices are flowing, you’re charged up. It’s again a case with Virat. You want to see calmness because at times you are overeager to get out there and throw the first punch,” Shastri said.

“But I think that calmness in the first half an hour where he gets out to bat or in the first three innings of the series will be extremely important. If he can be calm and play the game at his own pace rather than being in a hurry, I think he’ll be fine.”

It’s worth noting that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will start from November 22 in Perth. The second match will be played in Adelaide from December 6, followed by the third Test in Brisbane, scheduled from December 14-18.

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the fourth match from December 26, while the final Test will be played in Sydney from January 3.

READ: Tim Southee announced retirement from Test cricket

India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Monday backed “incredibly tough men” Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to prove their critics wrong and find form in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Skipper Rohit and superstar batter Kohli came under fire after India suffered a humiliating 3-0 Test series defeat against New Zealand at their home soil.

Rohit scored 91 runs in three matches, while Kohli managed just 93.

Speaking just before India flew off to Australia for a blockbuster five-match Test series, Gambhir said he had “no concerns for Virat and Rohit”.

“They are incredibly tough men,” he said. “They’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket and they will continue to achieve a lot in the future as well.”

Gautam Gambhir hit out at Ricky Ponting after the former Australia captain questioned the longer-term form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

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“What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket?” Gambhir said.

Gambhir said the Indian team as a whole were eager to prove themselves after the New Zealand defeat, only their second Test series whitewash at home.

“I feel there is a lot of hunger, especially after what has happened in the last series,” he said.

Gambhir believes the biggest challenge in Australia will be the quicker pitches compared to India, where conditions are traditionally spin-friendly.

But Gambhir said his under-the-cosh side were ready to “fire from ball one” in a series that starts in Perth on November 22.

“We’ve been to Australia many times, so that experience will be crucial,” said the coach, who has also faced some flak.

“If we play to our potential, we play our best cricket, we can beat anyone on any wicket.”

READ: Varun Chakravarthy’s five-fer in vain as South Africa edge past India in low-scoring thriller

The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed on Friday that they will be hosting Australia for a two-match Test series in late January as part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle of 2023-25.

Australia are ranked second, while Sri Lanka are sitting in third place in the current WTC standings.

The first Test will begin from January 29, while the second is scheduled to start on February 6. Both matches will be played at the Galle International Cricket stadium.

The Australians will also play an ODI on February 13, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.

The Australians last visited Sri Lanka in 2022, when they levelled the two-match Test series.

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Notably, Australian captain Pat Cummins might miss the series due to the birth of his second child.

“We’ll see what that looks like closer to the time,” head coach Andrew McDonald said.

“We’ve got a couple of players in Mitch Marsh and Travis Head taking paternity leave at the moment.

“So we respect that if that was to unfold for that particular time and if he wants to miss a Test. If he’s got bigger things to take care of than a Test match in Sri Lanka, then that’s fine with us.”

READ: Babar Azam joins legends as MCG displays his bat in Long Room

Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram has expressed that the upcoming ODI series against Australia poses a substantial challenge for the Pakistan cricket team under newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.

The wicket-keeper batter replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after the latter stepped down from the role earlier this month, in a bid to focus more on his role as a player.

Mohammad Rizwan will begin his tenure as captain with the three-match ODI series aginst Australia, starting on November 4.

Rizwan, who debuted in white-ball cricket in 2015, has played 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is to date, scoring 5,401 runs with four centuries and accounting for 143 dismissals behind the stumps.

As he leads the team in the opening ODI against Australia in Melbourne on 4 November, Rizwan will become Pakistan’s 31st captain. For the first T20I in Brisbane on 14 November, he will be the 12th to captain Pakistan in the format.

Wasim Akram, during an online press conference from Melbourne, highlighted Rizwan’s potential as captain citing his leadership experience.

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“Rizwan is an experienced campaigner. He’s been captaining all his life, leading Multan Sultans in the PSL to one trophy and two finals,” said Akram. “When it comes to leadership, he’s a seasoned campaigner.”

Nonetheless, the former captain emphasized the challenge of playing against Australia in their home conditions, particularly in ODI cricket.

“It’s his first tour [as captain] and a difficult one. It’s challenging to beat Australia in Australia, especially in ODI cricket,” he added.

“In T20I cricket [there is a chance] maybe, but Australia in ODI cricket is a tough team to beat.”

Wasim urged the Pakistan players to concentrate on playing high-quality cricket while pointing out that winning even a single ODI match in these conditions would be a notable accomplishment for the team.

“They should just focus on cricket and try to do well against Australia. Winning even one ODI out of three in Australia would be a big deal,” he remarked.

READ: Wasim Akram confident India will visit Pakistan for Champions Trophy

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced 15-member squads for the tours of Australia and Zimbabwe on Sunday, where the national side will play three ODIs and three T20Is each.

The Australia tour will run from 4-18 November, while the matches in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will be played from 24 November to 5 December.

Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were given a break from the last two Tests against England, returned for the Australia matches but will be rested for the Zimbabwe tour.

Similarly, Mohammad Rizwan will be available for the Australia matches and Zimbabwe ODIs, but will be rested from the Zimbabwe T20Is.

This approach follows the selectors’ rotation policy and provides opportunities to domestic performers, aligning with the team’s strategy for the ICC Champions Trophy and beyond.

Uncapped players in the ODI squad include Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Saim Ayub. Jahandad Khan and Salman Ali Agha join the T20I squad for the first time.

Kamran Ghulam, Omair Bin Yousuf and Sufyan Moqim make their national side debut, having previously played limited-overs internationals.

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Kamran served as a concussion substitute for Haris Sohail against New Zealand in an ODI in January 2023, while Omair and Sufyan debuted in the T20I format against Hong Kong during the Asian Games men’s cricket competition.

Fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain, player of the Champions One-Day Cup in Faisalabad last month with 17 wickets, also returns to the ODI side, having last represented Pakistan in an ODI against New Zealand in January 2023.

Apart from Babar, Naseem, Rizwan, Salman, and Shaheen, four other players have been selected in both the ODI and T20I squads. They are: Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah and Muhammad Irfan Khan.

Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Faisal Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, and Saim Ayub are selected solely for the ODIs and will be replaced by Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, and Usman Khan for the T20Is.

Seven ODI squad members – Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi – will depart for Melbourne on Monday, 28 October, with the remaining ODI players leaving on Tuesday, 29 October. Pakistan’s white-ball coach, Gary Kirsten, will join the squad in Melbourne on 28 October.

Domestic performers dominate Pakistan squads for Zimbabwe ODIs and T20Is

Ahmed Daniyal, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Tayyab Tahir are the other players apart from Salman Ali Agha who have been selected for both formats.

Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Faisal Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub and Shahnawaz Dahani have been picked in the ODI side and will be replaced by Arafat Minhas, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi and Usman Khan for the shortest format of the game.

Haseebullah, Haris Rauf, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Salman Ali Agha are the four players who will be part of the squads from the start of the Australia tour to the end of the Zimbabwe tour.

Pakistan Squad for Australia Tour

ODI SQUAD: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi

T20I SQUAD: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan

Pakistan Squad for Zimbabwe Tour

ODI SQUAD: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir

T20I SQUAD: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan

READ: Babar Azam, Rizwan retained in category A as PCB announces central contracts

Former opening batter David Warner has recently expressed his willingness to represent Australia again during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.

Australia will host India for a five-match Test series, starting from November 22 in Perth. The second match will be played in Adelaide from December 6, followed by the third Test in Brisbane, scheduled from December 14-18.

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the fourth match from December 26, while the final Test will be played in Sydney from January 3.

David Warner retired from Test cricket earlier this year in front of the home crowd in Sydney during the third Test against Pakistan. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the last Test series of his career, scoring 299 runs at an average of 49.83.

However, during an interview with Code Sports, Warner shared his eagerness to take back his retirement for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, only if, the selectors show faith in him.

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“I am always available, just got to pick up the phone. I am always dead serious,” said Warner. “Let’s be honest, the guys have played one red-ball game since their last Test match in February, so I’ve also had the same preparation.”

The Southpaw also expressed interest in playing in the Sheffield Shield to exhibit his form and fitness.

“Honestly, if they need me for the series, I am more than happy to play the next Shield game and go out there and play. I retired for the right reasons, but my hand is up if they desperately need someone. I am not going to shy away from that,” he added.

David Warner has represented Australia in 112 Test matches since his debut against New Zealand in 2011. Over his illustrious career, he has amassed 8,786 runs, which includes an outstanding 26 centuries.

READ: Pakistan vice-captain banks on spin strategy in England series decider