Tag: Australia

Australia revert to using Kookaburra balls only in domestic cricket

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“Australian bowler James Pattinson fields a Kookaburra ball during a Test against New Zealand in January this year. ©AFP” /> Sydney (AFP) – Australia on Thursday announced plans to ditch the English Dukes ball in domestic cricket and revert to using only the traditional Kookaburra for the next Sheffield Shield season. Cricket Australia introduced the Dukes ball in 2016 and they were used in the second half of each Shield season to try to accustom players to conditions in England, where Australian batsmen had often struggled. Dukes balls tend to…

Don’t ‘poke the bear’ – Warner says Aussies shouldn’t sledge Kohli

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“Virat Kohli will lead India in their tour of Australia this year. ©AFP” /> New Delhi (AFP) – Australia’s David Warner has warned against sledging Virat Kohli when India tour Australia this year, saying “trying to poke the bear” will only make the star batsman play better. As cricket slowly gets back into action after coronavirus suspensions, India are slated to tour Australia for four Test matches in December-January in what is set to be a highlight of the year. Warner, a lynchpin of Australia’s batting attack, said he is looking…

Cricket Australia admits T20 World Cup plans ‘unrealistic’

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“Australia played New Zealand behind closed doors in Sydney in March. ©AFP” /> Sydney (AFP) – Staging the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia this year is “unrealistic” in the midst of a global coronavirus pandemic, Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings admitted Tuesday. The tournament is scheduled to take place from October 18 to November 15, and officials have previously said they are planning for it to proceed on those dates. But with many global borders still shut due to virus-related travel restrictions, Eddings conceded that was looking increasingly unlikely. “While…

Australia set dates for COVID-threatened India cricket tour

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“India played an ODI against Australia in in Melbourne in January 2019. ©AFP” /> Sydney (AFP) – Australia announced dates for India’s lucrative Test cricket tour as the centrepiece of a busy home season on Thursday, but admitted that plans remained in flux because of the coronavirus. Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts said the picture was “evolving every day” as he unveiled men’s fixtures against Zimbabwe, the West Indies and Afghanistan, as well as India. Australia are also due to host the men’s Twenty20 World Cup in October and November.…

Australian batmaker apologises to Tendulkar as lawsuit settled

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“Sachin Tendulkar retired in 2013 but he still makes huge amounts endorsing products. ©AFP” /> New Delhi (AFP) – Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar has settled a lawsuit with an Australian bat maker he accused of failing to pay him millions of dollars under a licensing agreement. Spartan Sports group apologised to Tendulkar for using his name and image after he terminated a deal with them, according to a joint statement. Tendulkar had claimed millions of dollars in damages in a civil lawsuit filed in a Sydney court last year.The…

Clarke left bemused after Cricket Australia excluded Khawaja from national contract list

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COURTESY BY: https://www.cricingif.com/ Cricket Australia announced the names of 20 nationally contracted players but one notable omission left former Australia captain Michael Clarke bemused. Clarke asked the reason for leaving out the senior batsman Usman Khawaja from the list. The 33-year-old has fallen down the pecking order and not long ago he was considered as the lynchpin of Australia’s batting line-up. “I find it very hard to believe that someone with the talent and the runs behind him over 10 years isn’t in Australia’s top 20 players,” Clarke told Big Sports…

Mitchell Marsh gets Australia contract, Khawaja among six axed

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“Dropped: Out of form batsman Usman Khawaja has not been awarded a new Australia contract. ©AFP” /> Sydney (AFP) – All-rounder Mitchell Marsh returned to Cricket Australia’s list of 20 nationally contracted players Thursday, but there was no room for his brother Shaun or struggling batsman Usman Khawaja. The older Marsh sibling and Khawaja were among six players axed from a group that selectors loaded with limited-overs talent to reflect Australia’s upcoming schedule, particularly the Twenty20 World Cup scheduled for October-November. “With many of the squad crossing into all three…

Smith is ‘strange’ but a ‘genius’, says Stokes

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“Australia’s Steve Smith was the top-scorer during last year’s Ashes series in England. ©AFP” /> New Delhi (AFP) – England’s Ben Stokes has said his Australian rival and IPL teammate Steve Smith is a “genius” as well as “strange” as he hailed the number one Test batsman. “He’s still strange to play against and he’s still strange to play with.And the best thing about it is that he admits it,” Stokes said in a podcast broadcast by their Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday. “But I feel to…

Handscomb optimistic Australia will hold T20 World Cup

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“Peter Handscomb (R) said there were positive signs for Australian sport. ©AFP” /> Sydney (AFP) – Australia batsman Peter Handscomb said he was hopeful the Twenty20 World Cup would proceed as planned later this year, citing signs other Australian sports were preparing to end COVID-19-related suspensions. All sports including cricket are currently on hold in Australia and strict travel restrictions have cast doubt on whether the 16-nation tournament will go ahead in October and November. But Australia’s success in containing the virus has seen the National Rugby League and Australian…

Thomas, Gayle lead West Indies World Cup rout of Pakistan

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Nottingham (United Kingdom) (AFP) – West Indies crushed Pakistan by seven wickets in a one-sided contest at Trent Bridge on Friday as the two-time champions laid down a marker in their first match of the World Cup. Pakistan had no answer to the West Indies’ fast bowlers and were bundled out for a paltry 105 in just 21.4 overs — their second-lowest World Cup total. Man-of-the-match Oshane Thomas took four wickets and captain Jason Holder chipped in with three as Pakistan folded without much of a fight on the second…