Cricket

Australian all-rounder Sophie Molineux faces a race against time to recover from a fractured rib and be fit for the upcoming New Zealand series and T20 World Cup. The injury, sustained during training, will sideline her for up to eight weeks.Molineux's absence is a significant blow to Australia's preparations for the World Cup, which begins on October 3 in Bangladesh. The left-arm spinner and hard-hitting batter has been in impressive form since returning to the national team in February after a string of injuries.In her comeback Test against South Africa, Molineux took 3 for 10 in the first innings. She then starred in the T20I series against Bangladesh, claiming six wickets at an average of 8.33 and earning Player of the Series honors.Molineux's injury has also ruled her out of the Hundred, where she was set to join Manchester Originals. Grace Harris, another likely selection for the World Cup squad, will also miss the tournament due to a calf strain.Kim Garth will replace Molineux at Originals, while Megan Schutt has been added to the Spirit squad as a replacement player. These signings have necessitated adjustments to the Australia A squads that will face India A in Queensland next month.Maitlan Brown and Kate Peterson have been called up to the Australia A T20 squad, while Brown will also feature in the one-day matches.Despite the setbacks, Australia has a busy international schedule ahead. They will host India in early December before traveling to New Zealand for three ODIs. The multi-format Ashes, featuring a day-night Test at the MCG, will take place in January.Australia will then return to New Zealand in late March for another series. The WBBL will commence a week after the T20 World Cup, while the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) is expected to be held in early March.

New Zealand's 2024-25 home season promises an exciting array of international cricket, with tours from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Australia confirmed. The schedule features six ODIs and eight T20Is for the men's team, while the women will play six ODIs and six T20Is.The highlight of the season will be the three-Test series against England, which will conclude a busy summer of nine Tests for New Zealand. The Tests will be followed by a T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka in late December and mid-January.After the Sri Lanka tour, the men's team will head to Pakistan for an ODI tri-series in preparation for the Champions Trophy. They will then host Pakistan for five T20Is and three ODIs in late March and early April, which may overlap with the IPL.The women's team will host Australia for three ODIs in December, followed by three T20Is in March. Sri Lanka's women will also tour New Zealand in March for a six-match series.Five of the women's T20Is will be played as double-headers with the men's T20I series against Pakistan.

George Bailey, the chief selector for the Australian men's cricket team, has confirmed that David Warner, the seasoned left-handed opening batsman, will not be considered for selection in the Champions Trophy scheduled for 2025.Following Australia's exit from the Super Eights stage of the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, Warner had indicated his intention to retire from international cricket. However, he had expressed a willingness to make a final appearance in the 2025 Champions Trophy.Bailey has now put an end to any speculation, stating unequivocally that Warner has fully retired from representing Australia in international cricket. He emphasized the importance of recognizing and celebrating Warner's legacy as a crucial player across all formats of the game."Our understanding is that David is retired, and (he) should be commended on what has been an incredible career across all three formats. You never know when Bull's joking…think he's just stirring the pot a bit," Bailey said to reporters."He's had a wonderful career, can't celebrate it enough, and think as time goes by, his legacy of what he has done for Australia and we reflect back on that, the legend of a player is only going to continue to grow. But as far as this team goes and the journey to transition to some different players, in his case across all three formats, it's going to be exciting."Bailey also affirmed that Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc remain integral to the team's plans for the 2025 Champions Trophy and possibly the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup. This statement comes in the wake of the decision to rest the two players from the T20I matches against Scotland and England, respectively, in September."I don't think there's anyone who's not there that we've put a line through permanently besides David. This is the way we are going with this squad. If opportunities arise or there are gaps at different points there's nothing to say that Wadey might not come back, but certainly, at this point, we are excited about giving Josh (Inglis) a run," Bailey said."The next T20 World Cup is 2026, so I imagine there may be some more changes than what we are seeing in this squad but specifically to those guys (Starc and Maxwell), no we haven't had any conversations about where they think their T20 journey may finish. Certainly for Glenn and Mitch, the Champions Trophy is very much on the horizon, (and is a) very important tournament for those guys.""And Starcy in particular, I think he's going to have a huge summer. Clearly, some of the decisions made around this series are around prioritising and getting guys right for what will be a really big summer. As far as ending players, seeing where guys might finish up, we haven't had those conversations," he elaborated.Bailey commended Mitchell Marsh for his leadership of the Australian team during the T20 World Cup. Although Australia was eliminated in the Super Eights stage after losing to Afghanistan and India, Bailey recognized Marsh's captaincy skills."I loved the way he captained through the T20 World Cup. He was really clear on how he wanted to lead that team. He was as disappointed as anyone that we didn't get to the end goal that everyone was hoping to achieve, but if you look at his early success rate as a captain across T20 he's done a really great job."

Australia's T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming tours of Scotland and England have been announced, marking a shift towards the future. Perth Scorchers allrounder Cooper Connolly has earned his maiden international call-up for the T20I series, while Jake Fraser-McGurk has been included in both the T20I and ODI squads.Connolly, despite limited domestic T20 experience, impressed in the 2022-23 BBL final, securing the title for the Scorchers. His impressive strike rate of 145.80 and strong performance on his Sheffield Shield debut have earned him a spot in the national team.Mitchell Marsh will continue as captain for both the T20I and ODI sides, with Pat Cummins rested for the entire tour. Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell will miss the T20Is but will join the squad for the ODIs. Matthew Short, who was a traveling reserve at the T20 World Cup, will remain at home for the birth of his first child before joining for the five one-dayers against England.Ashton Agar and Matthew Wade have been dropped from the T20I squad, while David Warner has retired from international cricket. Fraser-McGurk is expected to establish himself as Warner's successor at the top of the order in both limited-overs formats.In the T20I squad, Xavier Bartlett and Spencer Johnson will join Josh Hazlewood in the pace attack. Allrounders Cameron Green and Aaron Hardie are included across both formats, with Green likely to see more opportunities. Josh Inglis will replace Wade as the wicketkeeper in T20Is."This tour gives us a great opportunity to bring in some new players and give senior players time to prepare for the home summer," said national selector George Bailey. "We are particularly pleased to offer Cooper his first opportunity in the T20 squad."With the Champions Trophy on the horizon, the white-ball series against Pakistan and a home Test series against India, the selectors have invested in integrating new players into the squad. Alex Carey returns to the ODI squad as Inglis' understudy.

Rohit Sharma's blistering assault on Mitchell Starc in the T20 World Cup has etched itself into cricketing history. The Indian captain's onslaught not only propelled India to victory over Australia but also shattered the Aussies' hopes of reaching the semifinals.Sharma's 92-run knock off just 41 deliveries was a masterclass in power-hitting. Starc, Australia's bowling spearhead, bore the brunt of the carnage, conceding 29 runs in a single over that included four sixes and a four.The Indian victory sparked jubilant celebrations both on and off the field. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the T20 world champions, followed by an open bus parade in Mumbai that drew massive crowds.Sharma's popularity soared even further after the tournament. During a promotional event in the US, fans greeted him with chants of "Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Starc." The captain responded with a smile and a request for calm.Starc, reflecting on the match in a podcast interview, acknowledged Sharma's brilliance. "He had a good tournament, especially at the back end," Starc said. "I think he targeted that wind in St Lucia as well. I think I had five bad balls and he hit them all for six."Sharma's performance against Australia was a testament to his exceptional talent and leadership. His ability to dominate world-class bowlers has made him one of the most feared batsmen in the game today.

India's legendary cricketer Yuvraj Singh showcased his vintage power-hitting prowess in the second semifinal of the World Championship of Legends, leading India to an emphatic 86-run victory over Australia.Batting at number four, Yuvraj unleashed a barrage of sixes and fours, amassing a blistering 59 runs off just 28 deliveries. His innings, which included five maximums and four boundaries, was a nostalgic reminder of his match-winning performances in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups.Yuvraj's partnership with Yusuf Pathan proved to be a game-changer, as the duo plundered 54 runs in a mere four overs. Pathan, who remained unbeaten on 51 off 23 balls, also played a crucial role in India's dominant batting display.Earlier, opener Robin Uthappa laid the foundation for India's mammoth total with a fiery 65 off 35 balls. His innings, which featured four sixes and six fours, set the tone for India's aggressive approach.The Pathan brothers, Irfan and Yusuf, then took center stage, smashing 95 runs in just 5.4 overs. Irfan, in particular, was unstoppable, scoring a rapid 50 off 19 deliveries.Australia's chase never gained momentum, as their top three batsmen were dismissed within the Powerplay. Tim Paine and Nathan Coulter-Nile attempted a late rally, but their efforts proved futile as Australia fell short by 86 runs.Pawan Negi led India's bowling attack with figures of 2 for 35, while Dhawal Kulakarni also claimed two wickets. Harbhajan Singh, Rahul Shukla, and Irfan Pathan each picked up one wicket, ensuring a comprehensive bowling performance.India's victory sets up a tantalizing final against arch-rivals Pakistan, who defeated West Indies in the first semifinal. The two cricketing giants will clash on Saturday in a highly anticipated showdown.

The Big Bash League (BBL) is set to return for its 2024-25 season, with the schedule released on Friday. The season will commence on December 15 with the Perth Scorchers hosting the Melbourne Stars at Optus Stadium. The final will be played on January 27, which is a public holiday in Australia.BBL officials are hopeful that Australia's Test players will be able to feature in the latter stages of the regular season in January. However, availability will depend on workloads after the five-Test series against India. Players involved in the subsequent two-Test tour of Sri Lanka will not be available for the BBL finals, which run from January 21-27.The BBL has introduced a new mechanism that allows clubs to sign Australia-contracted players outside of their 18-player squad. This option was taken up by Pat Cummins (Sydney Thunder) and Mitchell Starc (Sydney Sixers) last season, although neither player featured for their clubs.Last season, several Australian Test players made brief appearances in the BBL between the Pakistan and West Indies series. Steven Smith played twice for Sydney Sixers, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne twice for Brisbane Heat, and Alex Carey once for Adelaide Strikers.The overseas player draft is expected to take place in early September, with clubs now able to sign players before the draft on a multi-year deal.The Perth Scorchers will host the opening match of the season against the Melbourne Stars at Optus Stadium. The Adelaide Strikers will host their traditional fixture at Adelaide Oval on New Year's Eve against the Scorchers, while the Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Sixers will face off on New Year's Day at Blundstone Arena.One of the major controversies last season was the abandoned game in Geelong between the Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers due to a damp pitch. However, GMHBA Stadium has been given another chance and will host the Renegades' first home game against the Hurricanes on December 19.

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has expressed his frustration over being dropped for the crucial T20 World Cup Super Eights match against Afghanistan, stating that he was not amused by the team management's decision. The 2021 T20 World Cup champions suffered a shocking 21-run loss to Afghanistan, which dealt a massive blow to Australia's chances of entering the semifinals.Starc was replaced by Ashton Agar for the match, but the left-arm spinner, despite tying down the Afghanistan batters, could not take any wickets. "No — two World Cups in a row," Starc was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald on Willow Talk podcast when quizzed about his omission and whether he was amused by the decision. "Just the match-up, they (team management) saw previous games on that ground in St Vincent with spin playing a part and obviously Ash (Ashton) and the left-armer enticing them to make a change," he added.This was the second occasion in a row where the Australian pacer was dropped for a T20 World Cup match against Afghanistan, with the previous one being in Adelaide in 2022 where also the hosts failed to reach the last four stage. Agar and the two Australian pace spearheads, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, were unable to break the partnership between openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, who ended up making 118 runs."I think Ash bowled pretty well in the powerplay. They probably played the spin quite well and batting first probably assessed the conditions a little bit better than we did, and had a couple of stumbles that in the end cost us the game," said Starc. "It was probably the fielding that cost us again that game. That meant we had to win against India and we fell short there as well."Australia then went on to lose to India in Super Eights and were later eliminated from the competition. Starc also expressed his displeasure with the scheduling of the tournament and pre seeding that saw them advance to the pre determined group despite topping the group stage. "We finished ahead of England (in the group stage) and end up where we were pre-seeded as the second side. All of a sudden, you're in a different group.""The argument was it was because it was so hard to get around the West Indies, so fans knew where your team was playing. "So then why don't you have the chock-a-block tournament at the front... and then spread it out at the back end? We had the two night games and the third was a day game, so it wasn't the best preparation. We had a delayed flight out of St Vincent, it was a 90-minute drive from the airport to the hotel in St Lucia, and then we had a 10 o'clock toss. He added that the travelling between venues in the West Indies is always difficult. "I think that was probably maybe a misread [by organisers], the fact that the front half of the tournament was more spread out, and then you hit the super eights and … travel around the West Indies is probably not the easiest thing to do, certainly not to travel home from.”

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has emphasized the crucial role of all-rounder Hardik Pandya in India's quest for Test supremacy and success in Australia. Gavaskar believes Pandya's return to the Test team could be a game-changer, especially after his pivotal contribution to India's T20 World Cup triumph.Pandya, who has played only 11 Tests due to persistent injuries, has a promising Test record with a batting average of 31.29 and a bowling average of 31.05. He has scored 532 runs, including a century and four fifties, and taken 17 wickets with a best bowling performance of 5 for 28.Gavaskar, in an interview with Revsportz, expressed his optimism about India's potential to dominate Test cricket with Pandya in the team. "If he bowls ten overs a day to go with his batting, this Indian team could become invincible, and they can surely go on and win the WTC and beat Australia in Australia," Gavaskar stated.India has twice reached the WTC final but has fallen short both times. The upcoming five-match Test series in Australia later this year provides another opportunity for India to assert their dominance and chase their first WTC title.Gavaskar's call for Pandya's return underscores the strategic importance of his all-round abilities. Pandya's batting prowess and bowling versatility could significantly enhance India's chances of success in Test cricket, both at home and abroad.