Cricket

Scotland's men's cricket team has announced a 15-man squad for their upcoming T20I series against Australia in September. The series will mark the first time the two sides have met in a bilateral T20I series.The squad includes 15 players who represented Scotland at the T20 World Cup in June, including captain Richie Berrington. Two new faces have been added to the squad: right-arm quick Charlie Cassell and medium pacer Jasper Davidson.Cassell made a sensational start to his international career in July, taking 7 for 21 against Oman in the Cricket World Cup League 2. He has since played two ODIs for Scotland and featured in three One-Day Cup matches for Somerset.Davidson also made his ODI debut against Oman in the CWC League 2, taking four wickets.Scotland head coach Doug Watson said: "After coming into the squad at CWCL2 and doing so well, it'll be great for Jasper and Charlie to have the experience of what it's like playing against the best, in front of a fairly large crowd."It's a wonderful opportunity to play one of the best teams in the world, and I'm pretty sure that our players won't need any motivating for this series. It's a great opportunity for them to share the field with world-class players. They're wanting to put in some huge performances and compete, and really push this Australia team."Scotland will be aiming to win the series, which will be played at The Grange in Edinburgh on September 4, 6, and 7.

Pat Cummins Rested, Mitchell Starc to Miss T20s in Australia's UK TourAs part of a strategic workload management plan, Australia's ODI World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins will be rested for the upcoming limited-overs tour to Britain. Mitchell Starc, another key bowler, will miss the Twenty20 phase of the tour.The tour, scheduled for September, will feature five one-day internationals against England and three Twenty20 matches against Scotland. Cummins' absence is part of a long-term strategy to manage his workload ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy, according to Cricket Australia.Mitchell Marsh, who captained Australia in the recent T20 World Cup, will lead the team on the tour. The selectors have opted to rest wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and veteran opener David Warner, with an eye towards the future.Young batter Jake Fraser-McGurk, who was a traveling reserve for the T20 World Cup, has been included in both the ODI and T20 squads. "This tour gives us a great opportunity to bring in some new players and give some senior players time to prepare for the home summer and a busy first half of next year," said George Bailey, Australia's selection chairman.Bailey emphasized the importance of integrating new players into the white-ball setup, including Fraser-McGurk, Spencer Johnson, Xavier Bartlett, and Aaron Hardie. "With the Champions Trophy next year, there has been a lot of planning invested into these next six months," he said.Despite not reaching the semifinals of the T20 World Cup, Australia remains the reigning World Cup champions in the 50-over format and the World Test Championship winners.

Afghanistan's historic victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup has ignited a surge of pride and joy among the nation's cricket fans. Skipper Rashid Khan hailed the triumph as a "massive" moment, marking a significant milestone in the team's journey.The victory was particularly poignant as it came after a period of setbacks for Afghanistan. In recent years, the team had struggled to find consistent success on the international stage. However, the T20 World Cup has provided a platform for them to showcase their talent and determination.Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran laid the foundation for Afghanistan's victory with impressive half-centuries. Their aggressive batting set the tone for the match, putting pressure on the Australian bowlers. However, it was the all-rounders who ultimately sealed the deal.Gulabdin Naib emerged as the star performer with a career-best bowling figure of 4/20. His accurate spin and clever variations proved too much for the Australian batsmen. Naib's performance highlighted the depth and versatility of Afghanistan's squad, which boasts several players capable of contributing with both bat and ball.Rashid Khan praised Naib's contribution, acknowledging the experience and skill he brought to the team. He also emphasized the importance of the victory for Afghanistan's cricket community, both at home and abroad."It's so important for us back home and around the world," said Rashid. "I'm sure they're proud and would've enjoyed the game."Naib, who was named Player of the Match, echoed Rashid's sentiments. He expressed his gratitude for the team's hard work and dedication, and vowed to continue their journey with the same determination."We beat Australia at last! It is a great achievement for Afghanistan cricket," said Naib. "We played great cricket in the last World Cup, and this year we beat New Zealand in the group stage. Our journey starts now."Australia's skipper, Mitchell Marsh, acknowledged that his team had an off day. He praised Afghanistan's performance and expressed confidence in his team's ability to bounce back."They probably got 20 too many. Lot of teams have bowled first in this tournament. Don't think it was won or lost at the toss. We had an off night on the field," said Marsh. "Wasn't the easiest of wickets but both teams played on it. As I said, we got outplayed today. We just need to win and there's no better team to do it against."Afghanistan's victory has sent shockwaves through the T20 World Cup and has established them as a force to be reckoned with. The team's combination of talent, determination, and all-round ability makes them a formidable opponent for any team.

Australia's Test and ODI captain, Pat Cummins, is relishing his role after being relieved of the T20 captaincy burden. He expressed confidence in his team's preparedness for the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup, stating that they have "ticked off everything" they could have so far.In their opening Super 8 match, Cummins claimed a hattrick and leg-spinner Adam Zampa bowled economically to restrict Bangladesh to 140/8. In response, veteran opener David Warner led the chase with his second fifty of the tournament, guiding Australia to a 28-run victory via the DLS method.Cummins praised the team's overall performance, saying, "It was a fairly polished performance, which is kind of what you want in Super Eights." He emphasized the team's versatility and adaptability, noting that they have used 12 or 13 players so far and everyone has had a chance to contribute.He also highlighted the longevity and impact of Mitchell Starc, who became the highest wicket-taker in ODI and T20 World Cups combined. "He's just a class bowler who takes lots of wickets and has played for a while," Cummins said.Regarding Warner's impending retirement from international cricket, Cummins praised his insatiable appetite for runs in big tournaments. "He looks in great form and continues to play with that freedom, which is great," Cummins said.

Scotland and Australia are set to face off in their first bilateral men's T20I series in Edinburgh this September. The three-match series will mark Australia's first tour of Scotland in 11 years and will serve as a warm-up for their five-match ODI series against England.The games will be played at The Grange on September 4, 5, and 7, ahead of the first ODI against England at Trent Bridge on September 19. The announcement comes as the two sides prepare to meet in a T20 World Cup Group B fixture in St Lucia, which will determine whether England or Scotland join Australia in the Super Eight stage.Scotland and Australia have a limited history in bilateral matches, having played only five ODIs against each other over the years. Australia has emerged victorious on each occasion, including a thumping 200-run win in their last meeting in 2013.Despite their past record, Scotland is eager to make a statement on home soil. The series will provide a valuable opportunity for the team to showcase their skills and gain experience against a top-ranked opponent.For Cricket Scotland, the tour is also a chance to highlight Edinburgh as a cricket destination and to move forward from recent controversies surrounding institutional racism and sexism."What a way to end the year to have Australia coming to Scotland, playing in three T20 internationals at the Grange, when we have been through such incredibly difficult times," said Cricket Scotland CEO Trudy Lindblade. "It will be a celebration of cricket in Scotland and we hope that everybody gets behind us."Lindblade hopes the tour will lead to more visits from Full-Member countries in the future. "We need to play high-quality cricket more often," she said. "This will demonstrate, not just our on-the-field performance, but also the people in Scotland get to see the best possible cricket."

England's T20 World Cup hopes hang in the balance after a disappointing loss to Australia. Head coach Matthew Mott expressed concern over Josh Hazlewood's comments suggesting Australia might manipulate their match against Scotland to affect England's run rate. However, Mott dismissed the remarks as a joke, emphasizing Hazlewood's integrity.Despite the distraction, England remains focused on securing victory against Oman on Thursday. They need to win by a combined margin of 117 runs against Oman and Namibia to improve their net run rate and potentially qualify for the next round.England's performance against Australia was a far cry from their usual standards. They conceded 90 runs without taking a wicket in the first ten overs and struggled to match Australia's intensity. Mott acknowledged the need for improvement, stating, "We've got to win this game and we've spoken a lot about that."The team's confidence remains high despite the setbacks. Mott praised their training performance and expressed optimism about their ability to perform under pressure. "We've played good T20 cricket for a while now," he said. "We've got our structure in place, we're really confident."England's fate ultimately rests on their own performance. They must defeat Oman and Namibia convincingly while hoping that Australia does not engage in any run-rate manipulation against Scotland. Mott emphasized the importance of focusing on the present rather than external factors. "We're treating this game with Oman in isolation," he said. "If we get into a position where we're in a dominant position and can push hard, we will."

Oman's captain, Aqib Ilyas, has urged his team to disregard the star-studded lineup of Australia when they face off in Barbados. Ilyas believes that Oman can challenge the reigning world champions with their spin attack.In a pre-match press conference, Ilyas emphasized the importance of treating the match like any other and not being intimidated by Australia's formidable reputation. He stressed that Oman should focus on their own strengths and not be overwhelmed by the names on the opposition team sheet."Once you step onto the field, there is no big name, there is no one bigger than you," Ilyas said. "It's another game for us, and we don't think we're going to play someone extraordinary."Ilyas acknowledged the talent of Australia's players but emphasized that Oman should not be intimidated. He believes that his team can exploit Australia's perceived weakness against spin bowling."You see the last match, how the ball was turning and staying low," Ilyas said. "[Australia] had a few good technique players [against spin] in the past like [Steven] Smith and [Marnus] Labuschagne, but I don't think they have many now. They look to hit big. Everyone tries to go for sixes, but every day is not the same day, and if the same wicket is there, maybe it can be a problem for them."From Australia's perspective, there is an element of the unknown in facing Oman for the first time. However, Travis Head, who will open the batting alongside David Warner, indicated that he would not be taking an overly intricate approach to his preparation."My [preparation] is pretty relaxed," Head said. "At some stage over the next day or maybe tonight, I'll have a quick look at some of the [Oman] guys. You'll get heaps of footage, but for me personally, I'll probably just watch a little bit in the warm-up, sort of try and get a rough idea on who's who."The match between Oman and Australia promises to be an intriguing contest, with both teams looking to make a statement in the tournament. Oman will be hoping to upset the odds and prove that they can compete with the world's best, while Australia will be aiming to extend their dominance across all formats of the game.

Ashton Agar, Australia's left-arm spinner, believes that all-rounder Cameron Green's maturity and adaptability across formats will be crucial for the team's success in the upcoming T20 World Cup.Green, a multi-faceted player, possesses medium pace bowling skills, a deceptive slower ball, and impressive power-hitting abilities. His recent performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have further solidified his credentials as a valuable asset for the Australian team.Agar praised Green's constant development and his ability to transition seamlessly between formats. "I think he's getting better at transitioning throughout the formats as well," Agar said. "He's maturing as a guy, he's still a young guy. And there was a lot of pressure on him from, you know, from a young age because he did so well straight away."Green's versatility and adaptability make him a formidable opponent in all three formats of the game. He can contribute with both bat and ball, providing the Australian team with a balanced and dynamic lineup.Agar also highlighted the pressure that Green faced at a young age due to his exceptional performances. "There was a lot of pressure on him at a young age because he performed so well right quickly," Agar said. "But he learns pretty quickly and you can see that what he learns he really puts in practice."Green's ability to learn and adapt quickly has been evident in his recent performances. He has improved his power-hitting in T20s, making him a more dangerous batsman in the shorter format.With the T20 World Cup approaching, Green is expected to play a key role in Australia's middle order. He will compete with Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis for a berth in the playing XI.Agar's comments underscore the importance of Green's maturity and adaptability for the Australian team. As the all-rounder continues to develop and refine his skills, he will become an even more valuable asset for the team in all formats of the game.

Rising star Jake Fraser-McGurk has expressed his understanding of his omission from Australia's T20 World Cup squad, acknowledging that he had not yet earned a place in the final 15-man roster.Despite his impressive performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he smashed two 15-ball half-centuries, Fraser-McGurk was not selected for the World Cup. He admitted that the selectors had a clear plan and that he was not yet in a position to challenge the established players in the team."The communication was really good," Fraser-McGurk said. "They probably had a good idea of what [the squad] was a month and a half ago, trying to build that and get the connection in the team."Fraser-McGurk praised the selectors' decision to prioritize experienced players who provide flexibility in team combinations. He highlighted the presence of David Warner, Travis Head, and Mitch Marsh as key factors in his non-selection."I can't really see myself batting five or six because we're pretty set there with Tim David, Cam Green, and those sort of blokes," he said. "That's the way I think about it. That's fine."Fraser-McGurk expressed his gratitude for the support he has received from Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting, who has provided him with valuable batting advice. Ponting's guidance has helped Fraser-McGurk improve his technique and swing at the ball with greater control."What he said to me that's really stuck with me is 'you hit the ball a lot further when you swing at 80% instead of 100%, you just have to find the middle and then it'll go for six,'" Fraser-McGurk said.Despite his disappointment at missing out on the World Cup, Fraser-McGurk remains optimistic about his future prospects. He hopes to gain experience as a traveling reserve and believes that his time will come to represent Australia in major tournaments.