Cricket

In a thrilling T20I series opener in Brisbane, Australia emerged victorious over Pakistan by 29 runs, despite a rain-delayed start that reduced the match to a seven-over contest.Veteran batter Glenn Maxwell showcased his exceptional form, smashing a blistering 43 off 19 deliveries to power Australia to an imposing 93-4. Openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short set the tone with an aggressive start, while Marcus Stoinis provided a late surge with an unbeaten 21 off seven balls.Pakistan's chase faltered under the lights as quicks Xavier Bartlett and Nathan Ellis claimed three wickets apiece. Bartlett dismissed captain Mohammad Rizwan for a second-ball duck and Usman Khan in the same over, while Ellis accounted for Babar Azam and Mohammad Haris.Despite a late flurry from Abbas Afridi, who top-scored with an unbeaten 20 off 10 balls, Pakistan's batting order crumbled, finishing well short on 64-9.The victory marked a resounding performance for an Australia side missing several top players who are preparing for the upcoming Test series against India. Maxwell expressed his delight, saying, "We almost had our bags packed because we thought we wouldn't get a game in. We certainly had a lot of fun out there."The series now shifts to the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday before concluding in Hobart on Monday. Pakistan captain Rizwan acknowledged the challenges of playing in such a fast-paced match, saying, "It's difficult to keep things normal in this type of match because it went very fast."

Xavier Bartlett's return to the Australian cricket scene is a welcome sight for the national hierarchy, who are looking to bolster their fast bowling depth ahead of the grueling Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. Bartlett, who has been sidelined since September due to a side strain, is set to make his comeback in the T20I series opener against Pakistan at the Gabba on Thursday.Bartlett's impressive performances in last season's BBL, where he was the leading wicket-taker and played a pivotal role in Brisbane Heat's title triumph, have put him on the radar of the selectors. His ability to generate late swing with the new ball, thanks to his immaculate upright seam positioning, makes him a valuable asset.With Australia's frontline quicks, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, facing the challenge of five Tests against India within seven weeks, the hierarchy is keen to build depth behind them. Bartlett's return provides a much-needed option, especially considering the recent fitness issues with fringe quicks like Michael Neser, Lance Morris, and Jhye Richardson.Bartlett, who has taken four-wicket hauls in his first two ODIs against West Indies and has an impressive average of 17.66 in T20Is, is eager to seize the opportunity. "Going forward there will be opportunities. Personally, the goal is always to try and play Test cricket for Australia," he said.Bartlett will be part of a second-string Australian team that will aim to salvage some pride after their surprise ODI series defeat to Pakistan. The batters struggled against Pakistan's pace attack, and Bartlett believes that Australia can learn from their opponents. "They have been amazing, the last two games they only used four bowlers," he said. "Hopefully we can emulate that."Bartlett is set to share the new ball with left-arm quick Spencer Johnson, a partnership that proved successful for the Heat during their title run. While the Gabba surface is known for its pace and bounce, Bartlett is confident that it will make for entertaining cricket.While Bartlett's performances in the T20I series could see him move up the pecking order of fringe Test bowlers, his Heat teammate Nathan McSweeney will make his debut in the first Test after being named as Usman Khawaja's opening partner. Bartlett expressed his excitement for McSweeney, saying, "To see his journey from when we were about 11 or 12 [years of age] to where he is now, making his Test debut, it's unbelievable."

Australia's T20I squad for the upcoming series against Pakistan has been announced, with Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, and Spencer Johnson returning from injury. However, a new captain is yet to be confirmed, as Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, and Pat Cummins are all unavailable.Bartlett, Ellis, and Johnson were all ruled out of Australia's recent tour of the UK with various injuries. Johnson made his return to domestic cricket last Friday, while Bartlett and Ellis are expected to be fit for the three-match series against Pakistan, which begins on November 14.The 13-man squad is largely unchanged from the one that toured the UK in September, with Glenn Maxwell returning to the T20I fold after being rested for the T20I portion of that tour. Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk are expected to open the batting, as they likely will in the ODI series that precedes the T20Is against Pakistan.With the series finishing just four days before the opening Test against India in Perth, none of the Test players were made available. Marsh and Head are also missing the ODI series while on paternity leave.Australia will have a different coaching staff for the T20I series as well, with head coach Andrew McDonald, batting coach Michael Di Venuto, and bowling coach Daniel Vettori all resting ahead of the Test series. Assistant coach Andre Borovec will take charge, as he did for Australia's five-match T20I series against India in India last October. Former Australia batter Brad Hodge is also set to join the group as an assistant coach after touring with Australia's T20 World Cup squad as a coaching consultant in June. Matthew Wade, who is yet to retire from international cricket and captained Australia's T20I side in February, is reportedly set to join the squad as well in a coaching role.

Xavier Bartlett, the Australian fast bowler, will join Kent for the Vitality Blast after Cricket Australia (CA) initially blocked him from playing for the county in the County Championship. Bartlett was originally signed for Kent's first five Championship games, but CA denied him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) on the eve of the season, despite handing him a central contract a week earlier.Bartlett's absence was a blow to Kent, who swiftly replaced him with South African bowling allrounder Beyers Swanepoel on an all-format deal. However, Kent remained hopeful that Bartlett would be able to fulfill the white-ball element of his initial deal, which amounted to at least eight Blast games. That has now been confirmed.CA's caution with Bartlett's workload is understandable, particularly in first-class cricket. He played just three Sheffield Shield matches for Queensland after returning from a back stress fracture sustained during the previous English summer. He is also likely to land a deal in Major League Cricket, which begins on July 4.While Bartlett is unlikely to make Australia's T20 World Cup squad, he is firmly in the frame for their limited-overs tour of England in September. He will join Swanepoel and fellow Australian seamer Wes Agar as three overseas options for Kent's Blast campaign, which begins on May 31 against Middlesex at Chelmsford. Only two of them are permitted in any given playing XI.Kent's director of cricket, Simon Cook, expressed his delight at securing Bartlett's services for the Blast: "We've been working extremely hard with Cricket Australia to ensure that Xavier can join us in some capacity this season, and we're really pleased to have secured his services for eight matches of our T20 campaign.""He is hot property at the moment and fully deserves his new central contract with Australia. I know that Spitfires supporters around the world will be extremely excited that the BBL's top wicket-taker this Winter will be pulling on a Kent shirt this June."