Australia opener Usman Khawaja has been cleared of any facial injury after copping a frightful blow during a 10-wicket win over West Indies in the first Test. Khawaja ducked into a Shamar Joseph short ball and was struck on the helmet. The veteran was spitting blood and feeling his jaw when leaving Adelaide Oval with […]
Purcell pushes Ruud to the brink at Australian Open
Proud to have pushed No.11 seed Casper Ruud to the brink at Melbourne Park with his retro brand of net-rushing tennis, Max Purcell says Australia’s generation next are inspiring each other to the next level. With a mop of curly blond hair and matching moustache, Purcell has the looks to go with his throwback serve-volleying […]
High-speed, high-scoring Loïs Openda and Leipzig aim to end Leverkusen’s unbeaten run
DUESSELDORF: Confidence is the key ingredient in Loïs Openda’s recipe for becoming one of soccer’s global superstars. Talent, speed and boundless self-belief have set Leipzig’s Belgian striker on a rapid rise through European soccer. As a child, Openda once dreamed of playing like Chelsea great Didier Drogba – now the 23-year-old has set his sights […]
Pegula pulls out of Adelaide Int’l with illness
World No.5 Jessica Pegula has withdrawn from the semi-finals of the Adelaide International with illness, two days out from the start of the Australian Open. The second-highest ranked American woman was scheduled to play Russia’s Daria Kasatkina on Friday night but didn’t take to the court. In a post on social media, the tournament said […]
Warner touches down at SCG in helicopter
David Warner has gone from fairytale finish to SCG rockstar in the space of a week, arriving at the ground for the BBL’s Sydney Smash in a helicopter. Warner touched down on the famous ground just before 5pm on Friday, making the dash from his brother’s wedding in the Hunter Valley to play in the […]
Pakistan collapses open door for full summer for quicks
Australia are on track to go through a summer with an unchanged Test bowling attack for the first time in a decade, with the quicks unlikely to be rested against West Indies. Australia’s bowlers emerged from the Sydney Test with a clean bill of health after they helped to wrap up the 3-0 series win […]
Bancroft insists scars of ball-tampering have healed
Cameron Bancroft says he owes it to Australia to return to Test cricket and succeed, adamant he has healed his scars from the ball-tampering scandal and there would be no tension with his fast bowling team-mates. The race to replace David Warner as Test opener has entered the home straight, with the squad to face […]
No invite for Aussies in US T20 World Cup party
Australia have been denied the chance to play a maiden cricket match in the US, with all of their Twenty20 World Cup group games to be staged in the West Indies. Organisers unveiled the schedule for this year’s historic T20 World Cup, which will be played in both the US and Caribbean islands, on Friday […]
Pakistan should have bowled Aamir earlier: Hafeez
Pakistan coach Mohammad Hafeez says he disagreed with captain Shan Masood’s decision not to inject player-of-the-series Aamir Jamal into the bowling attack earlier in Australia’s run chase at the SCG. The hosts cruised to an eight-wicket victory on day four of the third Test on Saturday, only briefly appearing troubled after Usman Khawaja went for […]
Aussie duo humbled in Brisbane quarter-finals
Brisbane’s top two men’s seeds have lived up to their billing to kill off home hopes James Duckworth and Rinky Hijikata in one-sided quarter-finals. Holger Rune staved off Duckworth’s best in a 6-2 7-6 (8-6) triumph on Friday, before rejuvenated Bulgarian Dimitrov imposed himself in a 6-1 6-4 defeat of Hijikata. Danish world No.8 Rune […]