Travis Head has issued a stinging broadside at former Australian greats for being too eager to “put the bullet” through representatives of the current Test team ahead of the highly-anticipated series against South Africa beginning on Friday.
Unexpected Aussie Test squad inclusion takes surprise net session role as Durban preparations underway
Watching Nic Maddinson middling the ball against Mitchell Starc in Durban on Wednesday, he looked a batsman at peace in his surroundings.
What’s left to say about Australia’s ball-tampering? The answer is everything | Geoff Lemon
The story from the 2018 Test in South Africa will stay alive for years more, unless it is finally put to sleep with the truth of what happened
Add it to the immeasurable list of things that you can blame Covid for. Without the pandemic, Australia’s Test team would have headed to South Africa in February 2021, less than three years after the 2018 sandpaper scandal saw them come home from Johannesburg in disarray. With memories fresh, the attention would have been intense on the returning players: headlined by sacked captain Steve Smith, his replacement Tim Paine, and principal antagonist David Warner, with a support act of bowlers Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
At least, though, that prompt rematch would have lanced the boil of Australian cricket’s great modern humiliation, after Cameron Bancroft was caught sandpapering the match ball in the third Test at Cape Town. Instead, a lack of appetite for pandemic-era touring saw Cricket Australia cancel the 2021 tour before kicking a replacement years down the road, and while there have been white-ball trips in the interim, it has now taken eight years for an Australian Test return to supersede their ill-starred previous visit.
Continue reading...‘What did you f***ing say?’ How guns, scandal and toxic ultimatum lit Sandpapergate fuse
Allan Border was never a shrinking violet but at the end of a decorated career the former Australian captain learned just how important it was to pick your targets in a battle.
Fallen Test opener’s horror Shield return as young gun’s blunder spurns golden chance
Jake Weatherald has made a disastrous start to the Sheffield Shield season, with the former Test opener falling for a duck as Victorian debutant Harry Hoekstra rescued the hosts on a dramatic first day.
Fallen opener’s horror Test audition as young gun’s blunder spurns golden chance — Shield Wrap
Jake Weatherald has made a disastrous start to the Sheffield Shield season, with the former Test opener falling for a duck as Victorian debutant Harry Hoekstra rescued the hosts on a dramatic first day.
Snubbed Test prospect’s statement Aus A ton as exciting young quick goes ballistic in fiery spell
Nathan McSweeney shrugged off the disappointment of missing out on a call-up to Australia’s Test squad by hitting a match-winning century for Australia A in the first one-day game against India A in Puducherry.
Cameron Green injury opens door to Nic Maddinson ahead of first South Africa Test
Australia all-rounder fails to overcome abdominal strain
Maddinson or Cooper Connolly to fill No 5 spot in Durban opener
Andrew McDonald insists Nic Maddinson’s Test squad call-up should be no shock, with the left-hander edging closer to replacing the injured Cameron Green in Durban.
Green has been officially ruled out of Australia’s side for the opening Test against South Africa, after failing to overcome the abdominal strain suffered in last week’s final ODI.
Continue reading...‘Holy s**t, it’s on’: Chat that floored Warnie… and touching message one-Test spinner never forgot
17 years on, Bryce McGain remains “incredibly proud”.
Aussies’ huge blow for first Test confirmed as star one step closer to fairytale return
Cameron Green will miss the opening Test of the highly-anticipated series against South Africa beginning on Friday in Durban due to injury in a significant blow for Australia.
Controversial catch call stuns as India gun ends learn run with statement T20 knock
Captain Shreyas Iyer struck his maiden T20 international century to lead India to a convincing eight-wicket win over the West Indies in the opening match on Tuesday.
Every Aussie Test contender, who is front of queue… and the spots most at risk — State of Play
As the 2026/27 Sheffield Shield season gets underway on Wednesday, there’s never been a better time for an Australian domestic cricketer to hit a rich vein of form.
England’s warm-up plans reveal healthy dose of reality and limits of Bazball ethos
Dial has shifted, especially for Fleming’s Test side, before winter tours of South Africa, Bangladesh and Australia
Last year, England’s winter started in New Zealand, where preparation for their first game in any format for nearly a month amounted to two relaxed training sessions, a cultural welcome ceremony involving local Māori elders and, before that, a team-bonding mini-break in Queenstown.
“Obviously there was a bit of golf played and a few drinks here and there and team meals and whatnot,” Harry Brook said of that trip. “It was just about trying to spend a bit of time together. They’ve got some amazing golf courses and we were lucky enough to get on a couple of them. A couple of the other lads managed to get out and enjoy Queenstown. Everybody had a lot of fun.”
Continue reading...‘You’re old enough…’: Cheeky Hughes sledge and ‘ugly duckling’ admission that sparked a mateship
On a balmy South African autumn afternoon in March of 2009, a parochial home crowd in Durban witnessed something extraordinary.
‘Dreaming’: Legend’s savage rant on ‘dog s***’ Test squad call… as shock Plan A revealed
Matthew Hayden has teed off at Australian selectors George Bailey and Tony Dodemaide in an explosive rant following the shock decision to add Nic Maddinson to the Test squad for their series against South Africa.