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Australia announce playing XI for third Ashes Test

December 16, 2025 by Newsdesk

Sydney: Australia have announced their playing XI for the third Test of the Ashes series, making two changes to the side.

According to Cricket Australia, captain Pat Cummins has returned to the playing XI, while veteran spinner Nathan Lyon has also been included in the team. Cummins had missed the first two Tests of the Ashes series due to a back injury.

Fast bowlers Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett have been left out of the final XI, while senior batter Usman Khawaja has once again been overlooked despite having fully recovered from a back issue sustained during the Perth Test.

Cricket Australia confirmed that Khawaja is now fully fit but has not been recalled for the Adelaide encounter.

The third Test of the Ashes series is set to begin tomorrow in Adelaide. Australia currently lead the five-match series 2–0.

On the other hand, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced its men’s team’s playing XI for the must-win third Ashes Test against Australia, scheduled to commence on December 17 here at the Adelaide Oval.

The touring side, trailing 2-0 in the blockbuster five-match away series, made just one change to their lineup, replacing Gus Atkinson with Josh Tongue.

Atkinson has been struggling on the Australia tour as he could pick up three wickets in the first two fixtures at a dismal bowling average of 78.66, the worst amongst the England bowlers.

Meanwhile, Tongue, who has represented England in six Tests since making his debut in 2023, has taken 31 wickets in the longest format at an average of 30.

His last appearance for the Three Lions came in the final match of the home Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against India, concluded in August, while he last played against Australia at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in the last Ashes, where he picked up five wickets across the two innings, including dismissing Steve Smith twice.

Although Tongue only managed to take two wickets in the tour matches, England prioritised him over Shoaib Bashir despite an anticipated spin-friendly pitch, due to which Australia brought back their experienced spinner Nathan Lyon.

Notably, despite their struggles in the batting department, England decided against making any changes after head coach Brendon McCullum publicly backed their top seven.

England Playing XI: ⁠Zak Crawley,⁠ ⁠Ben Duckett, ⁠Ollie Pope, ⁠Joe Root, Harry Brook, ⁠Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), ⁠Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, ⁠Jofra Archer and ⁠Josh Tongue.

Shaheen Afridi excited to play in Australia’s Big Bash League

December 15, 2025 by Newsdesk

Brisbane: Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has expressed his excitement about playing in the Australian Big Bash League (BBL), representing Brisbane Heat.

In a recent interview, Afridi said that Australia has a large number of Pakistani fans, and many Pakistani cricketers are already participating in the league.

He added that he has not had the opportunity to play in the BBL for a few years, but is now eager to take part, with no national duties during the league period. “I hope to get the chance to play the full season,” he said.

Afridi also spoke about his teammates in the Pakistan national team and PSL, mentioning that he has played alongside Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam for several years.

He praised Babar Azam as a world-class player who has scored numerous runs for Pakistan, highlighting Babar’s preference for strike rotation and his elegant cover drives.

On Mohammad Rizwan, Afridi noted that he prefers fast bowling and bats differently from Babar, but both players have consistently delivered strong performances for Pakistan. He added that net practice sessions often feel like real matches when facing them.

Reflecting on his experience in Brisbane, Afridi said he has played international matches at The Gabba, noting the pitch offers significant bounce, unlike the flatter pitches he expects in the BBL.

Afridi also shared insights on leadership, revealing that he had not captained in domestic cricket before joining the Pakistan Super League. He credited Thameem Rana for guidance, stating that leadership should be calm and not authoritative, as being overly harsh does not create a good impression.

Geoffrey Boycott slams England after second Ashes Test defeat

December 8, 2025 by Newsdesk

LONDON: Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott has strongly criticised the national side following their defeat against Australia in the second Ashes Test, labelling the team “irresponsible and useless”.

Boycott lashed out at Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, saying they believe only they understand modern Test cricket. “We should stop listening to them now,” he remarked.

Boycott termed the performance in Brisbane a “horror show”, blaming reckless batting and short-length bowling. He insisted that this Australian side was beatable. With England trailing 0-2 in the five-match series, the former captain said the team now needs a miracle. “With this batting and bowling, England can’t win,” he added.

He further stated that England had been planning for this Ashes series for four years, but are now performing poorly. “No one in the England setup is willing to listen to anyone outside their camp. Test cricket has changed, and they think they alone know modern-day cricket,” said Boycott.

Commenting on batter Harry Brook, Boycott questioned his shot selection and footwork, saying fans want to know what is going on in his mind, as he is failing to move his feet effectively on Australian pitches.

Australia won the first two Tests convincingly to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series.

England bowled out for 334 in first innings of second Ashes Test

December 5, 2025 by Newsdesk

In the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, England were dismissed for 334 runs in their first innings.

On the second day, the visitors could add only 9 runs to their overnight total before losing the final wicket. Jofra Archer, who resumed with Joe Root, scored 38 before being caught by Marnus Labuschagne. Joe Root remained unbeaten with a magnificent 138.

For Australia, Mitchell Starc was the standout performer with the ball, claiming 6 wickets, while Michael Neser, Brendan Doggett and Scott Boland picked up one wicket each.

Earlier on Day 1, after opting to bat first upon winning the toss, England suffered an early blow yet again, losing Ben Duckett for a golden duck in the opening over. Ollie Pope followed soon after, departing without scoring.

Zak Crawley and Joe Root steadied the innings, adding 117 runs for the third wicket. Crawley fell for 76 to Michael Neser. Harry Brook contributed 31 before being dismissed by Starc, a wicket that marked Starc’s record-breaking 415th in Test cricket, surpassing Wasim Akram.

Skipper Ben Stokes scored 19, Jamie Smith was out for zero, Will Jacks made 19, Gus Atkinson 4, while Brydon Carse departed without scoring.

England had ended the first day at 325 for 9 before being bowled out early on Day 2.

ICC T20 World Cup groups and Pakistan-India match details revealed

November 22, 2025 by Newsdesk

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to be played from February 7 to March 8, with the official schedule set to be announced on November 25.

According to media reports, 20 teams will be divided into four groups of five teams each. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 8 stage. Pakistan and India have been drawn in the same group, with their clash scheduled on February 15 in Colombo.

It is expected that Netherlands, Namibia, and USA will also be in the Pakistan-India group, while the host nation Sri Lanka will have Australia, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman in its group.

Meanwhile, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Italy are likely to form one group, while South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, UAE, and Canada will be in another.

Match venues in India include Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad, while Sri Lanka will host matches in Colombo and Kandy. Pakistan will play its group-stage matches in Sri Lanka.

Ahmedabad has been selected as the final venue, but if Pakistan reaches the final, it will be played in Colombo. Semi-finals are scheduled for Mumbai and Kolkata, with venue selection dependent on the semi-finalist teams; Pakistan’s semi-final, if qualified, will be held in Sri Lanka.

Another blow for Australia: Josh Hazlewood ruled out of first Test

November 15, 2025 by Newsdesk

SYDNEY: Australia’s preparations for the Ashes series against England have suffered another setback, as fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the first Test due to a hamstring strain, Cricket Australia confirmed.

This follows earlier blows with Pat Cummins and Shane Abbott also missing out on the opening Test. Cummins is sidelined with a back issue, while Abbott is recovering from a hamstring strain.

To fill the gap, Michael Neser has been added to the squad for the first Test.

The Ashes series between Australia and England will commence on 21 November in Perth.

Rain causes multi-million dollar loss for Cricket Australia

November 9, 2025 by Newsdesk

Brisbane: Heavy rain in Brisbane caused Cricket Australia to incur a loss of approximately AUD 1 million (around PKR 181.7 million) during the fifth T20 match between Australia and India.

The match was abandoned after less than six overs of play due to rain and lightning. As per T20 rules, with fewer than six overs bowled, fans were eligible for full refunds. 31,074 spectators attending the match received complete ticket refunds, making it one of the costliest nights for Cricket Australia.

India had scored 52 runs without loss in 4.5 overs before the match was halted. Lightning in nearby areas forced players off the field for safety, and the subsequent heavy rainfall led officials to call off the game entirely.

The abandoned match also meant that Australia lost the opportunity to level the T20 series, giving India a 2-1 series victory.

Pakistan clinches semi-final victory over Australia in Hong Kong Sixes

November 9, 2025 by Newsdesk

In a thrilling semi-final of the Hong Kong Sixes tournament, Pakistan edged out Australia by just one run to secure a place in the final.

Batting first, Pakistan posted 121 runs in 6 overs. In response, Australia managed 120 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their 6 overs, falling just short of the target.

Khawaja Nafay was named Player of the Match for his explosive innings, scoring 50 runs off 14 balls before retiring hurt.

From Pakistan’s bowling lineup, Shahid Aziz, Abbas Afridi, and Mohammad Shehzad claimed one wicket each, playing key roles in restricting the Australian chase.

Pat Cummins misses Ashes opener due to fitness issues

October 27, 2025 by Newsdesk

Melbourne: Australia suffered a major setback ahead of the Ashes series against England as captain Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the first Test.

According to Cricket Australia, Cummins will not regain full fitness in time for the opening Test of the five-match Ashes series. Steve Smith will lead the side in his absence.

The board stated that Cummins has resumed running and is expected to begin bowling soon.

The first Ashes Test is scheduled to be played in Perth from November 21.