Month: December 2016

Steven Smith lauded Nathan Lyon’s efforts on the final day © Cricket Australia/Getty Images Nobody turns up to day five of a Test anymore. Well, hardly anybody. At the Gabba: 2593 showed up, with free entry all day. At the MCG: 6189 – though more flooded in after tea when Cricket Australia threw open the gates. And yet day five was when both Tests sprung dramatically and unexpectedly to life….

Misbah-ul-Haq: ‘I always believed that if I couldn’t contribute to the team then it’s no point staying there’ © AFP Misbah-ul-Haq has raised the possibility that he may leave international cricket, even as soon as before the third and final Test of Pakistan’s series against Australia. Pakistan’s most successful Test captain was speaking in the immediate aftermath of a dramatic and demoralising final-day collapse at the MCG – which ended…

Azhar Ali has had a tough time as captain since he took up the role in March 2015, soon after the World Cup © Getty Images Azhar Ali has been retained as Pakistan’s ODI captain for the five-match series against Australia starting January 13 in Brisbane. Squad: Azhar Ali (capt.), Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asad Shafique, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Rizwan, Immad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad…

Misbah-ul-Haq: ‘I always believed that if I couldn’t contribute to the team then it’s no point staying there’ © AFP Misbah-ul-Haq has raised the possibility that he may leave international cricket, even as soon as before the third and final Test of Pakistan’s series against Australia. Pakistan’s most successful Test captain was speaking in the immediate aftermath of a dramatic and demoralising final-day collapse at the MCG – which ended…

Ashton Agar played the last of his two Tests in July 2013 © Getty Images Australia have dropped batsman Nic Maddinson for next week’s Sydney Test, while left-arm spinners Steve O’Keefe and Ashton Agar have been included in a 13-man squad. Allrounder Hilton Cartwright has been retained in the squad, but there was no room for swing bowler Chadd Sayers, who had been part of the squad for the first…

Peter Handscomb in action during his maiden Test hundred © Getty Images Yorkshire have named Australia’s top-order batsman Peter Handscomb as their major overseas signing in 2017. Handscomb made his Test debut for Australia at the end of November and made a maiden Test century in only his second Test when he scored 105 against Pakistan in Brisbane. The Victoria and Melbourne Stars batsman will be available to play in…

Match facts December 31, 2016Start time 1100 local (2200 GMT) Bangladesh need their batting and their bowling to click at the same time © Getty Images Big Picture Neither team will be treating the third and final ODI as a dead rubber. Despite clinching the series with a 67-run win in the second game, New Zealand wouldn’t want to spoil their unbeaten record at home against Bangladesh. By bringing offspinner…