Australia pace spearhead Pat Cummins says his injury-forced withdrawal from the T20 World Cup was also driven by a desire to be completely fit for the upcoming Test season.
From afar on Saturday, the SCG track looked to have a distinct tinge of green on it as the groundsmen ran the roller over it.
Batting great Alistair Cook says England's 2-2 home series draw against Shubman Gill-led India was against "not a great Indian side", flagging concerns over the team's preparation for the Ashes.
England lost the first three matches in the ongoing Ashes series but chased down 175 to win the fourth by four wickets and score a first Test victory in Australia in 15 years.
Both Stokes and McCullum are contracted until 2027 and have publicly expressed their desire to stay on beyond the current tour.
Australia Test captain Pat Cummins congratulated veteran opener Usman Khawaja on his "incredible career" after the 39-year-old confirmed his retirement from international cricket following the conclusion of the fifth Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting January 4.
Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis, Glenn Maxwell and hTim David will also be rested from the three-match T20I series against Pakistan, starting on January 29.
'It's a double-edged sword, but I'm enjoying it.'
Australia arrive in Pakistan for three-match T20I series ahead of T20 World Cup
The victims of the Bondi massacre, first responders and community members were welcomed with a guard of honour from Australia and England players at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
'They're all going to score because they are naturally gifted players but the real high-risk way of playing, I'm afraid it hasn't worked.'
Josh Hazlewood wants to continue playing international cricket in all formats despite missing the entire Ashes series because of injury.
Josh Hazlewood will not travel for Australia's early T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka as he continues injury rehabilitation in Sydney.
England faces Nepal in their T20 World Cup opener, hoping to shift focus from off-field issues surrounding captain Harry Brook. Nepal aims to make an impact after a strong showing in the previous edition.
Woakes, who sustained a dislocated shoulder while fielding during the fifth Test against India earlier this month, believes he's recovering better than he anticipated.
Sri Lanka overcame Jamie Overton's late assault to beat England by 19 runs in the opening one-day international in Colombo on Thursday.
Charlie Smith, one of the thousands of England fans cheering on Ben Stokes's struggling team, stopped off on the way to the ground to buy bin bags and gather up the garbage.
Dropped Australia opener Sam Konstas will face England in a two-day tour match between the first and second Ashes Tests as part of the Prime Minister's XI squad.
Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood's hopes of playing in the third Ashes Test in Adelaide have dimmed after he suffered a new injury setback during his recovery from a hamstring strain.
Hazlewood was initially named in the squad for South Africa, will also return home following the Test series. Xavier Bartlett has been drafted in as his replacement.
England have not won a first Ashes Test in Australia in nearly 40 years, nor beaten the hosts in Perth since 1978.
Khawaja said his parents sacrificed a comfortable life in Pakistan, including financial security, by moving to Australia solely to give their children better opportunities and a better future.
'I am happy showing my age. I don't want to look 20 years younger than my age. Neither have I done any cosmetic surgery nor do I want to.'
Joe Root's Australian hoodoo is over. The England batter scored his first Test century in Australia, an unbeaten 135 off 202 balls, rescuing his side after a shaky start in the second Ashes Test at Brisbane's Gabba and steering England to 325 for nine following captain Ben Stokes' decision to bat first.
The post on the X account of Pope Francis was sent out on Tuesday ahead of Ash Wednesday, the start of the season of Lent when the foreheads of Roman Catholics are marked with the ashes of burnt palm leaves.
Form and familiarity favour India in T20 World Cup
Joe Root gears up for an action-packed year of Test cricket featuring home series against India and an away Ashes series against Australia
Australia's Usman Khawaja has declared himself fit for the third Ashes Test against England next week, brushing aside speculation about his future and saying he will keep playing as long as he is valued by the team.
England trail 2-0 in the five-Test series after being outplayed with bat, ball and in the field during the eight-wicket loss in the day-night match in Brisbane.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 3rd Ashes Test played in Adelaide on Wednesday
Taking his 17th Test five-wicket haul, he finished with 7 for 58 off 12.5 overs.
'We could play a couple of all-rounders. Could play a spinner. Could play no spinner. We'll figure it out.'
England batter Joe Root defended fellow teammate Jamie Smith for his dismissal in the first innings of the final Sydney Test
Starc eclipsed Pakistan legend Wasim Akram's tally of 414 wickets to become the most successful left-arm pacer in the longest format.
'Women in crime can turn on and off emotions like a tap.' 'Something that comes in the way of their goals can be eliminated without a second thought.'
From McCullum, there was greater support for another England batter, Jamie Smith, who he said works very hard on his game. The wicketkeeper-batter joined the team at the start of 2024.
The legendary Ricky Pointing has advised Australia all-rounder Cameron Green to keep things simple and not over analyse or tinker with his game in order to find the right approach in Tests.
Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes set the scene for a dramatic Ashes series.
Starc also pointed out that the wicket did not assist pacers that much with the new ball and expressed concerns over Nathan Lyon's injury on the final day of the Test and the setback to Hazlewood.
