Australian fast bowler Clint McKay has announced retirement from international and domestic cricket. McKay, who will continue to ply his trade with Leicestershire in England's County Championship, played a single Test for Australia against the West Indies in 2009, as well as six T20 Internationals, but the fast bowler excelled in the 50-over format, finishing with an outstanding bowling record in 59 ODIs. He became a key fixture in Australia's one-day side from 2009 - where he picked up the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni on international debut in Hyderabad - to his last match for Australia in early 2014, taking 97 wickets at 24.37, including a hat-trick against England. Over that period, only Mitchell Johnson took more ODI wickets for Australia than McKay, who was named Australia's ODI Cricketer of the Year at the Allan Border Medal awards in 2013. The 33-year-old was disappointed he wasn't selected to play more international cricket, though optimistic about Australia's bowling stocks looking forward. "Yeah it was difficult to take," McKay told cricket.com.au about losing his spot in Australia's ODI team. "But that's sometimes how things pan out.
Former tearaway fast bowler Jeff Thomson will be inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame at the Allan Border Medal dinner on Wednesday.
'He's probably one of those players inspired by playing against the better teams and again that has a flow on effect to the fellas that don't have that sort of confidence. I don't think they've got a hope in hell without him'
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly will join compatriot Virender Sehwag and other top cricketers from around the world in the inaugural edition of the Masters Champions League Twenty20 tournament, to be held in the United Arab Emirates in January.
Langer said Smith and Warner's experience made them natural authority figures and that their leadership would be 'crucial' for success on and off the field.
India captain Virat Kohli would benefit from a stint in the county championship before this year's Test series against England, former skipper Kapil Dev said.
'Speechless with the tragic news of the passing of my great mate and beloved cricketing man'
As Steve Smith and David Warner padded up at suburban Sydney cricket grounds over the weekend, the warm spring sunshine may have seemed fitting weather for the banned Australian cricketers to take a small but important step in their rehabilitation.
Cricket Australia (CA) has come in defence of skipper Steve Smith who has been under fire post the series whitewash in Sri Lanka, followed by defeat against South Africa in the opening Test in Perth, going 0-1 in the three-match series. The debacle didn't end there as the Aussies came out with a dismal batting performance in the Hobart Test as they were bowled out for 85 on Day One itself within the second session. But CA chief executive James Sutherland has backed Smith, citing his age and inexperience, and adding that they have full faith in the latter as a leader.
India romped home to a 2-1 series win over Australia when the hosts won the fourth and final Test by 8 wickets on Day 4 at Dharamsala on Tuesday.
Star Indian batsman Virat Kohli, on Friday, explained what was behind his fiery 'send-off' of Steven Smith during the first T20 International earlier this week and said that it had nothing to do with the Australian wearing a microphone.
Battling against time to prove his fitness ahead of the cricket World Cup, Michael Clarke took a baseball bat instead of the willow in an unconventional net session as the Australian captain looked set to return after his hamstring injury.
Tensions flared-up towards the end of Day 3 on Sunday with none other than the two captains, Virat Kohli and Tim Paine, exchanging verbal volleys.
'With India's history, maybe this series will not be a fait accompli. I do feel the result will go India's way to the tune of a 2-0 or 3-0 result, as I just can't see Australia winning a Test anywhere'
The International Cricket Council named four World Cup winners in a 25-member match officials' team for Cricket World Cup 2015, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand from February 14 to March 29. The team includes five officials from the elite panel of ICC match referees, 12 umpires from the elite panel of ICC umpires and eight umpires from the international panel of ICC umpires.
Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan are among the cricketers who will accompany Ian Botham at various points of his latest charity walk in Sri Lanka.
The furore over the infamous Monkeygate row refuses to die down with former Australian captain Allan Border now saying that Cricket Australia should have called India's bluff instead of letting its own players down.
With barely four months to go for the ICC Cricket World Cup in the Australian continent, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly feels Virat Kohli's batting success will decide India's success at the sporting extravaganza.
'Baggy Green worship made me want to puke'
Captain Manoj Tiwary (83) and Naman Ojha (82 batting) hit aggressive half centuries to rescue India A from initial wobble and take them to a comfortable 304 for six on the opening day of the first four-day match against Australia A.
It is the first time that India have made a clean sweep in a Test series in the West Indies.
Is it really a 'home advantage' for Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground?
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes that the youngest entrant in the illustrious 10,000 Test run club, Alastair Cook can challenge batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's all-time Test run record. Cook became the first England cricketer to cross the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket, and the youngest overall, beating Tendulkar's record by five months by reaching the milestone at the age of 31 years and five months. Tendulkar -- Test cricket's most prolific batsman with 15921 runs -- was 31 years, 10 months 20 days old when he scored his 10,000th run in 2005. "Well the big advantage that England always has is that they are always playing a minimum of 11-12 Test matches on an average in a year. In 11-12 Test matches even if you score 50 runs per Test match you are getting about 500 runs every year," Gavaskar said.
Captain Alastair Cook savoured a special moment in his glittering career after becoming the first England cricketer to reach 10,000 Test runs during the second Test against Sri Lanka in Durham.
Former England skipper Alastair Cook has finally opened up about his decision to step down as Test skipper, saying he started doubting his leadership skills after the drawn four-match series against Pakistan in 2016.
No Big Bash franchise has ever signed an Indian player because the Indian Board is extremely protective of the Indian Premier League, says former Australian captain Allan Border.
Less than three months ago, Aaron Finch, alarmingly down on form and confidence, actually feared he might not be chosen for the Australian squad that he was due to lead. Now, he's atop the scoring charts at the World Cup.
Steven Smith's prolific run of form shows no sign of ending any time soon.
Indian Premier League chairman Rajeev Shukla said Rajasthan Royals will wait and see what sanctions the ICC imposes on Steve Smith before taking a call on his future as the franchise's captain, following a ball tampering scandal that prompted, among others, even Australia's prime minister to react.
Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, the most junior member in the side at 25, was tasked with implementing the plan and was duly caught on camera using the tape.
Lauding Mahendra Singh Dhoni's brave leadership, the legendary Kapil Dev felt it is the Indian captain's confidence in his players' ability that makes them believe they can retain the World Cup.
England's sporting global ambitions have never been fully realised since Sir Alf Ramsey's team won the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Whether it is Gary Linekar or Hary Kane, the 'Cup' that they desperately want never came home during the last five and half decades.
The Ashes series may be reduced to dead rubbers, but Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad proved their England careers remain very much alive on Wednesday as they helped Joe Root's team dominate Australia on day two at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
With its traditionally quick and bouncy wicket playing to the strengths of home pacemen, the WACA has been a house of pain for English cricket and Australians will be hoping for more of the same when the ground hosts its final Test.
What has changed to make our team so much more lethal, asks Aakar Patel.
But says pressure is on under-performing George Bailey
Rajneesh Gupta surveys the bowling landscape in India-Australia Tests.
Australia's hapless performances in the 2-0 series loss to South Africa came in for huge criticism from the country's local media on Wednesday, with demands for heads to roll in both the dressing room and the corridors of power at Cricket Australia.
'As a player, the biggest question you ask yourself is whether you are good enough to be on the same ground as Gavaskar, Dev, Border and company.'
Australia's World Cup captain Michael Clarke struck a fine half-century in a Sydney Grade cricket match for Western Suburbs as the premier batsman races ahead of time to be fit for the 50-over showpiece event starting mid-February.