IMAGES from the T20 World Cup warm-up match played between India and Australia in Dubai on Wednesday.
India captain Virat Kohli and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah were the only two Indians who found a place in Wisden's T20 International team of the decade, which didn't feature ex-skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Australia's limited overs captain Aaron Finch was named captain of the team, which has two more Australian in Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell, two England cricketers -- Jos Buttler and David Willey, two Afghanistan all-rounders -- Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, and New Zealand's Colin Munro and Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga.
Warner was dropped from the playing XI by his IPL franchise SunRisers Hyderabad and there were some who questioned his selection in the Australian line-up.
With Afridi ready to bowl his toe-crushing yorkers, what could go wrong for Pakistan?
Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith struck half-centuries as Australia beat Sri Lanka by two wickets in a thrilling finish to the rain-affected first One-Day International on Tuesday for a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
The defending champions won their opening two games against Afghanistan and West Indies.
Mitchell Starc and Adam Zampa collected three wickets apiece in Australia's eight-wicket demolition of Zimbabwe on Wednesday, giving the home side an unassailable 2-0 series lead from the second One-Day International at Riverway Stadium in Townsville.
Jos Buttler made an unbeaten half-century as England shrugged off Clint McKay's hat-trick to win the fourth one-day international against Australia by three wickets on Saturday to set up a series decider on Monday.
Cameron Green braved cramps to smash a career-best 89 not out and secure Australia's nervy two-wicket victory against New Zealand in the opening one-day international in Cairns on Tuesday.
Australia are yet to hit their stride, but that's exactly why the rest should worry, says former Aussie great Allan Border.
Once again, it was the teacher's son from Vadodara, that mysterious practitioner of lethal magic at the death who ensured that Rohit Sharma's side ended the night an improbable fourth on the IPL points table.
Cricket Australia imposed a two-year captaincy ban on him for his involvement in the sandpaper gate, ball-tampering scandal in 2018.
Kane Richardson will take his place in the 15-man squad for the tour, which starts with two Twenty20 matches later this month and is being used a warm-up for their World Cup title defence in England.
Australia, who are searching for their maiden T20 title, enter the tournament on the back of a horrific run, losing bilateral series to Bangladesh, West Indies, New Zealand, India and England.
Australia's T20 wicketkeeper Mathew Wade also spoke in favour of Tim David. He said that no doubt he will play for the Australian side and has the potential to be anything.
Battered and bruised, Australia scored a consolation victory, thrashing Bangladesh by seven wickets, to round off a disappointing campaign in the ICC World Twenty20, in Mirpur, on Tuesday.
Smith said he did not regard his injury as a major issue.
Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting has promised his premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin that he would speak to the ICC about imposing a run-penalty on teams whose batsmen back up too far at the non-striker's end.
Paceman Kane Richardson claimed his maiden five-wicket haul to script India's spectacular collapse and bowl Australia to a 25-run victory in the high-scoring fourth one day international on Wednesday. Three batsmen struck centuries in the 671-run match between the world's top two one-day teams but it was Richardson's (5-68) incisive bowling that clinched the contest, while also earning him the man-of-the-match award. Chasing 349 for victory, India were cruising at 277 for one before losing their last nine wickets for 46 runs to succumb to their fourth successive defeat in the five-match series. Opener Shikhar Dhawan (126) and Virat Kohli (106) featured in a 212-run stand for the visitors before the wheels came off India's chase at Canberra's Manuka Oval.
Aaron Finch (69 off 39) stitched a 92-run stand with Dinesh Karthik (40 off 28) to lead Lions to 195 for five.
Former Australia coach Justin Langer reopened old wounds over his acrimonious resignation, lashing out at unnamed "cowards" in the team who complained in the media about his intense coaching style.
Kevin Pietersen failed to fire in his first match for Delhi Daredevils, as Sunrisers Hyderabad rode on brilliant batting by Aaron Finch and David Warner to notch a four-run victory in Friday's IPL match in Dubai.
Team India possess a much more balanced squad in the shortest format.
Images from Monday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, in Dubai.
India's vacant cupboard of all-rounders will give Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri numerous points to ponder.
Kohli, thus, became the 12th batsman and third Indian after Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid to reach 20,000 international runs.
Aaron Finch smashed a sparkling century as Australia dealt England a 111-run humiliation in their World Cup opener at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Three debutant bowlers and a typically rampaging innings from David Warner helped Australia coast to a six-wicket victory over Pakistan in their sole Twenty20 international in Dubai on Sunday.
What an over Umesh Yadav bowled!
Former England captain Nasser Hussain praised Malan for his versatile style and consistency.
Cricket is "insignificant" compared to the bushfires raging in his country at the moment, Australia captain Aaron Finch said on Friday, hoping to bring smiles on the faces of those affected by the tragedy, with good performances against India. The bushfires have shocked the world and prompted an outpouring of support from celebrities, athletes and leaders around the world.
The Australians only had themselves to blame for their defeat on Friday as they had several opportunities to turn the game their way.
Photos of the third quarter-final match between Australia and Pakistan being played at the Adelaide Oval on Friday
The T20 World Cup is set to be played in October-November, with Australia beginning their title defence
Australia opener David Warner laughed off concerns about his form on his 35th birthday on Wednesday but said he had reverted to practising on synthetic wickets and polished concrete to sharpen his batting at the Twenty20 World Cup.
The southpaw hit a match-winning 57 as Australia successfully chased down 130 to beat Pakistan to claim the third Test by eight wickets, on Saturday, and take the series 3-0.
Zampa, who has played in English conditions following a spell at Essex last summer, said communication is the key to success with spin twin Nathan Lyon.
The visitors chose to bat first and set West Indies a target of 190 after Marsh struck six sixes and four boundaries, while skipper Aaron Finch scored 53 runs off 37 balls.
Devdutt Padikkal grabbed the headlines in his debut match with an entertaining half-century as he inspired Royal Challengers Bangalore to a winning start in the IPL, against SunRisers Hyderabad in Dubai on Monday.
Sri Lanka's Chamika Karunaratne picked up three wickets, including the crucial one of Glenn Maxwell, to trigger an Australian collapse as the hosts won the rain-hit second one-day international by 26 runs.
