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.
If selected, it would be the fast-medium pacer's first Test since taking five wickets in a heavy defeat by New Zealand in Hamilton a year ago.
No fewer than 36 wickets fell during two chaotic days in the fourth Ashes Test, leaving the captains of both Australia and England unimpressed with the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch.
Starc further commented that Doggett could handle the pressure of the Ashes series, as he seemed to be the third pacer in Australia's attack.
Australia dominated day two of the second Ashes Test on Friday with a punishing batting assault on a lifeless Gabba pitch as England fumbled their chances in the field.
60 years ago, on January 24, 1966, Dr Homi J Bhabha, the father of India's nuclear programme, died in an air crash on Mont Blanc. The official inquiry said the plane went off course in bad weather, but coincidences, missing evidence, and later unproven claims have kept conspiracy theories alive. A fascinating excerpt from Bakhtiar Dadabhoy's book, Homi J Bhabha: A Life.
'Hopefully, not too far in the future, but more in the near future, we'll go back to play four Tests against India'
Usually, in the western view, corporate success is attributed to efficiency, organisational structure, and scale. R Gopalakrishnan and Harish Bhat argue that philosophy, culture, and the transmission of values are more important for sustaining growth and profitability of an enterprise over a period of time.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has revoked restrictions imposed under GRAP 3 in Delhi-NCR following improvements in air quality. Non-essential construction and demolition activities are now allowed to restart, and restrictions on vehicles have been lifted.
The Indian men ruled white-ball cricket, while South Africa ended decades of hurt by winning the World Test Championship at Lord's. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their maiden IPL title, though the celebrations were dimmed by a deadly stampede. Above all, it was India's women who won a billion hearts by finally adding an ICC World Cup trophy to the cabinet.
Having hit Western Australia's golf links before being beaten by eight wickets in Perth, England's enthusiasts will have access to a selection of championship courses to play a round before a refreshing dip in the Pacific Ocean.
Shreyas Iyer will take centre stage for Punjab Kings at next week's IPL auction in Abu Dhabi, stepping in as the franchise's lead decision-maker at the table as PBKS plot their final moves for the 2026 season.
The T20 series is tied at 1-1 ahead of the fourth match on the Gold Coast on Thursday, with the series-opener in Canberra washed out by rain.
'He's a quality player, it was a matter of time for him to score.'
Australia captain Pat Cummins will be ready to return from injury for the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide.
Oscar Piastri is looking forward to watching Australia beat England at cricket after a F1 season of highs and lows ended in disappointment on Sunday.
The One-Day International format will struggle for survival and relevance after the 2027 World Cup once its bonafide greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma decide to call time, says former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
The industry is anticipating 2025 to deliver around Rs 13,500 crore in overall box-office collections, which would cement it as India's strongest box-office year after 2023
Ian Botham and Greg Chappell came together in Melbourne on Tuesday to announce celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the first-ever Test between Australia and England.
'The tailenders should have looked to bat with Jamie Smith. Really poor from the batters towards the end. The plan should have been to give him the strike and let him do the heavy lifting.'
A wicket-laden Boxing Day Test at the MCG triggered widespread debate, with former cricketers from both Australia and England questioning whether the pitch offered far too much for the bowlers.
England have not won the Ashes in Australia after losing the first Test since the 1950s but McCullum and Stokes will remain convinced they can turn the series around, just as they did against South Africa in 2022 when they won 2-1 after losing the opener at Lord's.
England opener Zak Crawley said Australia had shown why they were favourites coming into the Ashes after a tough day four at Adelaide Oval left the tourists staring down the barrel of a series defeat on Saturday.
The year will close on a blockbuster note, if December's theatre line-up is any indication. Be it Bollywood, Hollywood or south, there are many biggies ready for release.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has raised serious questions over the Indian team's selection policy after all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was left out of the playing XI for the first ODI against South Africa -- even with Hardik Pandya unavailable.
The England players have come in for heavy criticism since Australia wrapped up an 82-run win in the third Test in Adelaide on Sunday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
Australia stormed to an eight-wicket victory in the second Ashes Test on Sunday to take a 2-0 series lead as England succumbed on day four to a pace blitz from unlikely hero Michael Neser.
England's Stokes praises Australia's Head, supports his own errant batters
All-rounder Max Maxwell, who has been sidelined by a wrist injury, will come in for the last three games, while Test certainty Josh Hazlewood will skip the last three games.
'The moment was right': Head floors England with match-winning hundred
Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan feels Australia all-rounder Cameron Green will attract strong interest from teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings at Tuesday's Indian Premier League 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi.
Australia's selectors chairman George Bailey defended sticking with the Test side's veteran core for the Ashes on Wednesday following criticism from former captain Steve Waugh about the team's ageing profile.
Bazball is in the firing line, with former players and pundits decrying the high-risk game on Australia's spicy pitches.
Regular captain Pat Cummins was named in the Australia squad on Wednesday for the third Ashes Test against England, a strong indication that the inspirational fast bowler will see his first action of the series in Adelaide next week.
A stunning book on the Kumbh. And a recipe.
'They played well in Australia, in bouncy and quick conditions. I do not see a reason why they should not go to the 2027 World Cup.'
Australia pace spearhead Cummins to lead SRH for 3rd consecutive season in IPL
Australia captain Pat Cummins said on Monday he was more likely than not to miss the first Ashes Test in Perth next month and is not absolutely certain of being fit for the second in Brisbane.
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin's much-anticipated foray into Australian Big Bash League has been stalled by a knee injury with the off-spinner ruled out of the entire season with Sydney Thunder.
Sticking to the basics and drawing from a larger talent pool, fighting for limited spots in the team has led to South Africa's resurgence across formats in the past couple years, according to pacer Anrich Nortje.
