Tennis fans in Australia could win A$10 million ($6.71 million) by correctly predicting every match winner at the Australian Open.
Babar Azam's first Big Bash League stint ended early as the Pakistan star returned home before Sydney Sixers' eliminator after an underwhelming season.
Mitchell Starc, who picked up 26 wickets in four matches with an average of 17.42, has moved one rung up to share the second spot with Pakistan spinner Noman Ali.
Richardson has, so far, played three Test matches since making his debut in 2018-19. The pacer has picked up 11 wickets at an average of 22.09.
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.
Gauff is a fan favourite in Melbourne
Cricket Australia were left millions of dollars out of pocket, having to refund tickets for a confirmed sell-out crowd on day three at the 100,000-seat stadium and for another large crowd for day four.
Australian Open organizers came under fire on the Grand Slam's opening day on Sunday as frustrated fans sweated in long queues to the gates of Melbourne Park.
Jannik Sinner brushed aside heat concerns to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals, while Iga Swiatek ended home hopes by overpowering Maddison Inglis in Melbourne.
Seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams thanked Australian Open organisers on Saturday for giving her a wildcard that will see the 45-year-old American become the oldest woman ever to compete in the singles main draw.
The Opening Ceremony will take place on Saturday, January 17, at Rod Laver Arena. The Australian Open main draw begins on January 18.
Cricketer-turned-commentator Vaughan has expressed his thoughts regarding the fourth Test. The former cricketer praised England's win but added that cricket fans should not celebrate after seeing a Test match ending in two days.
Kyrgios, the 2018 Brisbane champion, is now ranked 673rd in the world with no protected ranking and will also need a wildcard to compete at Melbourne Park.
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka fended off a serious challenge from Anastasia Potapova to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.
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.
Michael Vaughan believes England's victory in the Boxing Day Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was a 'lottery'.
In five and a half hours of scintillating tennis, the third longest match ever at the Australian Open, Alcaraz won the controversy-riddled encounter.
England called up spinner Shoaib Bashir and seamer Matthew Potts for the final Ashes Test against Australia beginning on Sunday with one of them set to fill the void created by Gus Atkinson's injury-induced absence.
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.
Captain Ben Stokes believes England can build on the positives from their loss in the third Ashes Test to Australia in Adelaide as they look to claim the country's first win Down Under in almost 15 years in the series' two remaining tests.
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.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted players from the Australian and England cricket teams ahead of the final Ashes Test at Kirribilli House for his annual New Year's Day reception on Thursday.
Iga Swiatek heads into Melbourne Park with the Australian Open title the only gap on her Grand Slam resume, but the world number two is keen to avoid setting herself targets for the new season and says her main goal is to improve her game.
'You do not progress unless you have some pretty honest and truthful conversations.'
Russian-born Daria Kasatkina said she is ready to embrace the "good pressure" of a home Grand Slam when she steps onto the Melbourne Park court as an Australian citizen for the first time.
An Ashes tour that began with high hopes of taking home the urn has been reduced to a desperate effort to salvage some last vestiges of dignity for England.
An Indian-origin couple currently serving jail terms in Australia for enslaving a woman for eight years has been slapped with a fresh penalty and ordered to forfeit the proceeds from the sale of their home, police said.
Nick Kyrgios will only feature in the doubles at the Australian Open, which begins at Melbourne Park on January 18.
It was a relieved Ben Stokes bidding good riddance to more than a decade of pain for English cricket in Australia on Saturday as his team rallied from the depths to complete a drought-breaking Test win in Melbourne.
England Captain Ben Stokes was involved in a heated on-field exchange with Australia's No.3 Marnus Labuschagne, an incident that drew strong reactions from former players in the commentary box.
England fast bowler Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney after tearing his left hamstring, the team said on Monday.
The overwhelmingly bowler-friendly Melbourne pitch on which 20 wickets fell on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test has prompted Kevin Pietersen and Dinesh Kartik to point out the selective criticism of Indian tracks when spinners get wickets in a heap.
Konstas, 20, misses out after a poor tour with the bat in the West Indies, while Weatherald has been included after topping the Sheffield Shield runs list
'The body is holding together, and it's a great group to be a part of.'
Usman Khawaja picked as Australia announce squad for Sydney Test against England
Playing in just his second BBL match, Jerrssis Wadia made an instant impact in the Australian Big Bash League, delivering a thrilling cameo for the Adelaide Strikers.
Venus Williams will return to the Australian Open after receiving a wildcard entry, the tournament's organisers said on Friday, marking her first appearance at Melbourne Park in five years.
A Hindu temple and two Asian-run restaurants in Melbourne were defaced with racist graffiti, sparking concern within the community.
Players struggled with cramp and injuries on the second day of the Australian Open on Monday, headlined by the retirement of seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime while his compatriot Marina Stakusic needed a wheelchair to leave the court.
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