Moeen Ali revealed that Jofra Archer is the fastest bowler he has ever faced after watching the England newcomer rip South Africa apart at The Oval.
American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson, expected to be one of the biggest draws at the Tokyo Olympics, will miss the 100 metres at the Games after accepting a one-month ban for testing positive for cannabis during her US trials victory in June.
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja is likely to replace injured Kevin Pietersen in the squad of Rising Pune Supergiants in season 9 of Indian Premier League. Pietersen was ruled out of the IPL on Sunday, leaving the subcontinent with a hole in his calf muscle and in Pune's batting order. If picked, this will be Khawaja's maiden IPL stint. The left-handed top-order batsman had gone unsold at IPL auctions in February despite scoring heavily in Australia's domestic circuit. Pune have not named a replacement for KP, but Khawaja is the one of the frontrunners, according to Supergiants coach Stephen Fleming. "He (Khawaja) is a guy we are surely looking at," Fleming said after the two-wicket loss to Kolkata on Sunday.
Queensland quick Michael Neser looks set to make his Test debut against New Zealand on Thursday with Australia considering an unconventional five-man attack for the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The hosts, who can clinch the three-match series with a second successive victory, are wary of the surface at MCG where bowlers had to really toil for any success in recent times.
While former England skipper Nasser Hussain loves that Virat Kohli is his "own man", very different from 'Ice Man' Mahendra Singh Dhoni, there are areas where he would like the Indian captain to improve.
'We just have to pick the right three fast bowlers to take the 20 wickets in that first Ashes Test'
The left-armer was made to toil on a typically lifeless pitch in the drawn first Test in Dubai, grabbing only a solitary wicket while conceding 108 runs for more than 40 overs' work in broiling heat.
'I know a few of the Surrey guys and they are not what people make them out to be a lot of the time. But if anyone in that dressing room does think they are a big dog, they will need to sit down for a little while because there is a proper big dog coming'
'Irresponsible' Djokovic panned for Adria Tour misadventure.
India's Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara on Thursday admitted that playing day-night Tests is an altogether different challenge for the batsman as the pace and visibility of the pink ball is very different from the traditional red ball.
Mitchell Santner feels his team's inability to take wickets in the middle overs has proved costly
Finch is happy that both Smith and David Warner have done incredible work during their time off the field which is showing off
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has predicted that tensions between the his team and the visiting England team will reach boiling point during next month's Ashes series.
'If I was disappointed with anything it was the over-reaction' 'It's a Test match. It's tough cricket out there, you want people getting on with it'
Former Pakistan speedster Waqar Younis has said that he is ready to help Australian bowlers to lift the Ashes once again.
New Zealand have drafted in two debutants in the T20 squad besides all-rounder Scott Kuggeleijen, who has played just one T20
India will start their Asia Cup campaign against minnows Hong Kong on Tuesday followed by the big game against Pakistan.
New Zealand pacer Mitchell McClenaghan said his team will look to play aggressive cricket in the ongoing ODI series against India to send a message to the other powerful nations.
'Over the years he's proved himself with the red ball and even in white ball he doesn't have a bad record. The way he has come back and bowled in Dubai and then two games here. It shows the quality that he has.'
A temporary ceasefire was called on Wednesday as Australia captain Steve Smith and his England counterpart Joe Root paused for photos under a blinding blue sky at the Brisbane stadium, but both captains have been looking to land a psychological blow on the eve of the first Test.
Mitchell Starc is ready step up and do the heavy lifting as Australia's sole specialist pace bowler should the tourists opt for a three-pronged spin attack in next month's two-Test series against Pakistan.
Australia completed a crushing victory over England in the fourth Test on Sunday to level the Ashes series at 1-1 with one match to play.
Josh Hazlewood will be Australia's third pace bowler in this week's first Test against New Zealand after Peter Siddle was named 12th man on Wednesday.
Resurgent Australia completed a 5-0 whitewash of Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, with all top four batsmen posting half-centuries in a commanding 20-run win, the team's eighth in succession.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has been named to lead his country in his final one-day series against Australia next month, providing he can prove his fitness.
Images from the third One-Day International between New Zealand and India in Mount Maunganui on Monday.
'If there were ever a PR exercise to fix the seemingly irreparable image of Australian cricket in the aftermath of the most notorious on-field scandal in recent memory, then this is it,' observes Dhruv Munjal.
After playing a crucial role in Australia's World Cup triumph, Mitchell Johnson now has his sights trained on the challenge of bowling to the fearsome AB de Villiers when Kings XI Punjab take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League.
Australia captain Aaron Finch is relishing a "blockbuster" Cricket World Cup semi-final against England at Edgbaston on Thursday but injury concerns threaten to derail the plans of the defending champions.
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli insists that the team, whose best finish over the last seven editions of the IPL is runners-up in 2009 and 2011, can will the title this time.
Rohit Sharma and Hanuma Vihari will battle for a place in the Indian team for the first Test.
The injured and banned duo of Steven Smith and David Warner are unlikely to take part in Australia's final two ODIs against Pakistan despite serving out their one-year suspensions.
Paceman Tom Curran claimed a career-best five for 35 to derail Australia's chase in the inaugural match at Perth's new stadium and help England win the fifth and final one-dayer by 12 runs on Sunday.
Australia may unleash an all-pace attack against Pakistan for the series-opening day-night Test in Brisbane, home captain Steve Smith said.
A 75-run partnership for the second wicket between stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma and Vijay Shankar put India in a strong position but their middle-order failed to capitalise and the tourists finished with 208 for six in 20 overs.
Usman Khawaja batted bravely for nearly nine hours to make 141 and help Australia salvage a draw in the first Test against Pakistan, in Dubai, on Thursday.
Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson has revealed how his long-standing friendship with Shane Watson got off to a rocky start back in 2000, when the former all-rounder stuck his head in the toilet at the Australia's Cricket Academy in Adelaide.
Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc has said that India were scared of losing the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
'I think there'll be a huge fallout from this (defeat). There's not too many times that you lose to the second or third (choice) side.'
The Australian mind games targeting India's new Test captain Virat Kohli continued with opener David Warner saying that it would be interesting to see how "fiery" the batsman would be when he leads the side out in the fourth and final Test starting in Sydney on Tuesday.
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