Captain Steven Smith defends beer logo on Australia shirts.
Premier League newcomers Watford suffered a League Cup upset in a 1-0 loss at Preston North End while five-times champions Aston Villa overcame plucky Notts County 5-3 after extra-time to reach the third round on Tuesday.
As we prepare to cruise into the New Year, Rediff.com gives you a glance back, through photos, into all the sporting moments that made the last 12 months memorable.
Major world record deals are here.
Jason Hughes, the older brother of the late Phillip Hughes, has made an emotional return to grade cricket, scoring 63 -- the exact score his sibling was on when he was fatally struck by a bouncer.
Former Australian Test captain Michael Clarke is set to return to first-class cricket six months after he announced international retirement and the lucrative India Premier League is on his radar, according to reports in the Australian media. The 34-year-old, who retired from international cricket following Australia's Ashes defeat last August, has also refused to rule out wearing the baggy green once more, insisting he was in good shape ahead of a grade cricket comeback. Clarke is likely to make his return for grade team Western Suburbs against Randwick-Petersham in a Sydney club match on February 20-21. "I'll start with playing this grade game for Western Suburbs and see if I miss it as much as I feel like I'm going to. If I do, the option is there to train the entire winter and then we'll see what happens," local media reported Clarke as having told 'News Corp'.
The triumph will put the Indian ace will in the top 300 in the ATP rankings.
Ghosal became the first Indian ever to win the coveted British Junior Open U-19 Squash title, defeating Adel El Said of Egypt in the final at Sheffield in England.
Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has been called into the squad for the remainder of the One-day series against South Africa to give Mitchell Johnson time to rest up before next month's Test series against India.
Shami will be given adequate rest in between matches, said Kings XI Punjab coach Mike Hesson
All-rounder Marcus Stoinis was called up for Australia's two remaining Tests in India on the strength of his bowling and previous performances in the region, interim chief selector Trevor Hohns said on Thursday.
Australia have barely put a foot wrong in the five-match series and will head to the MCG confident of pushing England toward a second successive whitewash on home soil.
Former India captain and CAB president, Sourav Ganguly, is working overtime to get everything in order at Eden Gardens, which is set to host the country's first pink-ball multi-day cricket match under lights. With drone flying over him under the dazzling Eden floodlights, the iconic lefthander was seen shooting promotional with the pink Kookaburra. "Eden Gardens will hold the first day-night (four-day) match in India. It has given us many moments to celebrate, now it's getting ready to host yet another moment to remember," Ganguly said in the promotional. Later talking to media, Ganguly, who is also the BCCI technical committee chairman, said, "Pink ball is the future... This will be the ultimate form of Test cricket. What will be the use of doing something which will have little interest left."
Australia opener Aaron Finch believes off-spinner Nathan Lyon will play an important role considering the amount of bounce on offer in the pitch in the ongoing second Test in Perth.
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja could find himself opening against South Africa's formidable pace attack in the first Test in Perth on November 3, just months after being dropped during a poor tour of Sri Lanka.
Unai Emery's side were heading for a demoralising defeat, three days after losing meekly to Sheffield United in the Premier League, but substitute Pepe's late intervention kept the Gunners top of Group F with a maximum nine points.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Many of the jobs will now be offshored to lower income countries such as India, China and Poland
England made a poor start to their Australia tour on Thursday with their fancied bowling attack forced to toil by a second-string Western Australia Chairman's XI at Perth.
Only Root, former skipper Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad and James Anderson remain from the England team that suffered a 381-run hiding at the Gabba in 2013/14, when a marauding Mitchell Johnson took nine wickets and set the tone for the series.
In order to raise the dwindling number of spectators in the stadium, the Board of Control for Cricket in India last week said it is all set to host its first-ever day/night cricket Test with the pink ball against New Zealand in October.
His 107th-minute strike gave Liverpool a 2-0 win over Sheffield United.
Jake Lehmann's strong form could force an awkward decision at the selectors table where his father sits.
Former Australia batsman Mike Hussey feels Adam Zampa's approach to bowling reminds him of the great Anil Kumble, even as the young leg-spinner made a strong case for his selection for the upcoming Test tour of India with some impressive performance in the sub-continent last year.
Australia's Test squad have been sent back to play domestic One-day cricket in order to prepare for next month's series against New Zealand after their tour to Bangladesh was postponed on Thursday due to security concerns.
Delhi's young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant batted himself into the record books as he struck the fastest ever hundred by an Indian in a first-class game by hitting a 48-ball ton against Jharkhand in a Ranji Trophy encounter in Thumba, Kerala, on Tuesday.
Leicester City have returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2004 despite not kicking a ball on Saturday after Queens Park Rangers and Derby County both lost.
Australia have received a major boost less than a month before the start of the Ashes with the news that captain Michael Clarke will return to action for New South Wales on Tuesday, subject to a final fitness Test on his injured back.
David Warner and Steven Smith on Tuesday looked heaven-wards and raised their bats on reaching 63, score from where the late Phillip Hughes could proceed.
Australia all-rounder Shane Watson had the unique honour of using the players' locker formerly meant for Phil Hughes.
FA Cup holders Arsenal have been drawn against runners-up Hull City, a repeat of last year's enthralling final, in this season's third round after the draw was made on Monday.
In a tribute to late Phillip Hughes, the Australian cricket team has decided to wear number 408, the Test debut number of the late batsman, under its national emblem during the first Test against India starting December 9.
Australia's pace spearhead Mitchell Starc is confident he will be fit to take on South Africa in next month's first test after declaring himself available for a domestic Sheffield Shield match on Thursday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Jose Mourinho got the perfect birthday present when his Chelsea side beat Stoke City 1-0 in the FA Cup fourth round at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Brazilian midfielder Oscar scoring the goal from a stunning free kick.
Former Australia Test batsman Justin Langer ruled himself out of the running for the India and England coaching jobs.
The majority of Premier League clubs would prefer not to have the distraction of playing in the FA Cup, according to Paul Lambert, the manager of seven-time winners Aston Villa.
Baby-faced teenager Matthew Fitzpatrick rounded off a dream week on Sunday by claiming the silver medal at the British Open as the leading amateur.
