'People tell me you know when you know and I felt like this is the right time'
Kevin Pietersen was included in a 14-man squad for next week's third Ashes Test against Australia at Old Trafford despite concerns over his calf injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Sunday.
'I felt comfortable knowing that I just needed to change a few things, to adjust, to try and bring the match back in my favour'
According to ESPNCricinfo, Stokes, who has played for Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Supergiant in the past, will likely play as a specialist batter initially to manage his knee injury, for which he has been administered cortisone shots -- an anti-inflammation injection.
Australia beat England by an innings and 123 runs after lunch on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes Test on Monday to wrap up a 4-0 series triumph. The hosts, who scored 649 declared in their reply to England's first innings 346, dismissed the tourists for 180 at the Sydney Cricket Ground to seal a comprehensive victory.
'He's probably one of those players inspired by playing against the better teams and again that has a flow on effect to the fellas that don't have that sort of confidence. I don't think they've got a hope in hell without him'
Former South African tweaker Johan Botha believes Pakistan refugee spinner Fawad Ahmed is the missing link in Australia's plot to regain the Ashes and No.1 Test ranking.
Clarke hopeful of Australia finding right mix between youth and experience after the team was described as a "Dad's Army" by former fast bowler and present Yorkshire coach, Jason Gillespie.
With key players -- KL Rahul (thigh) and Shreyas Iyer (lower back) yet to prove their fitness, the BCCI top brass and selectors could opt for safer options that gives them an opportunity to check all available players in the five (six if they reach final) Asia Cup games in Sri Lanka.
Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke both have particular reasons for wanting to win the upcoming Ashes series that begins with the first cricket Test in Cardiff starting on Wednesday.
England host Australia in the first Ashes test starting on Wednesday without any of the obvious benefits of home advantage in a new venue with a relaid outfield.
England have also included seamer Reece Topley, who they hope will have recovered from an ankle injury in time to play.
- 'I've spoken a lot about consistency away from home, I just hope this is the start of it' - 'It takes a lot of hard work to feel you can walk out onto a ground in an international game and have success and once you get it you want it to stay forever. So you've got to ride that wave for as long as you can'
Novak Djokovic will begin his quest for a record-extending 10th Australian Open title against Roberto Carballes Baena.
Australia completed a dominant eight-wicket victory in the fourth Ashes Test before tea on day four, swatting away a toothless England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday to take a 4-0 lead in the five-Test series.
Ricky Ponting believes that India will play both Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in the World Test Championship final against Australia, starting June 7.
The 30-year-old missed England's opening two games in Perth and Adelaide but is available for the final warm-up game against a Cricket Australia XI starting on Wednesday.
Having already sealed the series 3-1, England coach Trevor Bayliss suggested they might experiment in the fifth final match starting at the Oval in London on Friday.
Australian fast bowler Brett Lee could miss the first Ashes Test against England starting in Cardiff on Wednesday because of a rib injury, his team said on Monday. Lee, one of Australia's key bowlers in the 2005 series, suffered soreness in his ribs following the drawn warm-up game against the England Lions.
Australia fast bowler James Pattinson will miss the rest of the Ashes series against England with a back injury, Cricket Australia said on Monday.
Former wicketkeeper Ian Healy predicted a 2-1 win for India in the four-Test series against Australia, starting in Nagpur on February 9, provided the hosts don't prepare "unreasonable wickets".
Ben Stokes' participation in the Ashes would be an "absolute bonus" but England are preparing contingency plans after writing off the all-rounder for the series, coach Trevor Bayliss said.
Images from Day 2 of the 2023 US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York on Tuesday.
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'...The players and staff deserve a lot of credit for the standard of cricket we have played over the past two years. It would be a great reward for everyone to finish as World Test Champions.'
Batsman Usman Khawaja and spinner Michael Beer will make their Australia debuts in the fifth Ashes Test against England, stand-in captain Michael Clarke said on Sunday.
Australia might have thrashed England 5-0 in their previous Ashes contest Down Under but key batsman Steve Smith feels their arch-rivals in Test cricket would be a force to reckon with in the July-August return series in England.
Australia have sprung a surprise by picking untried spinner Michael Beer in a revamped 12-man squad for the third Ashes Test starting in Perth next week.
England are relishing the prospect of ending Australia's 22-year unbeaten run at the Gabba in the first Ashes Test to make the best possible start to their campaign to retain the urn, captain Andrew Strauss said.
The fourth Test will be played from January 5-9 at the SCG, with Australia having retained the Ashes after winning the first three games.
Opener David Warner and all-rounder Mitch Marsh will be rested for the five-match Twenty20 International series against Sri Lanka next month to prepare for the upcoming tour of Pakistan.
'Both the DMK and ADMK are equally to blame.' 'When the question is violence against Dalits, they don't take measures to protect Dalits.'
Australia have typically struggled in sub-continent conditions and a pitch which could assist the spinners is expected at the SCG, keeping in mind the upcoming tour of India in February.
Australia will beat England in the upcoming Ashes series if they play their best cricket despite their recent slump, bullish vice-captain Michael Clarke said on Monday.
Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali led England's charge to a 169-run victory over Australia with a day to spare in the first Test in Cardiff, on Saturday to make a flying start in their bid to regain the Ashes
'I believe that as we produce more, our cost will come down further. We will maintain our competitiveness.'
Images from Day 1 of the 5th and final opening Test between Australia and England at the SCG in Sydney on Thursday
Surya was hit just above right wrist by a throwdown from Raghavendra and immediately left the nets writhing in pain.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes India's lack of success away from home in Test cricket is down to lack of a seam-bowling all-rounder like England's Ben Stokes.
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