India captain Virat Kohli remained in second spot behind Steve Smith while Alastair Cook jumped nine places to be eighth in the latest ICC Test rankings after his unbeaten double century in the ongoing Ashes.
Ashwell Prince, South Africa's batting coach, labelled Aiden Markram as the "man for the big occasion" after the opener steered the Proteas towards what could be a famous run-chase in the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia on Friday.
Gautam Gambhir termed sanctions imposed on Steve Smith and David Warner 'harsh' and raised questions whether the errant duo paid the price for revolting against Cricket Australia on pay hike issue.
Australia have enough experience and versatility in their line-up to get into tournament-mode quickly for the Champions Trophy following a difficult buildup to the One-Day International showpiece, according to opener Travis Head.
Former skipper Steve Waugh has heaped praise on the current Australia captain Steven Smith, labeling him 'the gap hitter I've ever seen'. A guest speaker at the India Today Conclave 2016 in New Delhi, Waugh was asked to describe the prototype for his perfect batsmen, which involved him cherry-picking the greatest strengths from the best players he's seen. Waugh praised Smith's ability to pierce the field with his 'strong and subtle wrist'. "I think Steve Smith would be in there purely because he's the best gap hitter I've ever seen of any cricketer," he said. "If you watch him bat, he rarely hits the ball to the fieldsmen. That's why he scores so many runs. "Even though his technique is not great, he finds the gaps incredibly well." Smith had recently accepted that it's timing and form that he relies on when looking to go big. "For me, hitting sixes is about trying to keep my shape as much as possible," Smith said last week.
Australian cricketers will have to wear neck protectors on helmets when facing fast or medium pace bowling from October
The former Australia captain declined to name the players involved but reiterated that he had told them, "I don't want to know about it", and then walked away.
Cricket Australia will not reconsider reducing the ban on Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft in the ball-tampering case despite a series against a full-strength India awaiting them next month.
David Warner joined former captain Steve Smith and batsman Cameron Bancroft in deciding not to contest the sanctions imposed on him by his cricket board for his role in last month's ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
'I said before the game that if they bowl a lot at my head then they're not bowling at my stumps and trying to get me out lbw and caught behind the wicket. And I think that perhaps played into our favour a little bit in this innings'.
Kohli trails Smith by 26 points and will have to produce a string of strong performances to leapfrog the Australian.
Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden feels that David Warner and Travis Head are the ideal duo to open for Australia at the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup which is set to begin on October 5.
The victorous Indian team sung a new victory anthem to celebrate winning their first World Cup.
Australia captain Steve Smith brushed off concerns about his fitness on the eve of the fifth and final Ashes Test against England on Wednesday before Mitchell Starc's return to spearhead the pace attack was confirmed as the only change to his team.
Head said the win was a culmination of the hard work put in over the last two years.
Australia take on West Indies in a three-match T20 series starting in Hobart on Friday as part of their preparations for the June 1-29 World Cup in the Caribbean and United States.
Reflecting on the win in the most challenging of circumstances, Smith said he could not be more proud of his team
Australian batsman Steve Smith reckons that with the Gabba track starting to play a few tricks, an engrossing final day is in store in the fourth and deciding Test against India.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the International Cricket Committee (ICC) for not taking any action against Australia captain Steve Smith over a decision review controversy in this week's Bengaluru Test.
Following their emphatic nine-wicket win in the Indore Test, Australia will be looking to continue the momentum as they seek a series-levelling victory in the fourth and final Test, starting in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Cummins, Hazlewood ruled out of Champions Trophy.
Steve Smith continued his sizzling form with an unbeaten century as Australia laid a strong foundation on the first day of the second Test .
From the lad with spiked hair lifting the U19 World Cup to the statesman in whites scoring one final ton -- Virat Kohli's journey is one of relentless ambition, transformation, and enduring legacy.
Travis Head played down concerns over his fitness after appearing to struggle with a potential groin issue
Australia's Steve Smith is back on top of the list of batsmen in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings after India captain Virat Kohli could manage only 21 runs in his two innings in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington, which his side lost by 10 wickets to concede a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. This is the eighth time that Smith is on top of the rankings after first occupying the top position in June 2015.
Australia captain Pat Cummins is all but ruled out of the Champions Trophy while fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood is also a doubt for the tournament.
- 'I think they've made a very brave and good decision in making Steve the captain' - 'I'm comfortable where my game's at, everything's going in the right direction, I'd just like to get more runs'
An injury concern looms over Australian skipper Pat Cummins ahead of next month's Champions Trophy with the pacer set to undergo a scan
Smith was handed a one-year ban along with his then deputy David Warner exactly a year ago for their roles in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
India mounted a positive reply after Steve Smith's unbeaten 178 and Glenn Maxwell's maiden century powered Australia to a series-high 451 on day two of the third Test in Ranchi on Friday.
Matt Renshaw feels he figures way down in the Australian selection pecking order for the opener's slot.
Australia buried India under an avalanche of runs for a 51-run drubbing in the second ODI and an unassailable 2-0 series lead after the majestic Steve Smith produced another master-class in the form of a 64-ball 104, in Sydney, on Sunday.
The Australian Cricketers' Association have always contested the bans were overly-harsh and have continued to push for all three to be able to return to representative cricket immediately.
Steve Smith has demanded his team's batsmen lift their output and score centuries against South Africa in the wake of their humbling six-wicket loss in the second Test at Port Elizabeth.
The selectors have decided to rest David Warner for the five-match T20 series in India following Australia's ODI World Cup triumph.
Abbas also acknowledged the consistency displayed by India across formats and said the Rohit Sharma-led team will be a strong contender for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Banned Australian duo Steve Smith and David Warner will look to share their wealth of experience with budding cricketers when they make their highly anticipated return to club cricket in Sydney on Saturday.
Australia dominated the proceedings on the opening day of the ICC World Test Championship final at the Oval.
Australia captain Steve Smith led by example, smashing an unbeaten 108 against a sloppy Pakistan to secure his team's seven-wicket victory with five overs to spare in the third one-day international in Perth on Thursday.
Former captain Smith, who has endured boos from the home crowds for his role in last year's ball-tampering scandal but has responded by piling up 671 runs in five innings, said it was incredibly special to retain the Ashes in England, something Australia have not done for 18 years.
