Shane Watson would be honoured to stand in for Michael Clarke as Test skipper against India next month even if he thinks it's increasingly unlikely that Australia will need a caretaker captain.
Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front with an unbeaten half-century to help Mumbai Indians down Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets, in the Indian Premier League, in Pune, on Saturday.
Steve Smith may have been disgraced for his role in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa but newly-appointed Rajasthan Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane said that he still respects him as a world-class batsman.
IMAGES from the IPL season XI opener played between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke will headline Hong Kong's Twenty20 Blitz this month as he pursues a comeback in cricket's shortest form. Clarke, one of the top batsmen of his generation, will star at the four-team tournament from May 28-29 in a rare appearance since his retirement last year. "While I have never been to Hong Kong before, I have heard so much about what a great place it is for sport," he said in a statement from organisers on Wednesday. "I can't wait to meet my team-mates and experience the city, while also hopefully contributing to the game of cricket in Hong Kong which I know has been coming on leaps and bounds in recent years." Injury-plagued Clarke, 35, retired last August after playing 115 Tests for Australia, 47 as captain, and 245 one-day internationals, but only 34 T20 internationals.
Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell has slammed his country's selectors after the failure of the Australian batting line-up.
'We've tried a few different things. It hasn't really worked.'
India vice-captain Virat Kohli's temperament was once again tested after the batsman was hit by a Mitchell Johnson return throw which resulted in the two players getting into a verbal duel.
Scenes from the legend's IPL 2019 campaign...
Australia have called batsman Shaun Marsh into their squad for the opening Test of the four-match series against India, which was pushed back to next week after the death of Phillip Hughes.
Virat Kohli slammed an unbeaten 90 before a collective effort by the Indian bowlers gave the visitors a resounding start in the Twenty20 series against Australia with a 37-run victory in the first match in Adelaide, on Tuesday.
Rilee Rossouw smashed a sparkling 78 off 50 balls to drive a youthful South Africa side to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday in the first of three Twenty20 internationals.
Photos of the third quarter-final match between Australia and Pakistan being played at the Adelaide Oval on Friday
Mahendra Singh Dhoni nearly pulled off a heist but Parthiv Patel's last ball run out helped Royal Challengers Bangalore edge past Chennai Super Kings by one run off the last ball in a thrilling finish.
CSK have been on a roll with three wins on the trot that have boosted them to the top of the table.
CSK, with their experience of winning important moments, will certainly make Capitals wary.
Virat Kohli and Steven Smith will be eager to stem the rot when Royal Challengers Bangalore square off with Rising Pune Supergiants in an Indian Premier League encounter.
The crowds at Tuesday's IPL Qualifier 1 won't forget Faf's 67 in a hurry.
Stephen Fleming rued that their batsmen let it 'slip' despite having so much resources.
Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming lost his cool and lashed out at those questioning the thought process behind sending Kedar Jadhav ahead of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in their Indian Premier League match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, on Friday.
Check out the images from Day 2 of the fourth Test between Australia and India played at Sydney Cricket Ground
AB de Villiers combined with Mandeep Singh for a game-changing partnership as Royal Challengers Bangalore eliminated Rajasthan Royals following a crushing 71-run victory, in the Indian Premier League in Pune, on Wednesday.
Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz has apologised to the nation for the team's failure in the World Cup quarter-final against Australia.
Chennai Super Kings seem to hold a slight edge going into the match as they have not only got the better of their southern rivals twice in the league stages but also have the winning momentum going into the match on what promises to be a bouncy track.
Chennai Super Kings batsman Faf Du Plessis heaped praise on skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his ability to hit any bowler, saying such a trait can make life difficult for any rival captain.
Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni batted at number seven against , promoting the likes of Sam Curran, Jadhav and Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of himself but the ploy backfired badly
Australia have included uncapped George Bailey in their 12-man squad for the first Ashes encounter against England next week in a gamble the 31-year-old can replicate his "extraordinary" limited overs form in the Test arena.
Yusuf Pathan and Andre Russell launched an incredible counter-attack after the fall of quick wickets in the start to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to an entertaining five-wicket victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday. Chasing a challenging 186-run target set by RCB, Yusuf smashed an unbeaten 60 off only 29 balls to guide KKR home with five balls remaining.
'I was not sure whether such a big player would come to my house but he was quite happy to visit my place... which was just unbelievable!'
Dhoni's CSK will take on Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener on Saturday. Fleming, a former New Zealand captain, stressed that his team's experience of winning big matches will come in handy during the next 53 days.
Their winning momentum punctured after a loss to Rising Pune Supergiants, Sunrisers Hyderabad would look to get back to their winning ways when they take on a struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore in an Indian Premier League Twenty20 match, in Hyderabad, on Saturday.
Gujarat Lions would be looking to get back to winning ways when they lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore.
'Well, we got 230 in the first match and then almost 200 in this match, without Gayle firing. Guess what would happen when he fires' 'Four guys -- Gayle, AB de Villiers, myself and Shane Watson -- of international calibre playing in one team, it always helps. You can rely on those four and turn the game for you'
Australia, bidding to avenge their defeat in the Ashes Test series earlier in the tour, went 1-0 up in the One-Day International encounter when they beat England by 59 runs in Southampton on Thursday.
Yuvraj Singh made a sensational return to international cricket, blasting his way to an unbeaten 35-ball 77 as India beat Australia by six wickets in a high-scoring one-off T20, in Rajkot, on Thursday.
A scrappy India will have to lift their game by several notches against an improving Australia when the two fierce rivals clash in a virtual quarter-final cricket match of the ICC World Twenty20, in Mohali, on Sunday.
Yuvraj Singh, Ishant Sharma and Kevin Pietersen will be among the eight marquee players up for grabs at the IPL 2016 Player Auction scheduled to take place, in Bengaluru, on February 6.
National selector Mark Waugh has confirmed Shane Watson will play the final two T20 internationals against South Africa after missing the game one defeat in Durban. Watson scored an unbeaten 124 against India in his last T20 appearance for Australia, but suffered an abdominal injury while playing for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League three weeks ago. But Waugh says Watson will return in the second match in Johannesburg on Sunday, and also forecast ongoing changes as Australia seek to determine their best XI ahead of the looming World T20 in India. "He (Watson) would have played on Friday except he had a stomach strain so we just wanted to make sure that he was fully fit. He'll play in the last two games," Waugh said on commentary at Kingsmead. "We're probably going to give everybody two games out of three matches so we can have a look at them and give them some game time in the middle. "We've played very little T20 cricket so everyone will get a game. "Watson's bowling has been very good the last three or four months.
10 all-rounders who may leave a mark on the World T20.
Australia comfortably chased down a modest target set by South Africa to win the third Twenty20 international by six wickets at SuperSport Park and take the series 2-0 after the first game was washed out.
