Australia

7:01 AM GMT It has become a regular sight around Australia Test squads: Michael Neser bowling over after over in the nets, troubling the best batsmen, then getting the tap on the shoulder from Justin Langer to say he would be carrying the drinks again. The pace attack, arguably the best in the world, is

7:59 AM GMT International cricket of some kind in the next Australian summer is probable, the domestic Big Bash League and WBBL are highly likely and even the men’s T20 World Cup remains a chance of happening. These are among the views that may be drawn from a report issued to Cricket Australia and the

11:02 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Did Australia go “a lot softer” on India during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2018-19 at home? Michael Clarke believes so, and feels the IPL, where players from around the world earn big bucks, made Tim Paine’s men “too scared” to sledge Virat Kohli and Co in the series the visitors

7:35 AM GMT After announcing his retirement from first-class cricket, Steve O’Keefe has implored for spinners in the Australian domestic game to be given more of a chance to shine as a “matter of urgency” if the national team is serious about becoming a force in the subcontinent. O’Keefe, the New South Wales left-arm spinner

3:21 AM GMT Steve O’Keefe, statistically the best fingerspinner in Australian domestic cricket since Ashley Mallett, has ended his Sheffield Shield career following New South Wales’ decision not to offer him a contract for next summer. Not since Mallett’s 344 wickets at 23.75 for South Australia and Western Australia in the 1960s, 70s and early

9:27 AM GMT Since time immemorial, April has been wedding season for Australia’s cricketers, after the end of the season and before winter’s chill takes full effect. This year, however, the tally of delayed weddings provides yet another measure of the toll of the COVID19 pandemic, as best-laid plans are put off indefinitely, or at

3:49 AM GMT Pat Cummins‘ AU$3.17 million contract with Kolkata Knight Riders may be enough reason for him to want this year’s IPL to go ahead. But the Australian vice-captain has admitted that international cricket should take priority over the world’s richest domestic league should health and travel restrictions from the COVID19 pandemic be relaxed

3:18 AM GMT Australia Test captain Tim Paine believes the behavioural changes forced upon the national team by the Newlands scandal have flowed down into the rest of the system over the course of the past two years, with incidents involving James Pattinson and Marcus Stoinis last summer the exceptions that prove the new rule.

3:43 AM GMT Australia’s captain Tim Paine says the nation’s cricketers are aware the delay to their central contracting for next season may well lead to pay cuts, and they accept that such a move would be part of the need to “do our bit” to preserve the game amid the coronavirus pandemic. He has

3:25 AM GMT Contingency planning to prepare for the possibility of a severely affected home summer has forced a delay in the release of Cricket Australia’s annual contracts for men and women, with state and Big Bash League contracts also uncertain. Contracted players were informed on Friday that the annual contract rankings for the national

3:45 AM GMT Steve Baldas, the Adelaide Strikers general manager, is among 16 members of staff and seven contractors made redundant by the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) as it became the first state cricket association to reduce the size of its operation amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The SACA’s cost-cutting, announced to its members on

10:36 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff New South Wales allrounder Moises Henriques and Victoria batsman Nic Maddinson have been jointly awarded the Sheffield Shield players of the 2019-20 season. The duo pipped Shaun Marsh and Peter Siddle, who were also in the running. This is the first time that either of the two has been chosen

7:08 AM GMT Players and staff living alone during long periods of isolation forced by the coronavirus pandemic will have their mental health closely watched by Cricket Australia. This comes in the wake of the national team coach Justin Langer balancing the personal benefits of extended time at home with the maelstrom engulfing global sport

8:46 AM GMT A postponement in moving Cricket Australia’s headquarters and a drastic cut down in travel may be among the measures the governing body will make to save cash in the time of coronavirus, while any decisions to reduce staff or salaries will be delayed as CA attempts to “absorb” the global pandemic within

7:49 AM GMT “We just need to make sure we’ve got soul in this group.” It was Ellyse Perry who delivered this critical message to the Australia Women’s team when they stood on the brink of elimination from the T20 World Cup they would go on gloriously to win, the national team coach, Matthew Mott,

David Warner had been picked up by Southern Brave at the maximum fee of £125,000 © Associated Press David Warner has withdrawn his name from the inaugural edition of the Hundred citing “family and personal reasons”, ESPNcricinfo understands. The tournament is also set to clash in part with Australia’s three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, which

2:04 PM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Somerset have announced that Matthew Wade will not be joining the club as planned this summer due to a knee injury, though his involvement in the county season was in jeopardy regardless due to the ongoing COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic which has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the English

Kevin Roberts address the media outside the MCG © Getty Images Strategic cash reserves and standing agreements to take control of the nation’s biggest sporting venues for next summer’s T20 World Cup will be tightly held by Cricket Australia ahead of an off-season that is set to see winter sports ravaged by efforts to fight

5:54 AM GMT As with sport around the world, Australia’s international season came to an abrupt end amid the increasing measures against coronavirus. On home soil the men’s team went unbeaten but life was tougher on the road. Here’s a recap of a season that featured Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand, India and South Africa

11:33 AM GMT Australia’s domestic competition, the Sheffield Shield, is expected to be cancelled before its conclusion due to the coronavirus pandemic, the first such event since the Second World War. While Cricket Australia is yet to officially announce the decision, players are understood to have been informed on Saturday night, before they travelled to

Marnus Labuschagne goes inside out against spin © EPA The remaining two matches of the Chappell-Hadlee one-day series will not take place along with the three-match T20I series between the two teams in New Zealand later this month due to new travel restrictions imposed by the New Zealand government amid the coronavirus pandemic. More to

1:45 PM GMT Australia captain Aaron Finch reflected on the “unique” experience of playing international cricket in an empty stadium on a dramatic day of coronavirus developments for sports in Australia and around the world. Late-night Cricket Australia talks on Thursday led to the announcement early on Friday morning that the ODI series against New

9:10 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Kane Richardson tested negative for COVID-19 after he was ruled out of the first ODI against New Zealand at the SCG having reported reporting a mild sore throat to Australia’s medical team yesterday. Richardson, who returned from South Africa earlier this week with the rest of the ODI squad, was

3:30 AM GMT Kevin Roberts, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has denied it was “irresponsible” to play Sunday’s women’s T20 World Cup final in front of more than 86,000 spectators at the MCG. However, he has acknowledged the potential exposure of many in attendance to the coronavirus helped lead to the decision to play the

6:12 PM GMT Australian Women’s tour to South Africa, scheduled to consist of three ODIs and as many T20Is, and due to start on March 22 will not take place as scheduled as part of the preventative measures against COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). This is the first major international series which will not take place as

10:48 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff The BCB has announced dates of Australia’s tour of Bangladesh in June. The visitors will play the first Test from June 11 in Chattogram, while the second Test is from June 19 in Dhaka. The board, however, did not mention the exact arrival dates for Australia, or the four-day practice

England will defend their World Cup title in New Zealand next year © Getty Images England will begin the defence of their Women’s World Cup title against Australia in Auckland the day after New Zealand open the tournament on February 6, Waitangi Day. The 30-day, 31-match tournament concludes with the final at Hagley Oval in

9:26 AM GMT Australia’s Test captain Tim Paine was called to account by coach Justin Langer for his leadership mistakes during the frenzied final hour of the Headingley Test in front of the rest of the team, and the footage will be aired as part of a deep dive documentary on the national side’s 16

3:41 AM GMT Alex Malcolm Australia’s ODI side returns home from a series whitewash in South Africa for a three-match series against New Zealand. While Australia’s T20I team has won their last four series as they build towards the T20 World Cup in October, the ODI team has lost seven of their last eight ODIs

9:45 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Beth Mooney‘s 259 runs in six innings at the T20 World Cup, the most by a batsman in a single edition, has seen her just two spots and become the world’s No. 1 T20I batter following Australia’s triumph over India at the MCG on Sunday. India’s 16-year old Shafali Verma