Shane Watson on Phil Hughes: 'It Took the Innocence of the Game Away
In this deeply emotional excerpt from Bombay Sport Exchange, Shane Watson speaks to K Shriniwas Rao about the tragic loss of Phil Hughes.Watson reflects on how that heartbreaking moment shook the entire Australian squad — and how, for many, it marked the end of cricket's innocence.A powerful reminder of the human side of sport
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First Post
39 minutes ago
- First Post
'I hope they really consider him': Former Australia player and PBKS coach backs Shreyas Iyer to become India captain
Punjab Kings' assistant coach has backed Shreyas Iyer for India captaincy. He praised Iyer's smart decision-making and match-winning knock in IPL 2025. Iyer was left out of India's Test squad for the England series despite his good form. read more Former Australian cricketer and current Punjab Kings (PBKS) assistant coach Brad Haddin has come out in strong support of Shreyas Iyer , saying that he should be seriously considered as a future captain of the Indian cricket team. The BCCI named Shubman Gill as the new captain of the Test side after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired last month. Iyer, who has impressed everyone with his batting and captaincy over the past few months, was snubbed from the Test team despite reports suggesting that he might be picked to play in the No. 4 position, which has been left vacant by Kohli. However, when the Indian team for the England series was announced, Iyer's name was missing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD PBKS coach urges BCCI to make Iyer the captain PBKS assistant coach Brad Haddin, who has watched Iyer from close quarters, has praised his leadership during the recently concluded IPL 2025 season. Punjab Kings finished at the top of the points table to make the playoffs. They qualified for the final thanks to a brilliant knock from Iyer against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2. However, PBKS eventually lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the summit clash. Speaking on The Grade Cricketer podcast, Haddin recalled a moment in Ahmedabad where Iyer made a bold decision that went against all the data and analysis. He mentioned the match against Mumbai Indians that PBKS won thanks to Iyer's composed innings. PBKS qualified for the IPL final after 11 years and Iyer played a big role in it. 'You do all your planning for the game and at the stadium in Ahmedabad, everything says bat first. The analytics and the match-ups, go through your team stuff, everything says bat first. And this is where our captain hasn't got enough credit and I hope, when they come down to pick an Indian captain, they really start to consider Iyer. He was outstanding throughout the whole tournament,' Haddin said. 'We say to him, 'Yep, we are batting first.' But he goes, 'No, we're bowling.' Punter goes, 'okay let the captain make the choice.' [Iyer] then said, 'No, I'll win the game and I'm going to bat second. Everything leads to batting first, but we bowl. Then the captain comes out in the second innings and plays one of the best knocks in IPL I have ever seen and got us into the final,' he added. Iyer broke a lot of captaincy records at the Punjab Kings. He became the first captain to lead three different teams to the IPL final. Iyer is also the first captain to lead two different teams to back-to-back finals. He helped Kolkata Knight Riders win the IPL last year. Before that, Iyer took Delhi Capitals to their first-ever IPL final. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
WTC Final: Unbeaten streaks on the line as South Africa face Australia
Temba Bavuma will put his unbeaten record as South Africa Test captain on the line in the WTC Final against Australia. (Getty Images) When South Africa face Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's, one unbeaten streak will have to end. It is another opportunity for South Africa to banish their reputation as serial chokers. Despite boasting of some of the most talented players in the history of the sport, South Africa have won just one major tournament in the last 27 years. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! They lifted the ICC Knockout, a forerunner of the Champions Trophy, back in 1998. In contrast, the top-ranked Australian team, which defeated India in the 2023 WTC final, boasts an impressive record in major tournaments. Bold prediction! Astrologer Greenstone Lobo picks winner of Australia vs South Africa WTC Final 2025 They have secured the one-day World Cup title a record six times, claimed the Champions Trophy twice, and have also emerged victorious in the T20 World Cup. This 2025 WTC Final is the third championship match in the history of the competition, with New Zealand the inaugural champions in 2021. Australia had won the previous edition. WTC Final numbers on the line South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma goes into the final unbeaten in Tests as a captain. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Under Bavuma, South Africa have won eight Tests and drawn one in the nine matches played. Josh Hazlewood , in the Australian camp, is unbeaten in finals in international cricket Lord's - A fortress Australia have 12 wins, 9 draws at Lord's with a 2.571 win-loss ratio South Africa, meanwhile, have just one Test loss at Lord's since 1994. Since being reintroduced to cricket, the Proteas have won five of their seven Tests at the home of cricket. They earned a heroic draw in 2008 despite conceding a 346-run deficit versus England.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Ravi Shastri says ‘you've got to miss IPL' in order to be prepared if WTC keeps coming in June
Australia thrashed India by 209 runs in the final of the World Test Championship in 2023. The majority of the Indian team that was picked in the squad and played the game were coming on the back of two-and-a-half months of intense IPL T20 cricket, whereas some of the Australians, a few by choice and a few by not getting picked for the IPL at the auction, played the game directly and looked match fit. 'In an ideal scenario, yes, I would prefer it if we have 20-25 days to prepare for a game like this,' Indian skipper at the time Rohit Sharma had said after the loss. 'Let's be realistic here. You're not going to get those 20 days. And if that's the case then you've got to miss IPL. So, the choice is yours, and it's up to the establishment as well. I'm sure the BCCI will review this in the future, if a World Test Championship [final] is going to come after an IPL every time in the month of June, then for that season, if your team qualifies for the final, there should be certain clauses put to franchises,' Shastri said. The lack of red-ball practice showed in the Indian side compared to the Australian side. The likes of Steve Smith and Travis Head, who were not part of the IPL, scored centuries in the game and looked at home with the rhythms of Test match cricket, and the bowling too were well adept at bowling Test match lengths. Though some of the batters for India, the likes of Rohit himself, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane, did have their moments playing some pristine shots and getting starts, they eventually succumbed to the discipline of the Australian bowlers, playing drives against the deliveries that could have been avoided. The bowling coming on the back of a grueling IPL, where the bowlers are used to bowling just four overs, did show the disability to construct longer spells suited for red-ball cricket.
