Latest news with #JoshHazlewood
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Australian pitches will challenge England
Australian pitches will provide a different challenge for England's batters in this winter's Ashes, says Steve Smith. The first Ashes Test begins in Perth on 21 November, a highly-anticipated series after the thrilling draw in 2023, with England looking to regain the urn for the first time since 2015. Former captain Smith, who is representing Welsh Fire in this year's Hundred, averages 56.01 in Tests against England but is expecting a tougher challenge for batters this time around. "Their batters are going to be challenged a little bit differently to the wickets they have had over in England for a while, which have looked pretty flat and good for batting," Smith told BBC Sport. "The wickets in Australia in the last three or four years have been very tricky for top order batters. It is going to be a good challenge for them. "But it's going to be a wonderful series. I have been watching the India and England series and there has been some great cricket played there, so I think the Ashes this year is going to be an absolute belter." Smith, 36, also said the respective pace attacks were the strength for both teams. Australia's top order struggled in the recent series against West Indies on bowler-friendly surfaces where the highest team total was 286 across three Tests. And despite plenty of recent chat around Mitchell Starc, 35, Josh Hazlewood, 34, and Scott Boland, 36, coming to the end of their Test careers, the three combined to skittle West Indies for just 27 earlier this month - a performance so dominant that their skipper and fellow quick Pat Cummins did not bowl an over in the innings. However, Smith has also noted a change of approach from England in comparison to the 2023 series which was only a year into Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum's time in charge. "They have started to play a little bit differently in the last couple of weeks in terms of playing the situation, as opposed to going out and trying to be the entertainers that they said they wanted to be," Smith added. "They are actually trying to win the games now which is perhaps different to what was said in their comments previously." The Hundred to help Olympic ambitions Smith was originally signed by Welsh Fire for the first edition of The Hundred in 2020, but the tournament was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But he says playing in the competition is on his "bucket list" as he focuses on playing more franchise cricket around the world in order to regain his place in Australia's T20 side and to play in the Olympics. The Los Angeles Games in 2028 will see cricket featured for the first time since 1900. "I decided to stop playing one-day cricket so I can play more franchises, with the aim to make the Olympic team," Smith said. "So to play more shorter-form tournaments around the world is only going to be beneficial. "It has been a long run for me and I have been doing this a long time. I am still enjoying it and particularly the shorter formats, and want to keep putting my name out there." The Hundred starts on 5 August with a double header between London Spirit and Oval Invincibles, while Welsh Fire take on Northern Superchargers in their first game two days later. Get cricket news sent straight to your phone
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Australian pitches will challenge England
Australian pitches will provide a different challenge for England's batters in this winter's Ashes, says Steve first Ashes Test begins in Perth on 21 November, a highly-anticipated series after the thrilling draw in 2023, with England looking to regain the urn for the first time since 2015. Former captain Smith, who is representing Welsh Fire in this year's Hundred, averages 56.01 in Tests against England but is expecting a tougher challenge for batters this time around."Their batters are going to be challenged a little bit differently to the wickets they have had over in England for a while, which have looked pretty flat and good for batting," Smith told BBC Sport. "The wickets in Australia in the last three or four years have been very tricky for top order batters. It is going to be a good challenge for them."But it's going to be a wonderful series. I have been watching the India and England series and there has been some great cricket played there, so I think the Ashes this year is going to be an absolute belter."Smith, 36, also said the respective pace attacks were the strength for both teams. Australia's top order struggled in the recent series against West Indies on bowler-friendly surfaces where the highest team total was 286 across three Tests. And despite plenty of recent chat around Mitchell Starc, 35, Josh Hazlewood, 34, and Scott Boland, 36, coming to the end of their Test careers, the three combined to skittle West Indies for just 27 earlier this month - a performance so dominant that their skipper and fellow quick Pat Cummins did not bowl an over in the Smith has also noted a change of approach from England in comparison to the 2023 series which was only a year into Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum's time in charge."They have started to play a little bit differently in the last couple of weeks in terms of playing the situation, as opposed to going out and trying to be the entertainers that they said they wanted to be," Smith added."They are actually trying to win the games now which is perhaps different to what was said in their comments previously." The Hundred to help Olympic ambitions Smith was originally signed by Welsh Fire for the first edition of The Hundred in 2020, but the tournament was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But he says playing in the competition is on his "bucket list" as he focuses on playing more franchise cricket around the world in order to regain his place in Australia's T20 side and to play in the Olympics. The Los Angeles Games in 2028 will see cricket featured for the first time since 1900."I decided to stop playing one-day cricket so I can play more franchises, with the aim to make the Olympic team," Smith said."So to play more shorter-form tournaments around the world is only going to be beneficial."It has been a long run for me and I have been doing this a long time. I am still enjoying it and particularly the shorter formats, and want to keep putting my name out there."The Hundred starts on 5 August with a double header between London Spirit and Oval Invincibles, while Welsh Fire take on Northern Superchargers in their first game two days later.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Aussie cricket stars warn climate change could KILL the sport
A new report has revealed global climate conditions could end cricket as a sport, with players at risk due to extreme heat - and some Aussie stars are taking the warning to heart. The Hit for Six: The Danger Zone report, commissioned by FrontRunners, The British Association for Sustainability in Sport, Climate Central and The Next Test, highlights how players - from grassroots to international cricket stars - are potentially gambling with their lives by competing in conditions exceeding 37 degrees. The report revealed that in 2024 alone, Pakistan saw at least 83 days where cricket was played as the mercury soared past 37 degrees, which is the threshold beyond which outdoor activity becomes unsafe. India saw dangerous game-day temperatures on 52 days, while in Australia the figure was 46 days. The effects of increased temperatures include nausea, fatigue, breathlessness and cramps. In this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) - which features the likes of Aussies Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood - more than half of the 65 matches were played in conditions classified as either Extreme Caution or Danger on the Heat Index, a measure which combines air temperature and humidity to assess heat-related risk. The Hit for Six: The Danger Zone report also revealed many IPL games this year were played in dangerous conditions, with air pollution also a concern (pictured left, Aussie paceman Josh Hazlewood playing for Royal Challengers) 'We are witnessing a clear trend towards more frequent and more intense heat conditions for key cricketing nations,' Dr Mike Tipton, Professor of Human & Applied Physiology at the Extreme Environments Laboratory at the University of Portsmouth, outlined in the report. 'Players are now being asked to perform in environments that are not just uncomfortable, but potentially dangerous, with rising temperatures and humidity levels pushing human physiology toward its upper limits. 'This isn't just about performance — it's increasingly a question of player safety.' Air pollution is also a major factor in India, with research conducted by The Next Test revealing none of the 75 IPL matches this year had 'good' air quality. Australian all-rounder Ashton Turner has seen enough and called for change. 'I've seen the impact our changing climate can have on our game, from the debilitating air pollution in Delhi to the extreme temperatures we experience in our Australian summers,' he told the ABC. 'Ever-increasing temperatures are putting the game at risk and it's affecting everyone from players to coaches to umpires to spectators. 'We've seen elite athletes at the pinnacle of the sport be struck down from heat exhaustion, [so] how are the under-10's boys and girls meant to cope on hot days? Former Test star Simon Katich is on the same page, stating he is 'very concerned about the future of the game and younger generations being affected by extreme weather.' The report also recommended that national federations join Cricket Australia in implementing new heat policy guidelines. It comes after a cricketer in his 40s died during a match that was played in extreme heat in Adelaide earlier this year. Junaid Zafar Khan could not be revived after collapsing on the field during the game at Concordia College Oval, which went ahead with the mercury hitting 41.7 degrees.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Overwhelming verdict': Fans call for Aussie bowler with 295 Test wickets to be axed
Josh Hazlewood would be the unlucky player to miss out on Ashes selection as Australia again face the pleasant dilemma over who to leave out of its five-star bowling line-up next summer. That's the overwhelming verdict of the Yahoo Sport Australia audience after Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc destroyed the West Indies in a record-breaking performance in the third Test in Jamaica. Asked in a poll who should miss out if all five Australian bowlers – Starc, Boland, Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins – are available, a whopping 48 per cent of the 32,000 respondents chose Hazlewood. Boland was a somewhat controversial selection over veteran spinner Lyon in Kingston but vindicated the faith shown in him by claiming a second innings hat-trick to go with match figures of 6-36. Starc raced past 400 scalps in his 100th Test, collecting a five-wicket haul with the fewest balls (15) in history as the home side was routed for a paltry 27. While Australia's batting continues to cause nightmares, selectors have been left with the nice problem of working out how to fit five of the world's best bowlers into four spots for the five-Test series against England, starting in November. Skipper Cummins and left-armer Starc appear locks for all five matches, pending fitness, while Boland, Hazlewood and Lyon may share the load depending on conditions. It's already been floated Lyon will sit out the day-night Test in Brisbane given Australia's seamers have dominated previous pink-ball games. But the reality is Australia's finest-ever off-spinner should play in at least four Tests, leaving Boland and Hazlewood in a shootout for the final bowling berth. Boland was surprised to get the call-up in Jamaica at Lyon's expense and is not banking on selectors taking the same gamble in Australia. RELATED: Pat Cummins makes call on Sam Konstas after struggles continue Marnus Labuschagne spotted in strange moment amid Aussie win Whichever line-up the Aussies go with, former England captain Michael Vaughan believes the Poms' lower order won't be blasted away as in recent Ashes series. After witnessing England's memorable 22-run win over India at Lord's, Vaughan said: "They've got bowlers who can bat. Gus Atkinson has got a Test match century, (Brydon) Carse got a good half-century here, Jofra Archer can hold a bat and (then there's) Mark Wood. "So often in Australia we've seen England have good days where they're 220 for two or three and suddenly 280 all out because Starc blows away the tail. England should be able to get a few tail-end runs in Australia with the batting line-up that they have."
The Guardian
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Scott Boland strikes on Australia return as West Indies suffer dramatic collapse
Australia's top order are set to face a tough final examination in the West Indies, after the hosts were bowled out for 143 at dinner on day two of the third Test in Jamaica. Scott Boland justified his call up ahead of Nathan Lyon with three wickets, while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood claimed two each as Australia took an 82-run lead. While it means Australia are in the box seat to claim a 3-0 series sweep in the Frank Worrell Trophy, it isn't all good news for the tourists' under-fire top order. Batting under lights appears the most difficult task at Sabina Park, with the pink ball speeding up off the pitch at night and moving around. The Jamaica Test is Australia's last before this summer's home Ashes, and neither of the openers, Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja, has posted a half-century in this series. This series is already one of the most difficult for batters in some time, with no batter from either side having scored a century in the first two-and-a-half Tests. Having for the first time in 12 years left out offspinner Lyon when fit, Australia's four-strong pace attack still got plenty of seam movement on day two. Boland made most use of it in his 3 for 34, removing the Windies' two top scorers in John Campbell (36) and Shai Hope (23). The Victorian first had Campbell lbw leaving a ball that angled into the left-hander, before nipping a ball back between Hope's bat and pad to bowl him. Boland then finished the job by bowling Shamar Joseph, wrapping up the 36-year-old's best Test figures outside of Australia. Hazlewood had earlier trapped opener Brandon King lbw with another ball that seamed in at the right-hander, before knocking over Mikyle Louis for seven. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Louis' ugly attempt at an across-the-line slog prompted a collapse of 48 for 6 for West Indies, after having fought hard for the first half on Sunday (Monday AEST). The capitulation was best summed up by Justin Greaves (18) being run out by Sam Konstas from the deep-cover boundary, after the allrounder didn't sprint the first two runs. Australia had earlier been denied another run-out in the first session when Campbell was on 15, after Cummins threw down the stumps from mid off. There was a minimal appeal from the Australians, before replays showed Campbell's bat may not have been grounded as it went past the crease. Cummins remonstrated with umpire Nitin Menon after the next ball, and could be heard to say 'I appealed', while asking while it was not referred upstairs.
