Latest news with #PatCummins
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
England v India: first men's cricket Test, day one
Update: Date: 2025-06-20T08:53:41.000Z Title: Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '22 Content: (With apologies to Baz Lurhmann… and Baz McCullum) Wear suncream. If I could offer you only one tip for the next few days, suncream would be it. The long term benefits of suncream have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience on the phenomenon some people call BazBall (and some people don't.) I will dispense this advice now Enjoy the power and beauty of this England Test side. Seriously. You will not see a team like this again. FACT. Trust me, in twenty years you'll look back at Ben Stokes and his crew and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much of a shot in the arm they've provided to Test cricket and to your viewing pleasure. How fabulous, exciting and yes, maddening they really were. Don't worry about the future; Australia. The Ashes. The Urn. Or, do worry about Pat Cummins bowling one of those impossibly jagging bail trimmers to Joe Root in December but know that worrying is as effective as trying to learn Mandarin by downing Guinness. The real troubles right now are Jasprit Bumrah, stuttering and scudding, blitzing away Zak Crawley's Teflon coating like a bullwhip power hose before the Western Terrace have even had their first slip of Tetley's. The strains of Jerusalem still wafting over Cardigan Lane. Do one thing every day that scares you Reverse-Ramp. Don't be reckless with your young spinner; make him feel twelve feet tall despite his county record. Don't bring mid-on up even when Rishabh Pant is going tonto. Scoop. Don't waste your time on the naysayers, the doubters 'the media agenda', sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. Sometimes you'll declare a bit prematurely, sometimes you'll collapse in a stinking heap. The race is long, but the summer is short. Five Test's in seven weeks. You're entertainers. No more draws. But actually, maybe the odd draw? Only if you really need to, honestly, they're not so bad. Remember to be where your feet are. Head to the danger. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how Keep your vice-captain at number three. Put Jacob Bethell on ice until you need him. Stay humble Don't let Ben Duckett do too much press. Maybe Yashasvi Jaiswal isn't indebted or inspired by the way you play. Maybe he's on his own remarkable journey. Be smart. Reign it in a bit. Learn from those mistakes, the ones that got away. Edgbaston, Wellington, The Oval. Hamilton. Wear your bucket hats. Fine. But don't bring back 'The Sprinkler'. Say a prayer for Ben Stokes' knees. And his hamstrings. We'll miss them when they're gone. Maybe this mad lot will go down in history, maybe they won't Maybe they'll win the Ashes, they probably won't Maybe they'll keep going until 2030, that'd be fun. Maybe Jack Leach will come back and dive head first into another boundary hoarding? Maybe Chris Woakes will get the kudos he deserves? Maybe Mark Wood will bowl rockets and Jofra will be back for Lord's. Keep your field placings funky. Your choices are half chance; so are everybody else's. Don't be afraid of pensioning off your record breaking fast bowler. He was the greatest instrument you'll ever have but maybe the time was right. Switch bails. But only when you really need to. (Ask Stuart) Read the riot act, occasionally you might have to. Understand that teammates come and go, Alex Lees, Moeen Ali, Matthew Potts, Jonny Bairstow, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Livingstone, Tom Hartley. They've all played a part. Remember Trent Bridge – 'Don't you dare try and hit one down' Remember Rawalpindi, Hyderabad and Old Trafford before the rain. God they were good. Accept certain inalienable truths, Ollie Pope will start skittishly, he'll also get a ton. Harry Brook will look a million dollars but find a way to get out in the most inexplicably ugly fashion. Stokes will try and bowl eight on the bounce when his dander is up, don't let him do this. Jamie Smith will launch one out of the ground. Brendon McCullum will sit on a balcony with shades on and trotters up. Inscrutable. Beard tapered as if he's leading a Cinch sponsored Armada. People will talk about golf. Don't expect summers like this to come around forever. Changes are needed. Maybe you'll be thrilled. Maybe you won't. Maybe you'll be glued to every ball or maybe you'll dip in and out as life intervenes. You know it'll be there though, humming away in the background, gripping you at times, leaving you in despair at others. Maybe you're amazed at the way you need this. Strap in, buckle up, most of all – enjoy the ride. But trust me on the suncream. (slip, slap, slop). Hello and welcome to the first Test match between England and India from Headingley. I've just disembarked from the Iron horse at Leeds station and am on the way to the ground. Play begins at 11am and the coin will be flipped at about 10.30am. Please do get in touch if you are tuning in. It promises to be a scorcher, in more ways than one.
India.com
2 days ago
- Sport
- India.com
Captains with MOST ICC titles, it's not MS Dhoni or Ricky Ponting at top
A good captain in cricket is not that person who sets the field, he/she sets the tone to a whole generation. The sport events such as World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy of ICC are its largest stages. Very few leaders have been able to conquer them, leaving alone competing with them. With Steve Waugh as the captain, Australia won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999 and ICC KnockOut Trophy (currently known as the Champions trophy) in 2000. His emphasis on mental toughness and team cohesion laid the foundation for Australia's dominant era and served as a blueprint for future captains. Pat Cummins brought Australia to unprecedented success in 2023, when the team won ICC World Test Championship and ICC Cricket World Cup. The global prominence with the red ball and white ball in such a short period is one of the most unlikely aspects of the contemporary cricket game, and it makes the Cummins leadership outstanding. Darren Sammy wrote history as he became the first captain to clinch two ICC T20 World cups in 2012 and 2016. A leader by all means, he also inspired and made the ceremony after the 2016 final contain all emotions, with tears, and happiness, and dancing being remembered as one of the most recognised moments in cricket. The first skipper to lift an ICC title was Clive Lloyd and the West Indies won the ICC Cricket World Cup back to back in 1975 and 1979. His side had a ferocious batting and bowling combination, explosive, awe-inspiring and nearly unstoppable and that solidified the Caribbean influence in international cricket. A genuine cricketing star, Lloyd made a match winning 102 in the inaugural 1975 final to establish the tone of a West Indian dominance. Some of the achievements of MS Dhoni as a captain involve the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. His influence is not confined to the silverware, however, and it is characterised by his ability to quietly remain calm in crunch situations, faith in the youth and a radicalisation of the white-ball game in India. Ricky Ponting has led Australia to win two ICC Cricket World Cups in 2003 and 2007 as well as ICC Champions Trophy titles in 2006 and 2009. Captaining the troops of a star-studded team comprising of the likes of Warne, McGrath and Gilchrist; Ponting transformed them into an invincible bowling team which believed in being aggressive, precise and an invincible and undying spirit. There is a record in his name as his team did not lose during the 2003 and the 2007 ODI World Cups. Among all women and men in the cricketing world, no captain has been able to conquer as many ICC titles as Meg Lanning. During her tenure, Australia won four world titles of the ICC Women T20 World cups (2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023) and the ICC Women Cricket World Cup in 2022.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
West Indies vs Australia 2025: Full Schedule, Venues, and Squads
West Indies vs Australia 2025: Full Schedule, Venues, and Squads originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Australia is set to tour the West Indies in mid-2025 for a comprehensive series that includes three Test matches and five T20 Internationals. Advertisement The tour will contribute to the new World Test Championship cycle and also act as preparation for future T20 tournaments. The Test series will open on 25 June at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. The second Test is slated for 3 July at the National Cricket Stadium in St George's, Grenada, with the final match to be held on 12 July at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. Australia and the West Indies have faced off in 118 Tests. Australia holds the advantage with 60 wins, while the West Indies have 32 victories. Twenty-five matches ended in draws, and one resulted in a tie. Following the Test series, the T20I leg will begin on 20 July at Sabina Park. The second match will be played at the same venue on 22 July. Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts will host the remaining three T20Is on 25, 26, and 28 July. Advertisement Australia last toured the Caribbean in 2021, where the hosts won the T20I series 4-1 and claimed the ODI series 2-1. The Australian Test squad features established names such as Pat Cummins (captain), Marnus Labuschagne, and Steven Smith, alongside new additions Sam Konstas and Beau Webster. Matthew Kuhnemann also returns to the side. The T20I team will be led by Mitchell Marsh and includes power-hitters like Glenn Maxwell and Tim David. West Indies' Test side includes captain Roston Chase, veteran Kraigg Brathwaite, and newcomers Brandon King, Kevlon Anderson, and Johann Layne. Shai Hope and Tevin Imlach will serve as wicketkeepers. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Captain Cummins flags Australia shake-up
Captain Pat Cummins during a post-match interview after the World Test Championship final defeat against South Africa. Photo: AFP/File Australia could shake up their batting after crashing to South Africa in the World Test Championship final, with captain Pat Cummins saying a "reset" was needed ahead of three Tests in the West Indies and a home Ashes series. The five-wicket defeat at Lord's on Saturday, after posting a 74-run first-innings lead, has renewed focus on Australia's top order which has struggled since opener David Warner retired 17 months ago. The elevation of out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne as Usman Khawaja's fifth opening partner since Warner bowed out did not work, while the experiment of Cameron Green at three flopped. The 38-year-old Khawaja is also under the microscope, scoring nought and six as his lean spell against pace continued. Green made four in the first innings and lasted only two balls before departing for a duck in the second as the new-look top three managed a total of 49 runs in the match. Australia's batting woes were laid bare, particularly in the second innings, when only a plucky unbeaten fifty from fast-bowler Mitchell Starc and 43 from wicketkeeper Alex Carey gave the Proteas a tough chase. "There's probably quite a few people in the line-up that wish they could have done a little bit more," Cummins told reporters. "The top three was an obvious one in this game." Fresh start With the 2027 WTC cycle kicking off when Australia travel to the West Indies for a three-Test series beginning in Barbados on June 25, the skipper admitted "it does feel like a little bit of a fresh start". "We've got a couple of weeks before the first Test in the Windies, so we'll sit down and have a bit of a think after we digest this game," he said. "But for me, I think a new WTC cycle in some ways does feel like a bit of a reset. "It's probably more for the selectors and for me to sit down and map it ahead." Compounding Australia's woes, veteran Steve Smith, who hit a majestic first innings' 66, is doubtful for the first West Indies Test after dislocating his finger. If he is ruled out, gung-ho teenager Sam Konstas, who played two Tests against India last summer before being dropped, could slot back in alongside Khawaja. That would allow Labuschagne to drop back to three, should he survive the axe after averaging just 25.63 in Tests during the 2024/25 season. There is also the option of Josh Inglis, who was in the WTC squad, as an opener. Australian media made it clear that change was needed, with The Australian newspaper calling the defeat a "wake-up call" with the five-Test Ashes series against England beginning in November. "Father Time is undefeated and selectors must now be decisive over key calls for the future," it said. Cummins acknowledged all cards were on the table with only five months to go until the first Ashes Test in Perth beginning on November 20. "Coming to this match, you've got guys like Sam Konstas and Scotty Boland and Josh Inglis, all those guys were right on the fringes," he said. "So I think again, after this Test match, everyone gets thrown back into the conversation."
Daily Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Cummins flags Australia shake-up after WTC defeat as Ashes loom
Australia could shake up their batting after crashing to South Africa in the World Test Championship final, with captain Pat Cummins saying a 'reset' was needed ahead of three Tests in the West Indies and a home Ashes series. The five-wicket defeat at Lord's on Saturday, after posting a 74-run first-innings lead, has renewed focus on Australia's top order which has struggled since opener David Warner retired 17 months ago. The elevation of out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne as Usman Khawaja's fifth opening partner since Warner bowed out did not work, while the experiment of Cameron Green at three flopped. The 38-year-old Khawaja is also under the microscope, scoring nought and six as his lean spell against pace continued. Green made four in the first innings and lasted only two balls before departing for a duck in the second as the new-look top three managed a total of 49 runs in the match. Australia's batting woes were laid bare, particularly in the second innings, when only a plucky unbeaten fifty from fast-bowler Mitchell Starc and 43 from wicketkeeper Alex Carey gave the Proteas a tough chase. 'There's probably quite a few people in the line-up that wish they could have done a little bit more,' Cummins told reporters. 'The top three was an obvious one in this game.' Fresh start With the 2027 WTC cycle kicking off when Australia travel to the West Indies for a threeTest series beginning in Barbados on June 25, the skipper admitted 'it does feel like a little bit of a fresh start'. 'We've got a couple of weeks before the first Test in the Windies, so we'll sit down and have a bit of a think after we digest this game,' he said. 'But for me, I think a new WTC cycle in some ways does feel like a bit of a reset. 'It's probably more for the selectors and for me to sit down and map it ahead.' Compounding Australia's woes, veteran Steve Smith, who hit a majestic first innings' 66, is doubtful for the first West Indies Test after dislocating his finger. If he is ruled out, gung-ho teenager Sam Konstas, who played two Tests against India last summer before being dropped, could slot back in alongside Khawaja. That would allow Labuschagne to drop back to three, should he survive the axe after averaging just 25.63 in Tests during the 2024/25 season. There is also the option of Josh Inglis, who was in the WTC squad, as an opener.
