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The Ashes Usman Khawaja To Utilise Sydney Test As Potential Pitch For Subcontinent Selection

The Ashes | Usman Khawaja to utilise Sydney Test as potential pitch for Subcontinent selection

Usman Khawaja, who last played for his country in August 2019 during the last Ashes in England will be making his return to the international fold with the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney.

He will be replacing Travis Head in the middle who tested positive for Covid-19. However, the Pakistan born Aussie is aware that it is just a one-off opportunity and Head will eventually return for the fifth game in Hobart.

But even in this one-off game for him, he wants to bat well and lay the foundation for his selection for Australia’s upcoming Test tours to the subcontinent where they will play Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India in near future.

"It's one of those things where even if I do play, it'll only be for one game. I understand that situation, (and) hopefully, I can go out there and score a hundred and do well for the team in the absence of Heady (Travis Head),” Khawaja said in a chat with reporters ahead of the Sydney Test.

"There's a lot of cricket still to come up. I'm just putting my head down, making sure I'm working really hard and doing the best I can for Australia whenever I get the opportunity

I'll potentially have one game for Australia here, but even if that doesn't happen, I know there's still a lot of cricket on the subcontinent which I feel I'm very suited to, and which I'm looking forward to hopefully being a part of moving forward,” he added further.

All Australian players have tested negative except Marcus Harris, whose tests results are yet not disclosed. He dined with Head the night before the latter testing Covid positive. The fourth Test would begin on January fifth at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground.

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The Ashes | McGrath to present caps virtually during Pink Test after testing positive for Covid

Australian fast bowling legend Glenn McGrath who has been associated with the new year’s first Test in Sydney, which is now known as the Pink Test for quite some time, will not be available for the first time to present players with their caps. Since the Test came to be known colloquially as the Pink Test in memory of Jane McGrath, the late wife of the former Aussie pacer, McGrath himself presents pink caps to all players as part of an awareness campaign against breast cancer. "Glenn has had a PCR test which unfortunately returned a positive result. We wish Glenn and his family good health,” McGrath Foundation chief executive Holly Masters informed the media. "We are grateful to our partners at Cricket Australia and the SCG. As well as the England cricket team and the broadcasters for their ongoing support for the Pink Test and look forward to still making this the 'pinkest' Ashes," she added. Jane died due to this vicious disease and since then the 51-year-old is running the McGrath Foundation which supports patients suffering from breast cancer all around Australia. The third day of the SCG Test is known as Jane McGrath Day and audiences donate funds directly to the McGrath Foundation as efforts are made by Cricket Australia, broadcasters as well as the foundation itself to make the day as rewarding in terms of financial donations as possible. It is yet unknown if McGrath would be able to make it to the ground on the third day or not. The fourth Test against England begins on January 05th and Australia already leads the series 3-0.

The Ashes | We don’t want to lose 5-0 says Jos Buttler ahead of Sydney Test

England wicketkeeper batter Jos Buttler has said that he and the entire English wouldn’t want to go back home being thrashed 5-0 in the Ashes and hence the motivation for the team is now to play well in the remaining two games and avoid the whitewash. "We've not competed or played the cricket we wanted to at the start of the tour. We're not gelling as a group and individually playing well enough to compete with Australia. We certainly don't want to be a team to lose 5-0,” he said in a media meet up on January 02nd. Buttler has not been in good touch with the bat much like his other teammates, but his work behind the stumps has been equally disappointing that has hurt him even more. With the bat, the 31-year-old averages only 19.20 this series across the three Tests. In Adelaide, though he did show some character to try and save the game, playing more than 200 deliveries for his 25 and getting out hit wicket, unfortunately. "It's a very lonely place dropping a catch. It's one of the worst feelings in cricket, letting down your mates. It doesn't just hurt you, it hurts the whole team. You've certainly got to be able to be very strong with your character to try to come through that. Especially when you're wicketkeeping, there's nowhere to hide,” said Buttler. But even after the poor showing, the Lancashire man is determined to play the longer format and called it motivating enough to keep trying to put in better performances. "It's certainly my ambition. I don't think I'd have put as much into it as I have done if it wasn't. I have fantastic family support - they're very supportive of me and my career and make a lot of sacrifices for that. That's one thing that gives you a lot of motivation and drive to try to make it all worth it,” he said. The fourth Test between Australia and England will begin from January 05 at the SCG.

Pollard returns as West Indies announce squad for Ireland and England series

West Indies have announced the squad for the three-match ODI series as well as one T20I against Ireland starting January 08 in Jamaica. A team was also announced for the five-match T20I series against a visiting England side as well which will play five T20Is from January 28 to February in 05. While regular skipper Kieron Pollard has returned to international cricket after taking an injury break on the Pakistan tour post a horrendous T20 World Cup campaign, Jason Holder has also been included in both the ODIs as well as T20Is squad. Head coach Phil Simmons, who is also working as senior men’s selector, said, "We have tried to maintain the general make-up of the squads from the Pakistan Tour before Christmas, with the captain and some senior players coming back in. Covid-19 has also played a part in the final make-up of the squad. The challenges in the next couple of months are getting the young players in both squads to not only improve on their skills but maintain the attitude and desire we saw in Pakistan.” “We do need to start the year on a high. And we know both Ireland and England have very good teams, so we expect a very strong challenge as we look to improve our chances of automatic qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023 and building the T20 team for the ICC T20 World Cup in 2022,” he added further in the press release. West Indies squad for Ireland ODIs Kieron Pollard (capt), Shai Hope, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Devon Thomas Reserves: Keacy Carty, Sheldon Cottrell West Indies squad for Ireland and England T20Is Kieron Pollard (capt), Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen (England T20Is only), Darren Bravo (England T20Is only), Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Jason Holder, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr Reserves: Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph, Devon Thomas

Watch: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam surprises orphanage kids with his new year visit

Pakistan skipper BabarAzam surprised the kids of the Dar-ul-Shafqat, an orphanage or Children’s home in Lahore on the occasion of the new year. Babar visited the place in his home town and played tennis ball cricket with the kids as well as gave them his autograph on cricket bats and balls as well as T-Shirts. In the end, he cut a cake with the kids before saying goodbye to the kids whose day was made by the surprise from one of the best batters in the world. “Starting the new year with the spirit of togetherness. Let's have a look at Babar Azam visting the Dar-ul-shafqat orphanage and taking the children by surprise. We hope their smiles will light up the year 2022,” PCB tweeted with the video of his video. Babar, who finished the year as the top-ranked ODI player has been nominated in the category of the ODI player of the Year for the ICC annual Awards as well. He will soon be donning the blue of Karachi Kings for the upcoming season of the Pakistan Super League starting in late January.