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The best of Usman Khawaja’s Test career A forthright Usman Khawaja says he is still fighting prejudicial stereotypes in his final summer as an Australian cricketer with the retiring batter suggesting there were racial overtones to the criticism he received on his preparation for the Ashes series opener. In an impassioned, almost hour-long address to media two days out from the Sydney Test that will mark his international farewell, Khawaja revealed he raised the prospect of hanging up his boots as early as last summer’s India series before ultimately deciding his time was up during last month’s Adelaide Test when…

Steve Smith is yearning for a Sydney Cricket Ground wicket of yesteryear but is resigned to not getting his New Year’s wish as Australia struggle to decode the final Ashes Test pitch’s mysteries. Todd Murphy was still not locked in for a maiden home Test on match eve with fill-in captain Steve Smith suggesting another all-seam attack or a line-up with allrounders Beau Webster and Cameron Green both in it are being considered. While the most likely bowling combination appears to be Murphy replacing either Michael Neser or Jhye Richardson from the side that lost by four wickets in Melbourne,…

The best of Usman Khawaja’s Test career Usman Khawaja is the ultimate story of perseverance.  For many, getting dropped spells the end of their Test career. But for Khawaja, it was just the beginning of a long, frustrating, confusing journey. And then it happened again. And again. And again. Seven times in total he was dropped, with a few Tests missed through injuries thrown in there too. Eventually success came in an unexpected position. At the start of his career, he was seen as a No.3, and 66 of his first 77 innings were at first drop. But since returning to…

The best of Usman Khawaja’s Test career I lived just up the road from the SCG, on Cook Road, to be exact. And I’ll never forget when I was younger, I saw Michael Slater drive in his red Ferrari. I couldn’t believe my luck, I just saw a Test cricketer. And as a boy whose parents were barely scraping through and trying to provide for their kids in a little two-bedroom apartment, I thought, ‘One day I’m going to be a Test cricketer, and one day I can drive whatever I want’. Never did I think that God would grant…

After a 15-year international career, Usman Khawaja confirmed the Sydney Ashes Test will be his final time wearing the Baggy Green The best of Usman Khawaja’s Test career Usman Khawaja will play his 88th and final Test in the city he grew up in as the veteran batter today confirmed he will retire following the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney. With his extended family in the room including his parents, wife Rachel and two children, Khawaja fronted the press on Friday morning at the Sydney Cricket Ground to announce his exit from international cricket, having informed his Australia teammates only…

Australia batter Usman Khawaja has announced that he will retire immediately from international cricket following the final Ashes Test in Sydney, which gets under way this weekend.Khawaja has played in 87 Tests for the Baggy Greens, scoring 6,206 runs at an average of 43.39 and he will make his final appearance at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia do not play another Test match until they face Bangladesh in August so the 39-year-old, whose Test scoring average has dipped in the last two calendar years amid form struggles, has decided to bring his career to a close. With Australia already having…

Last-placed Thunder desperately need a win to reignite their BBL|15 campaign as they host the reigning champions in Sydney Match facts Who: Sydney Thunder v Hobart Hurricanes What: Match 21, KFC BBL|15 Where: Engie Stadium, Sydney When: Saturday, January 3. Bat flip at 6.30pm AEDT, first ball at 7.15pm AEDT How to watch: Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports Listen: ABC, SEN Radio. Listen in standard and real-time with no delay to live play via Cricket Radio on the CA Live app. Find out more here Buy tickets: Tickets are on sale here Live scores: Match Centre Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the…

Sydney Thunder cop another blow amid a disappointing start to the season with Lockie Ferguson suffering a calf injury in the UAE Kiwi speedster Lockie Ferguson will not be part of Sydney Thunder’s KFC BBL|15 campaign after injuring his calf while playing in the United Arab Emirates tournament. Ferguson was due to join the Thunder for the second straight summer after wrapping up his stint with ILT20 franchise Desert Vipers, but the Sydney club confirmed this morning he wouldn’t recover in time to feature this season.The 34-year-old right-armer pulled up short holding his right calf following the third delivery of…

Mitch Marsh has blazed the second Big Bash League century of his career to help the Perth Scorchers break the Hobart Hurricanes’ winning run on home turf Hobart Hurricanes v Perth Scorchers | BBL|15 Australia’s Twenty20 captain Mitch Marsh has flexed his muscle, whacking 102 off 58 balls in the BBL as the Perth Scorchers beat the Hobart Hurricanes by 40 runs.  Hours after the T20 World Cup squad was locked in for the tournament beginning in February, Marsh hit 11 fours and five sixes on Thursday night in Hobart.  Marsh finds top gear to power to second BBL hundred…

If it’s felt like the NRMA Insurance Ashes series has been played on 2x speed, there are many good reasons for that. Not only have we had an unprecedented two two-day Tests, but we’ve seen batting strike rates at an Ashes high and bowling strike rates at an all-time low.In the 2023 Ashes series, after four Tests there had been 18 days of play. This time around, there have been only 13. The pitches have been in sharp focus following the Boxing Day Test, but stand-in Australian captain Steve Smith believes the speed of the matches are down to much…