Category: Sports

Australia’s spin bowling coach, Daniel Vettori, has defended the side’s decision to field an all-seam attack in the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), emphasizing that spin bowling remains crucial in the longer format.

With veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon sidelined by a hamstring injury, Australia opted not to select a frontline spinner for the Test match in Sydney, marking the first time since 1888 this has occurred. It’s also the third instance where Australia has fielded an all-pace bowling attack in the ongoing series.

“It’s probably just a point in time. I don’t think it’s going to be something that’s going to continue for years on end. I think spin bowling is incredibly important to Test match cricket. I think people love watching it when it’s at its absolute best and when conditions can assist the spin bowler,” Vettori told reporters at the end of play on Day 1.

The former left-arm spinner, who claimed 362 wickets in 113 Tests for New Zealand, expressed that Australia’s recent preference for pace bowling does not indicate the end of spin in Tests on home soil.

“Seamers have been so effective that it’s hard to go away from them. It just feels like they’re the ones who are going to be in the game most of the time, and spinners haven’t been able to get into games on these types of surfaces.”

“There’s a real carrot for spin bowlers that they can be selected for series where it’s incredibly important. You bowl 90% of the overs, and the seam bowler is reduced; we’re down to one, and maybe Cam Green is the allrounder.”

“At some stage, it will get back to possibly how it was preceding these last couple of years, but at this point in time it’s about the fast bowlers. You’ve seen over the last three years it’s been diminishing results for spin bowlers here, which is obviously not something that we’d like, but it’s the nature of the surface.”

“Both teams saw it that way, that the spin bowler hasn’t been effective in the last couple of years. So the assessment was around looking to use seamers, which have been highly successful for us during the Ashes,” Vettori concluded.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has mapped out his vision for the next Ashes battle in England in 2027, backing a largely familiar core after Australia comfortably retained the urn at home against England.

Future Squad Expectations

Speaking on 7 Cricket, the 51-year-old made minimal changes to the current Test setup, placing his faith in the experience and durability of senior players Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon. Both faced injury setbacks during the ongoing 2025–26 Ashes, with Lyon participating in only a couple of Tests and Smith missing one match. However, both have firmly dismissed retirement speculation, and their proven success in English conditions further strengthened Ponting’s stance.

Leadership and Key Players

Ponting also expressed his support for Pat Cummins to continue leading the side through to 2027, naming him captain of his predicted squad designed to balance established performers with emerging talent. Alex Carey was retained as wicketkeeper in Ponting’s lineup. With 47 Tests and over 2,400 runs, Carey has evolved into a reliable lower-order batter and a steady presence behind the stumps, particularly during high-pressure Ashes encounters in both England and Australia.

Notable Inclusions and Young Talent

The most notable inclusion was uncapped youngster Campbell Kellaway, whom Ponting identified as a long-term investment for Australian cricket. He also reiterated his backing of Cameron Green despite a modest run of form in the current series, while suggesting Josh Inglis could play a pivotal role in the 2027 contest.

Ponting believes Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc will continue to be central to Australia’s plans. Additionally, fast bowlers Scott Boland and Jhye Richardson remain locked in a battle for a permanent spot in the playing XI.

Predicted Australia Squad for Ashes 2027

Ricky Ponting’s predicted Australia squad for Ashes 2027 includes:

• Pat Cummins (c)
• Alex Carey (wk)
• Scott Boland
• Travis Head
• Cameron Green
• Josh Inglis
• Campbell Kellaway
• Mitchell Starc
• Jhye Richardson
• Marnus Labuschagne
• Josh Hazlewood
• Todd Murphy
• Steve Smith
• Nathan Lyon
• Beau Webster
• Oliver Peake.

Australian cricket great Damien Martyn has come out of an induced coma and is showing encouraging signs of improvement as he continues his recovery after being diagnosed with meningitis.

Martyn, who represented Australia in 67 Test matches, fell ill on Boxing Day and was taken to the hospital on the Gold Coast late last month, where he was placed in an induced coma. He remains under medical care as his condition continues to stabilize.

Martyn’s close friend and former Aussie wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist revealed that the 54-year-old former batter has made incredible progress in treatment and could be moved out of the ICU soon.

“He is now able to talk and respond to treatment. He has responded extraordinarily well since coming out (of the coma) to the point where his family feels it’s like some sort of miracle,” Gilchrist told News Corp.

“It has been so positive that they’re hopeful he will be able to move out of the ICU into another part of the hospital, which is representative of what a great recovery it’s been and how quickly it has flipped around,” he added.

Gilchrist also mentioned that he spoke to Martyn via FaceTime, stating, “He’s very groggy and far from 100 per cent. But he is certainly communicating and slowly getting an understanding of the enormity of the situation.”

“I think he is a little overwhelmed that people would respond to him in such a positive way which is a beautiful statement, not just from the cricket community but from the wider community as well,” said Gilchrist.

Martyn’s wife, Amanda, provided an update, saying he was progressing well and expressed “deepest appreciation to the medical team at Gold Coast University Hospital.”

Martyn played a crucial role in Australia’s 2003 ODI World Cup final victory over India, scoring an unbeaten 88 despite batting with a broken finger and forming a significant 234-run partnership with captain Ricky Ponting.

He was also part of the team that won the 1999 ODI World Cup and the 2006 Champions Trophy. Following his playing career, Martyn briefly worked as a commentator.

During his career, Martyn scored 4,406 runs in Test matches at an average of 46.37. He played 208 ODIs, scoring 5,346 runs at 40.90, with a highest score of 144 not out. His remarkable 88 not out in the 2003 World Cup final remains a significant highlight, as he batted with a broken finger while sharing an epic partnership with captain Ricky Ponting to help Australia defeat India.

With neither Australia nor England selecting a frontline spinner for the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG, former Australia batter Simon Katich sees this as a significant change in the approach towards spin bowlers in Australia.

Despite having full-time spinners available, Australia’s Todd Murphy and England’s Shoaib Bashir were both left out of their starting lineups. Murphy’s absence is particularly noteworthy, marking the first time since 1888 that Australia did not field a spinner at the SCG.

This marks the fourth occasion in the past six Test matches, and the first since 1888 in the history of SCG Tests, that the hosts have excluded a full-time spinner. Katich expressed concern about how this trend may affect the development of future spin bowlers in Australia.

“It’s amazing to think that both teams are without a front-line spinner (for a Sydney Test). I know in my time that would have been absolutely unheard of. But you can’t blame the selectors or Steve Smith for going down the track they have,” Katich shared with SEN Cricket.

“Because you look at the conditions and you think, ‘Well, unless this deteriorates significantly in the next day or so, because this Test might only last three and a bit days’. So, it’s a really worrying sign in terms of how we are going to develop the next generation of spinners to play Test Cricket for Australia if we keep playing in conditions around the country where none of them are suitable to bowl for any length of time. It’s a worrying trend,” he added.

The action from the SCG will continue on Monday, with England finishing Day 1 on 211/3, thanks to an unbeaten 154-run fourth-wicket partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook. The former remained not out with 72 runs, while the latter contributed an unbeaten 78, helping the visitors recover from an early collapse.

In a dramatic escalation following the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League, the Bangladesh sports ministry has instructed the country’s cricket board to request that the T20 World Cup league games be moved from India to Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh is scheduled to play T20 World Cup matches against the West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, and against Nepal on February 17 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Rahman, who became the most expensive Bangladeshi player ever after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured his services for Rs 9.20 crore at last month’s mini-auction, has been released from their IPL squad following instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The decision arose amid intense controversy regarding the player’s involvement in the cash-rich event. With the BCCI not permitting Mustafizur to play in India due to concerns raised by some regarding the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh, an advisor to the Bangladesh government, Asif Nazrul, expressed worries about the safety of its players in India and therefore sought a change of venue.

“I have instructed the Cricket Control Board to submit a written explanation of the entire matter to the ICC. The Board should clearly state that when a Bangladeshi cricketer, despite being under contract, is unable to play in India, the Bangladesh national team cannot feel safe travelling there to participate in the World Cup,” Nazrul noted.

Additionally, Nazrul has requested that the advisor for information and broadcasting suspend the broadcast of IPL matches in Bangladesh. “Under no circumstances will we tolerate any disrespect toward Bangladesh cricket, Bangladeshi cricketers, or Bangladesh itself,” he added.

Joe Root and Harry Brook’s unbeaten 154-run partnership helped England survive an early collapse, recovering from 57/3 to reach 211/3 before bad weather halted play at the stroke of tea. Early stumps were called due to rain and lightning.

Only 45 overs of play were possible on Day 1 of the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with dark clouds gathering as the afternoon progressed. Persistent rain arrived shortly before the scheduled tea break, prompting officials to call early stumps with England well positioned heading into Day 2.

After captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat, England capitalized on the first day of the New Year’s Ashes Test by establishing an unbroken partnership of over a hundred runs between Root and Brook.

This partnership neutralized Australia’s all-pace bowling attack, marking the first time since 1888 that Australia did not include a strike spinner in a Test match at the SCG.

England’s innings began cautiously, as openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett adopted a measured approach against the new ball. Their 35-run stand ended in the seventh over when Mitchell Starc claimed his 27th wicket of the series, removing Duckett, who edged a wide outswinger to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Crawley followed soon after, trapped lbw by an in-ducker from Michael Neser for 16, despite a desperate review. In the next over, Jacob Bethell was undone by Scott Boland, feathering a delivery that jagged away to depart for 10, leaving England reeling at 57 for 3.

Root and Brook then dug in to steady the innings, absorbing early pressure before gradually shifting momentum. As the pitch eased, Australia’s quicks struggled to find consistency.

Root capitalized on width with trademark cuts and drives, while Brook countered Australia’s short-ball tactics with confidence. The duo brought up their respective half-centuries in the same over, with Root scoring off 65 balls and Brook off 63, registering England’s highest partnership of the series and swinging the contest firmly in the visitors’ favor.

Brief scores: England 211/3 (Harry Brook 78, Joe Root 72; Michael Neser 1-36, Scott Boland 1-48) against Australia.

Former Australian Test batter Damien Martyn’s wife stated that the 54-year-old is showing encouraging signs of improvement as he continues his recovery after being placed in an induced coma while receiving treatment for meningitis.

Martyn, who represented Australia in 67 Test matches, was taken to the hospital on the Gold Coast late last month after falling seriously unwell. He remains under medical care as his condition continues to stabilise.

“Damien is progressing well with his medical treatment. We would like to thank everyone for the incredible outpouring of support our family has received. We also want to express our deepest appreciation to the medical team at Gold Coast University Hospital, who have been nothing short of amazing throughout this challenging time. This has been a trying time, and the family asks that you respect their privacy,” Martyn’s partner, Amanda, told News Corp.

Martyn had been active on social media as recently as Christmas Eve, when he shared his thoughts on the Ashes series, before being struck down by meningitis, a serious condition involving inflammation of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

News of his illness prompted an outpouring of support from across the cricketing world, with former teammates and rivals, including Adam Gilchrist, VVS Laxman, and Michael Vaughan, publicly sending messages of encouragement.

A Darwin native, Martyn made his Test debut at just 21 in the 1992–93 home series against the West Indies, replacing Dean Jones, and was appointed captain of Western Australia by the age of 23.

One of the finest moments of his international career came in India in 2004, when he was named player of the series in Australia’s most recent Test series victory on Indian soil. Martyn topped the scoring charts in four of Australia’s eight innings during the fiercely contested Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign.

His highest Test score of 165 came against New Zealand in 2005, as part of a career that yielded 13 centuries in the baggy green. Martyn brought his Test career to a close midway through the 2006–07 Ashes series, with his final appearance at the Adelaide Oval.

In the one-day arena, Martyn played 208 matches for Australia, averaging 40.8. He played a pivotal role in the 2003 World Cup final, finishing unbeaten on 88 as Australia defeated India to claim the title.

After retiring, Martyn spent a brief period in commentary before largely stepping back from the public eye, maintaining a low profile in recent years.