3 h. ago Australia coach Andrew McDonald says Ashes ‘done’ ahead of SCG Test

The teams reconvene for the final time at the SCG on Sunday with the hosts seeking an emphatic 4-1 win.

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4 h. ago Usman Khawaja locked in for fifth Ashes Test with ‘no indication’ of retirement plans

Australia coach Andrew McDonald guarantees veteran will play at SCG39-year-old’s future beyond series finale against England still in doubtAustralia coach Andrew McDonald has guaranteed Usman Khawaja will play at the SCG, but is unsure if it will be the veteran’s last Test.After turning 39 earlier in December, Khawaja’s future will continue to be a talking point until he announces his retirement. Continue reading...

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4 d. ago Australia mull over spin question as Todd Murphy enters mix with plenty to play for

Off-spinner not guaranteed spot in XI but may have key role against a side that will try to clear the boundaryIt would really be something. A Victorian spin bowler – one from St Kilda Cricket Club, no less – walking out on Boxing Day to play an Ashes Test in the shadow of the Shane Warne Stand at the MCG. Todd Murphy is not much like Warne in most respects: quiet, modest, thoughtful, bespectacled, a student of the even tempered practice of off-spin bowling rather than the lavish excess of leg-spin. But still. The links that do exist are too appealing to ignore.Not that Murphy is guaranteed to play the fourth Test in place of the injured Nathan Lyon, with Australia’s coach, Andrew McDonald, prevaricating about whether to pick four frontline fast bowlers plus an all-round seamer in Cameron Green or Beau Webster. But in picking him as the lone option in the squad, Australia have already given their spinner more positive feedback than Shoaib Bashir has received from England, who have re...

Politics

5 d. ago The Breakdown | Chile coach Pablo Lemoine: ‘Rugby is in trouble, even in countries like Wales’

Former Uruguay prop has praise for new World Cup format but wants more help for developing nationsHow did Pablo Lemoine, Chile’s head coach, react when they were drawn with Australia and New Zealand for the 2027 Rugby World Cup? The answer is perceptive and somewhat surprising.“When countries like Chile play in a World Cup you need a general vision,” Lemoine says. “Thinking only of sport it’s fantastic – it’s awesome. But thinking of the real impact Chile needs: development programmes, political impact, social impact for our fans, it’s much more difficult to find tickets when you play the All Blacks or Australia.” Continue reading...

Sport

6 d. ago Rob Key to investigate England’s ‘stag do’ drinking habits after Noosa mid

England team director has ‘no issue’ with trip after second TestBut tourists will investigate claims some players spent six days drinkingRob Key has defended England’s mid-tour break in Noosa but confirmed he will look into reports that excessive drinking by players in between the second and third Ashes Tests turned it into a “glorified stag do”.Sitting 3-0 to Australia, the Ashes having gone, team director Key has followed head coach Brendon McCullum in stating that his future now rests in the hands of senior figures at the England and Wales Cricket Board. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago Stokes vows to remain England captain as McCullum admits regret over Ashes preparations

Tourists’ skipper ‘absolutely’ has energy to stay in roleHead coach after defeat: ‘Sitting here 3-0, it didn’t work’As Ben Stokes stressed his commitment to leading England after losing the Ashes inside 11 days, Brendon McCullum gave his first admission of regret. Poor preparation has been widely blamed for this failed tour of Australia and, in that regard, the head coach was prepared to hold his hand up.Speaking after the 82-run defeat at Adelaide Oval that sees Australia 3-0 up with two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney to come, Stokes offered a simple “absolutely” when asked if he had the energy to continue as captain but played down England’s threadbare warmup period. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago How the Guardian ranked the 100 best female footballers in the world 2025

As we prepare to launch our eighth edition of our global list we present the members of this year’s voting panel, our biggest everAfter another gripping year of women’s football we are ready to launch our list of the best 100 female footballers in the world in 2025.Our biggest ever panel includes familiar faces such as the outgoing Kansas City Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski, the new OL Lyonnes head coach, Jonatan Giráldez, and Australia’s Joe Montemurro. Continue reading...

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