65 h. ago Australia dealt Ashes blow as star is ruled out of second Test

Australia have lost another player to injury following previous setbacks for Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood

Economics

68 h. ago Usman Khawaja ruled out of second Ashes Test due to back injury

Australia opener will not be replaced in the squad in Brisbane38-year-old’s absence paves way for Travis Head to open at the GabbaUsman Khawaja has been ruled out of the second Ashes Test with his back injury.The 38-year-old’s place in the XI had been under intense scrutiny since back spasms forced him from the field in the victorious first Test and prevented him from opening the batting. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Australia star backs ‘amazing’ Usman Khawaja after first Ashes Test struggles

Usman Khawaja struggled with back spasms in the first Ashes Test and only made two runs before he was dismissed in the first innings

Politics

6 d. ago Usman Khawaja's unhinged Ashes rant as the Aussie opener hangs onto his place in the team by his fingernails

Usman Khawaja has broken his Ashes silence with a bizarre rant after he was spared the axe - for now - but the under-siege Aussie Test opener is no guarantee of playing in Brisbane

Politics

1 week ago Travis Head’s devastating knock gives Australia’s selectors a dilemma

Test-winning century and Usman Khawaja’s bad back make strong case for the stand-in opener to lead Australia’s innings againAccidents do not come much happier. Usman Khawaja’s mid-game back problem was annoying for the player and potentially damaging for his team, until it wasn’t. Clearing out the regular dry-powder opener created space in the final stanza of the Perth Test, allowing Travis Head to finish off England with the gory certainty and splatter count of a Mortal Kombat fatality move. Sometimes you mash the buttons and it all just works.Consider an Ashes innings of 123 from 83 balls, on a bouncy pitch where two other players nudged 50, in an effort that did not just win the match, but has sent the opposition into a demoralising tailspin. So the fortuitous success creates a quandary about what to do next. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Why Travis Head was promoted to open before producing ‘one of the great Ashes knocks’

With Usman Khawaja injured, Head was pushed to the top of the order and slammed a match-winning century

Politics

1 week ago Australian newspapers savage Ashes hosts after England storm back to inflict ‘116

The Australian media reacted poorly after Ben Stokes and England stormed back to seize an early Ashes advantage in the first Test in Perth

Events

1 week ago Pat Cummins gives injury update on Usman Khawaja after missing start of Australia innings

Khawaja was unable to open the batting for Australia due to back spasms

Events

1 week ago Australia's ruthless media turn on their OWN cricketers and concede Ashes defence is in 'total disarray' already

The hosts staggered to 123 for nine at stumps on the first day in Perth, still 49 runs behind England's 172, despite Mitchell Starc's career best figures of seven for 58.

Politics

1 week ago Why Usman Khawaja didn’t open batting for Australia in first Ashes test as unknown rule enforced

England benefitted greatly from an Australia miscommunication which saw Usman Khawaja not as part of their opening batters in the first Ashes test

Politics

1 week ago The bizarre reason why Usman Khawaja didn’t open the batting for Australia in first Ashes Test

Marnus Labuschagne joined debutant Jake Weatherald in the middle for the start of Australia’s innings after bowling out England for 172

Politics

3 w. ago Usman Khawaja calls for end of England fan’s ban after ugly clash with Australia team

Usman Khawaja and David Warner confronted MCC members after receiving a barrage of abuse in the Long Room at Lord’s during the 2023 Ashes

Politics

last month Jake Weatherald in contention for Test debut after being named in Australia’s Ashes squad

Opener included in 15-man squad for first Test in PerthAnalysis: Australia keep options open with few surprisesOpener Jake Weatherald has won a place in Australia’s Ashes squad and is the leading contender to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order for the first Test in Perth.But the Tasmania batter has not yet secured a spot in the XI for the series opener, with chief selector George Bailey saying he would wait until the end of the coming round of Sheffield Shield matches before making a decision on the final line-up. Continue reading...

Politics