Aaron Finch Age, Biography, career, stats, networth, Ranking & News

Australia Squad, Schedule, Date, Time, And Venue For T20 World Cup 2021

Published on September 18, 2021September 18, 2021

Australia will be led by Aaron Finch in the T20I World Cup 2021 event. Australia is placed in group A of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 which many experts refer to as ‘Group Of Death’. Notably, Group A is a comparatively stronger group as it consists of teams like West Indies, England, Australia, and South Africa and all the teams have full potential to dominate the league. Especially teams like England and West Indies will be a major threat for everyone.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed the fixtures for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 which will be played between October 17 and November 14. At first, it was scheduled to commence in India. However, due to the Covid-19 scare in the country, it was shifted to UAE and OMAN. Meanwhile, Team Australia which is going through a rough patch will be the team to watch out for in the upcoming marquee event.

Australia Has Lost All Of Its Last 5 T20Is Series

Team Australia is going through a very bad phase lately, as they have been consistently underperforming and have received massive criticism from fans and experts. Notably, Australia has lost the last 5 T20I series they have played against New Zealand, India, England, West Indies, and Bangladesh.

Australia will be commencing its journey in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 with a clash against South Africa. With the return of big names like David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, and Pat Cummins the Aaron Finch-led side will be looking forward to gaining back the momentum. Notably, team Australia has never won a T20 World Cup and they will have an eye on lifting their first-ever T20 World Cup championship.

Australia’s Squad For ICC T20 World Cup 2021

Among the 15-member squad, the most surprising name is Josh Inglis. Uncapped to this stage at the international level, Josh Inglis is a wicketkeeper-batter adept at playing both as an opener and in the middle order.

Aaron Finch (C), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (VC), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

Travelling reserves: Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams

Australia has named a star-studded squad for their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 campaign, with captain Aaron Finch and Steve Smith among a host of big names returning to action.

Aaron Finch (knee) and Steve Smith (elbow) have been backed to return from injury for the tournament, with David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins and Kane Richardson also set to be back in action after sitting out the team’s tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh in July-August.

Australia’s Complete Schedule For ICC T20 World Cup 2021

October 23, 2021: vs South Africa, Abu Dhabi (03:30 PM IST)

October 28, 2021: vs Qualifier (A1), Dubai (7:30 PM IST)

October 30, 2021: vs England, Dubai (7:30 PM IST)

November 4, 2021: vs Qualifier (B2), Dubai (03:30 PM IST)

November 6: vs West Indies, Abu Dhabi (03:30 PM IST)

Sourav Ganguly reveals T20 world Cup trophy | Image Credit: Twitter

Cricket/News

ICC T20I World Cup 2021: 4 Teams Which Won’t Be Able To Qualify For The Semi-Final

Published on September 17, 2021

ICC T20I World Cup 2021 is just a month away from taking place after a gap of five years and the excitement for the tournament in UAE is at its’ peak already. The previous edition took place in 2016 when West Indies emerged as the champions and this will be a 12 team affair this time around for the group stages.

The top eight teams from the T20 international rankings qualified automatically for the league stages of the T20 Worldcup while the remaining four teams will have to make it through the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 qualifiers. Surprisingly, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh haven’t been able to make it to the league stages and are placed in the qualifiers. Here are 4 teams that won’t be able to qualify for the semi-finals of ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

Representational image of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup trophy | AFP / Jewel Samad — Representational image of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy | AFP / Jewel Samad

ICC T20I World Cup 2021: 4 Teams Which Probably Won’t Be Able To Qualify For The Semi-Final

Australia:

Australia is one of the powerhouses in world cricket at present for a long time now and they still continue to dominate best teams but haven’t been doing it on a consistent basis. But recent losses to West Indies and Bangladesh with a depleted squad saw their reputation diminish.

When it comes to T20 cricket, Australia hasn’t always been the team to watch out for as they do have a lot of stars in their lineup but despite that, they have lacked the T20 flavour. 2010 was the only year they reached the finals of the ICC T20I World Cup and they lost to England.

Australia’s recent form in T20I hasn’t been impressive either as they lost the T20I series in West Indies 4-1 and lost a bilateral series for the first time against Bangladesh which wasn’t the ideal preparation they needed. Australia has been placed in a strong group comprising of England, West Indies, and South Africa and their chances of making it to the semifinals look bleak at the moment.

Australia has lost the last 5 T20I series they have played against New Zealand, India, England, West Indies, and Bangladesh. With the return of big names like David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, and Pat Cummins the Aaron Finch-led side will be looking forward to gaining back the momentum.

South Africa:

South Africa has lacked the edge needed in the knockouts to progress to the finals of the tournament and it has been evident through their results so far in ICC events. They haven’t made it to a final in ICC T20 World Cup yet and have been succumbing down when it comes to pressure games for which they are labelled chokers.

The Proteas are a different looking side now without AB De Villiers and Faf du Plessis, and their new skipper Temba Bavuma will have a huge responsibility under his belt for the T20I World Cup. Their bowling attack does look good but they are expected to struggle with their inexperienced batting lineup and are unlikely to progress to the semi-finals after being placed in a tough group.

They are currently placed on the 5th spot in ICC T20 Internationals rankings. Also in the last 5 T20 international series, they have lost 3 series. They have some exceptionally talented players like Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassi Van Der Dussen, and David Miller on the team but have left out experienced Chris Morris, Faf du Plessis, and Imran Tahir.

Afghanistan :

Afghanistan has been one of the teams that have come from far behind in terms of development and the results are there to see as well. They have produced a lot of young match winners already and the best example is Rashid Khan who has been the best spinner in the world in the last two years globally.

Afghanistan has picked up a good squad for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 but they have a lot of issues going on with the Taliban government and it will certainly take a toll on their performance. They have gone in for experience in the fast bowling department and Rashid Khan has stepped out as the captain of the side as well for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021. With India and New Zealand in the group, Afghanistan might not be able to progress to the semi-finals.

Currently, Afghanistan is placed on the 7th spot in the ICC T20 international rankings. Once the team enters the tournament all eyes will be on big names like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi. ACB named Rashid Khan as their captain for the T20 world cup 2021. Rashid Khan soon came up with a tweet stating that he will be leaving the captaincy. Post that, ACB announced that Mohammad Nabi will be the captain of the team.

Pakistan:

Pakistan is looking like a better group in the last few international series and with the change in the coaching staff and the Director, a lot could change for the Pakistan side ahead of the ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

However, their recent performances haven’t been up to the mark especially in England and they still have holes to fill inside the group. Lead by captain Babar Azam, Pakistan will kickstart their ICC T20I World Cup 2021 campaign against arch-rivals India in Dubai on 24 October.

They will then face New Zealand in Sharjah on 26 October before returning to Dubai to take on Afghanistan. Their last two matches in the Super 12 stages will see them face runners-up of Group A and table-toppers of Group B from Round 1 in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah respectively.

Their middle order needed some solid experience and they have gone in for youngsters who had failed earlier. Their fast bowling and spin department don’t look bad either but they still do not like getting past New Zealand and India who have strong depth in their squads for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

Pakistan chose youth over experience for the backup wicketkeeper spot with the inclusion of Azam Khan over Sarfaraz Ahmed. Azam Khan has featured in only three T20Is in his career and has aggregated only six runs in two innings but his exploits in domestic T20 competitions has helped him seal a berth in the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 squad.

Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah were among the surprise inclusions in the squad for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 World Cup, having last played a T20I for Pakistan earlier this year against Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively.

They did not find a place in the squad for the tours of England and the West Indies. The experienced campaigners Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, and Sarfaraz Ahmed surprisingly didn’t find a place in ICC T20I World Cup 2021 squad.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (Image Credit: Twitter)

Cricket/Indian Premier League 2021 (IPL 2021)

IPL 2021: Top 5 Teams With The Biggest Win Margin In The League

Published on September 17, 2021

IPL 2021 is in its 14th edition. IPL is a T20 competition that was organized by the BCCI. Notably, the tournament was first held in the year 2008 and Rajasthan Royals (RR) won the tournament. Since then every year it is held and has become a fan-favourite tournament.

People of every age group enjoy the high octane and nail-biting encounters between the franchise teams. The cash-rich Indian T20 league is regarded as the World’s best T20 league ahead of CPL, PSL, LPL and it has witnessed some of the greatest cricket games of all time.

However, sometimes fans have also witnessed the dominance of one team which resulted in one-sided games. In this article, we will have a look at the most one-sided games played in the history of the tournament. However, our main focus will be on the victories based on the biggest run margin. Because in total 15 times, a team has won the game with 10 wickets in hand.

Top 5 IPL Teams With The Biggest Win Margin In The Tournament

5. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 130 runs

On April 23, 31st match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2013 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore saw the most extraordinary, explosive, exceptional, and destructive innings in the history of T20 Cricket. Pune Warriors India was facing Royal Challengers Bangalore and they won the toss and elected to field first. The Universe Boss Chris Gayle opened the innings with Tillakaratne Dilshan and he literally demolished the PWI bowling unit.

Chris Gayle slammed 175 against Pune Warrior in 2013 | Photo Credit: PTI.

Almost half of Chris Gayle’s inning was filled with boundaries as the West Indies opener smashed 13 fours and 17 sixers. The Universe Boss was going berserk against every bowler.

Meanwhile, in the end, he finished his knock at unbeaten 175 off 66 deliveries at a massive strike rate of 265.15. With the help of his century, RCB posted 263/5 on the board. During the chase, PWI was unable to give a tough fight to the opposition and in 20 overs they scored 133 at the loss of 9 wickets.

Meanwhile, the Virat Kohli-led RCB won the game by a humongous margin of 130 runs. Chris Gayle had scored the highest individual score and RCB’s total was the highest to date.

4. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 138 runs

Team Royal Challengers Bangalore was in the records again when they locked horns with Kings XI Punjab ( now Punjab Kings) in the 40th match of IPL 2015 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on May 6. The George Bailey led Kings XI Punjab won the toss and elected to field first inviting RCB to bat.

Opener Chris Gayle had a sensational outing as he scored 117 runs from just 57 balls. Also, Skipper Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers scored 32 and 47 respectively. Meanwhile, RCB posted 226 runs on the board.

RCB teammates Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers (Image Credit: Twitter) — RCB teammates Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, and AB de Villiers (Image Credit: Twitter)

During the chase Kings XI, Punjab (now Punjab Kings) were bowled out at the score of 88 in the 14th over. Notably, Axar Patel made the biggest contribution from the Punjab side scoring 40 runs from 21 balls. Only Wriddhiman Saha and Axar Patel scored double-digit runs. Meanwhile, Sreenath Aravind and Mitchell Starc were able to bag 4 wickets each from team RCB.

3. Kolkata Knight Riders won by 140 runs

Yet another RCB involvement, in the biggest win margin columns came this time on the losing side. The match was the 1st game of the inaugural edition of IPL at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on April 18, 2008.

Brendon McCullum scored 158 runs off 73 balls in IPL 2008 opener. | Photo Credit: BCCL

Royal Challengers Bangalore which was led by Rahul Dravid won the toss and they elected to field first. Meanwhile, KKR openers skipper Sourav Ganguly and Brendon McCullum opened for the first time in IPL. The openers had a 61 runs partnership and Sourav Ganguly was dismissed at 10.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum played a destructive knock of 158 off 73 balls to show the world what they are going to witness in the marquee Indian Premier League (IPL). His innings were filled with 10 fours and 13 maximums. Notably, he batted with a strike rate of 216.43. He helped KKR score 222/3. This was the only ton to date from a KKR batsman.

Meanwhile, during the chase RCB had a horrible run as all their main batters got out in single-digit scores. Only Praveen Kumar was able to score 18 runs and all the other players were dismissed under the score of 10 which resulted in RCB getting bowled out at 82 and losing the game by 140 runs. Ajit Agarkar-3, Ashok Dinda-2, and Sourav Ganguly-2 were amongst the wickets.

2. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 144 runs

In the 44th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016, Royal Challengers Bangalore faced off Gujrat Lions at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. The Virat Kohli-led side lost the toss and was invited to bat first. The start was not at all good for RCB as they lost the opener, Chris Gayle, in the 4th over and they were at 19-1 in 3.5 overs.

However, after that fans witnessed a batting master class by two of the greatest batsmen of the generation. Former Proteas batsman AB De Villiers and Indian masterclass batsman Virat Kohli. Both the batsmen brought in the storm and destroyed the opposite bowling unit.

AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli added 229 runs for the 2nd wicket which is the record of highest partnership in the IPL. The captain of RCB scored marvellous 109 runs off 55 deliveries including 5 fours and 8 six at a strike rate of 198.18. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s mate AB de Villiers scored exceptional 129 runs off 52 balls including 10 fours and 12 sixes at a strike rate of 248.07. Notably, RCB posted 248 runs on the board in that IPL game.

Meanwhile, during the chase Gujrat Lions despite having star batters were bowled out at 104 and RCB won the game by 144 runs. Notably, in that match, RCB used as many as 9 bowlers. Apart from Aaron Finch’s 37, the likes of power hitters Dwayne Smith-7, Brendon McCullum-11, Ravindra Jadeja-21, Dinesh Karthik-2, and Dwayne Bravo-1 failed with the bat.

1. Mumbai Indians won by 146 runs

Team Mumbai Indians is currently sitting at the top in terms of the biggest winning margin in the history of the tournament. The match was the 45th game of the IPL 2017 at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi. The Rohit Sharma-led team was facing the team Delhi Daredevils (Capitals).

Delhi Capitals won the toss and they invited Mumbai Indians to bat first. Meanwhile, The decision turned out to be a horrible one for the Zaheer Khan-led franchise. As Mumbai batters went berserk against the DC bowling unit.

Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Instagram

West Indies powerhouse Kieron Pollard & Lendl Simmons smashed 63 and 66 runs. Also Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya batted with a 207.14 strike rate and MI finished the innings at 212/3.

During the chase, Mitchell McClenaghan dismissed Sanju Samson on the very first ball. Before the power play ended Delhi Capitals were reduced at 35-5 and soon they were bowled out at the score of 66 which resulted in Delhi Capitals setting the record of the biggest loss in the history of IPL by 146 runs.

The likes of Karun Nair (21), Corey Anderson (10), and Pat Cummins (10) were the only cricketers to score double-digit runs as the likes of heavyweights Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Marlon Samuels failing. Harbhajan Singh and Karn Sharma took 3 scalps apiece.

Cricket/News

Justin Langer Confident Of Becoming A Better Coach After Emergency Meeting Between CA And Players

Published on August 30, 2021

Justin Langer, Australia head coach reflected on the meeting with the national team’s top players and Cricket Australia bosses. Justin Langer has been under scrutiny after Australia’s dismal T20 tour of Bangladesh as reports of a rift with the players emerged.

It triggered an emergency meeting among Justin Langer, Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings, CEO Nick Hockley, Test skipper Tim Paine, white-ball captain Aaron Finch, and vice-captain Pat Cummins. They gathered to discuss the issues impeding the team’s progress and the board gave Justin Langer a vote of confidence.

Justin Langer. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

Justin Langer Confident That He Will Become A Better Coach After The Results Of The Meeting

Speaking to the West Australian newspaper, Justin Langer revealed they discussed everything openly in the meeting. The former Test opener thinks he would emerge as a better coach as a result of this meeting.

“We all got a lot off our chests. I think we are all in a better place now. The situation at the moment is very tough, but I am confident that I will become a better coach from it.”

Justin Langer’s role has been under the microscope in the wake of heavy T20 series defeats against West Indies and Bangladesh and amid media reports that some players had become disaffected by his intense coaching style.

Australia sent second-string white-ball sides to the Caribbean and Bangladesh after a slew of senior players(David Warner, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, and Daniel Sams) opted out of the tours while injured Steve Smith wasn’t considered for the elbow injury that flared up during the IPL.

Justin Langer: Criticism Will Stop When The Winning Results Come

Justin Langer understands that criticism will stop when the results will come. The 50-year old reminded everyone of Australia’s Ashes retention in England and the side’s number one ranking in the T20 format as his achievements. He hopes to return those to winning ways to silence the critics.

“When you win, everyone is happy and gets on with things but when you are losing, that is when the finger-pointing starts, and people look for excuses. We have had a rough trot in recent times but we retained the Ashes only a little while ago and were ranked No.1 in Test and T20 cricket not that long ago. Get back to winning and you won’t hear about anything else.”

Australia was thrashed 4-1 by the West Indies and 4-1 in Bangladesh, their first-ever series loss to the South Asians, raising alarm bells ahead of the T20 World Cup in October-November. Cricket Australia announced their World T20 squad a few weeks ago that saw all their first-choice players return to the fold. The players will likely depart for the UAE in early October. A few of them will leave earlier to participate in the IPL.

Australia recently announced their 15-man squad for the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup which is scheduled to be held in the UAE. The uncapped player, Josh Inglis, received his maiden call-up. Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, and Pat Cummins made a return to the side after having opted out of the away tours of Bangladesh and West Indies.

Steve Smith has recovered from his elbow injury and will also join the squad. Regular skipper Aaron Finch will lead the side which also includes three travel reserves – Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, and Daniel Sams.

Australia Squad For T20I World Cup

Aaron Finch (C), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (VC), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams

Cricket/News

Aakash Chopra Isn’t Sure About Australia’s Prospects At T20I World Cup 2021

Published on August 21, 2021August 21, 2021

Aakash Chopra believes Australia is unlikely to have a great run at the upcoming T20 World Cup. Australia is clubbed with England, West Indies, South Africa, and two qualifying teams in Group A of the T20 World Cup. They recently announced their squad for the mega event, which will be played in the UAE and Oman.

The players who were given an opportunity in the recently concluded Bangladesh series couldn’t make the most of it and failed to make it to the side. This includes Moises Henriques, Alex Carey, Josh Philippe, and Ashton Turner. Also missing will be bowlers Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, and Jason Behrendorff.

Aakash Chopra Said That On Paper Australia Looks A Fantastic Team But He Isn’t Very Excited About Their Prospects

Speaking about their squad in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was circumspect about their chances at the global event.

“On paper, this looks a fantastic team. But their story is that all five fingers come together but do not become a fist. While this looks like a very good team on paper, I am not very very excited about their prospects,” said Aakash Chopra.

The former Indian batsman added that the Australians being in the tougher group is a blow to their chances.

“Firstly the pool they are in, I feel they are going to get slightly stuck. That’s the pool of death, ours is not.”

England and West Indies are certainly the favourites to make it through to the semi-finals from Group A. However, the Aaron Finch-led side has the potential to spring a surprise or two and make it through to the knockout stages.

Aakash Chopra: Australia Is Slightly Short In The Spin Department

Aakash Chopra believes the Aussies might be found slightly wanting in the spin-bowling department while acknowledging that Australia has an excellent seam-bowling attack in Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Kane Richardson. But spinners Mitchell Swepson, Adam Zampa, and Ashton Agar aren’t that experienced.

“The bowling is looking extremely good but they are slightly short in the spin department. And also remember that the World Cup is going to happen after the IPL,” said Aakash Chopra.

The reputed commentator added that the Australian batsmen might also have difficulties playing against the spinners on the UAE tracks that are likely to turn.

“When those things remain in the mind, Australia becomes a decent team, not a great team because the spin reserves – Swepson, Zampa, Agar – not the greatest, let’s admit that. There could be some problems while playing against spin in the batting department as well,” said Aakash Chopra.

Australia has come up short in their two recent T20I series against West Indies and Bangladesh without their regular players. They lost both the series by a 4-1 margin, with their batting shortcomings, in particular, coming to the fore.

Steve Smith returned from an elbow injury. while regular captain Aaron Finch was also named in the squad while recovering from recent knee surgery. The Australians have endured a lean time of late in T20 cricket, having lost each of their past five series.

Australia named a strong 15-man squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, recalling pacer Pat Cummins and leading batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner for the global tournament in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Uncapped West Australian Josh Inglis has been included as a backup wicketkeeper to Matthew Wade.

Australia squad

Aaron Finch (C), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (VC), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

All-rounders Dan Christian and Daniel Sams, and fast bowler Nathan Ellis have been named as travelling reserves.

Cricket/News

Ricky Ponting Questions Depth Around Australia Cricket After 1-4 Series Loss To West Indies And Bangladesh

Published on August 14, 2021

Ricky Ponting has questioned the depth in Australian cricket after the poor T20 results on the recent tours of West Indies and Bangladesh but believes the team can still pose a challenge for the forthcoming 2021 T20I World Cup if their strongest side is available.

Australia ended the twin tours with a 2-8 scoreline losing both the series by a margin of 1-4 across the two T20 contests which was capped off by being skittled for 62, which was their lowest T20 total, in the final match in Dhaka.

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting (Photo | IPL Twitter)

Ricky Ponting: Depth Around Australia Cricket Is Not Where It Needs To Be

While Ricky Ponting acknowledged the conditions were challenging in Bangladesh, he was concerned that performances got worse as the matches went on. Only Mitchell Marsh emerged with an enhanced reputation with the bat although the bowling attack largely performed creditably.

“The lack of knowhow and skill in those conditions brought us undone again,” Ricky Ponting told Tim Paine on the Test captain’s SEN radio show.

“It’s been the achilles heel for Australian cricket for as long as I can remember – more so in Test cricket, but we’ve always found a way to be very competitive in Sri Lanka and India in white-ball cricket. Just goes to show the depth around Australia cricket is not where it needs to be so there’s some work to do there.”

“The T20 World Cup is not far away so hopefully we get all the boys fit and healthy because I still think with everyone fit and healthy in the UAE that the Australian team can push really hard to win the title. Let’s keep our fingers crossed we can put our strongest XI on the field.”

Mitchell Marsh cut loose in the Powerplay © Getty Images

Captain Aaron Finch was ruled out of the Bangladesh series with a knee injury which meant Australia was missing up to eight players who could be considered among first picks including David Warner, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, and Marcus Stoinis from the batting order.

“There were a lot of names not there…but it almost seemed they got worse during that series,” Ricky Ponting said. “There’s no doubt those conditions were really difficult, but that’s the worry for me.

“They’ve been there long enough and done some training on wickets you’d have thought were quite similar to what they played on yet the further the series went, whether a lack of confidence or skill or game awareness, I’m sure they would have been shattered.”

Australian allrounder Mitchell Marsh played three ODIs and five T20Is against West Indies last month. In the T20Is, Mitchell Marsh scored 219 runs with a strike rate of 152.08 and took eight wickets with an economy rate of 6.76, making him the lead run-scorer and wicket-taker for Australia in the series. He was the leading run-scorer against Bangladesh too scoring 156 runs in 5 T20I games averaging 31.2.

Ricky Ponting Waiting For Confirmation On Whether Injured Steve Smith Is Available In The IPL 2021 And T20I World Cup

Ricky Ponting, the head coach of Delhi Capitals, said he was still waiting for confirmation on whether he would have experienced batsman Steve Smith, who is recovering from an elbow injury, and Marcus Stoinis available but sees it as their best opportunity to be tuned up for the World Cup.

“There’s no doubt it’s their best preparation, in those exact conditions playing probably the strongest domestic T20 tournament in the world,” he said. “I’m not saying it just because I want some of the Australian players there with Delhi, but it sounds like our domestic season will be pushed back so they’ll be no domestic cricket here before the T20 World Cup, so preparation wise it’s spot on.”

Steve Smith Image Source : TWITTER/DELHICAPITALS — Steve Smith Image Source: TWITTER/DELHICAPITALS.

“Not sure if they’ll be any restrictions on the bowlers going there, there may well be, but certainly the guys like Smith, Davey, Maxi, Stoinis who have been out of cricket for three or fourth months they need to get back into the groove.”

The country’s seven top cricketers including the likes of David Warner, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, and Daniel Sams have pulled out from the upcoming West Indies series and Bangladesh series.

Star batsman Steve Smith was also not included in the squad as he is yet to fully recover from an elbow injury that flared up during the IPL. It now seems likely that a number of the Australia players will prepare for the World Cup by returning to the IPL for its resumption next month although Pat Cummins is not expected to be available due to the birth of his first child.

Cricket/News

Faf du Plessis Won’t Play In The Hundred Due To Concussion

Published on August 14, 2021August 14, 2021

Faf du Plessis will not play any part in this season’s inaugural edition of English cricket’s new Hundred competition because of the lingering effects of a concussion suffered during the Pakistan Super League.

The South African opening batsman will not play any part in the inaugural edition of the Hundred competition because of the lingering effects of a concussion suffered during the Pakistan Super League, the former Proteas captain announced Friday.

Faf du Plessis Hopes To Return To 2nd Edition Of The Hundred

It had been thought Faf du Plessis might come back after missing the first three games in the 100 balls per side tournament, having been appointed skipper of the Northern Superchargers after replacing Australia’s Aaron Finch.

But the 37-year-old has not featured at all and the Proteas star batsman, in an Instagram post on Friday, said he was returning to South Africa but that he still planned to travel to this year’s Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament, which starts on August 26.

Faf du Plessis, who was not selected in South Africa’s T20I side to tour Sri Lanka, also said he hoped to return for next year’s edition of the Hundred.

“I’m really so grateful for all the support through this difficult injury and feel like I’m very close to playing again,” du Plessis said.

The Superchargers added in a statement: “du Plessis will return to South Africa to continue his rehab from the concussion he suffered at the PSL earlier this year. Dane Vilas will continue as his replacement at Northern Superchargers for the remainder of the competition.”

Faf du Plessis suffered a concussion during a PSL T20 match in Abu Dhabi in June, after colliding with Quetta Gladiators team-mate Mohammad Hasnain while trying to save a boundary and took no further part in that event. The injury ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament and he returned to South Africa shortly after and then travelled to Croatia to quarantine ahead of the Hundred.

Faf du Plessis Was In Scintillating Form In IPL 2021

Faf Du Plessis was in tremendous form for CSK this season in India and scored 320 runs in 7 matches at a strike rate of 145.45 before the event got postponed due to a bio-bubble breach. He was the 3rd highest run-getter after Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul.

He was also a star in CSK’s miserable campaign in the UAE in IPL 2020, scoring 449 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 140.75 with 4 fifties. CSK had performed poorly in IPL 2020 as for the first time the three-time IPL winners failed to qualify for the playoffs of the event.

Australia limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch (File photo| PTI)

Cricket/News

Aaron Finch Aims To Be Fit For The 2021 T20I World Cup After Successful Knee Surgery

Published on August 13, 2021

Aaron Finch, Australia’s limited-overs captain has undergone knee surgery with the recovery expected to take eight to 10 weeks as he aims to be fit for the T20 World Cup.

Aaron Finch missed the recent Bangladesh tour having suffered cartilage damage ahead of the series in West Indies. He managed to play the five T20Is in the Caribbean but aggravated the injury in the final game.

Australia's Aaron Finch ©Reuters — Australia’s Aaron Finch ©Reuters

Aaron Finch Missed Bangladesh Tour Where Australia Was Beaten 4-1 And Was Bowled Out For Their Lowest T20I Total Of 62

Having completed his mandatory two-week quarantine upon returning to Melbourne, Aaron Finch had the operation on Thursday with a Cricket Australia statement saying it was successful.

“His recovery is expected to take 8-10 weeks meaning he should be available for the opening games of the World Cup in mid-October,” the statement added.

The longer end of that timescale will push things tight for Aaron Finch with Australia’s involvement in the tournament due to begin in the final week of October. It is expected that tentative plans for warm-up matches against Afghanistan and West Indies will be cancelled due to logistical challenges with some players returning from the IPL which will be also be staged in the UAE ahead of the World Cup.

Bangladesh won the first T20I match by 23 runs, recording their first-ever win in the format against Australia in five attempts. Bangladesh then won the second T20I by five wickets, and the third T20I by ten runs.

Therefore, Bangladesh won the series with two matches to spare and recorded their first-ever series win in any format against Australia. Australia won the fourth T20I by three wickets, to avoid a whitewash. However, they lost the final match by 60 runs, with Bangladesh winning the series 4–1.

The likes of Nasum Ahmed (8 wickets), Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Shakib Al Hasan (7 wickets each) were successful with the ball for Bangladesh.

Aaron Finch Was One Of The 8 Players Australia Missed In Bangladesh

Aaron Finch was one of eight potential first-choice players Australia was missing in Bangladesh where they were beaten 4-1 (the same margin they suffered in West Indies) including being bowled out for their lowest T20I total of 62 in the last match. If fit, Aaron Finch will be expected to open alongside David Warner at the World Cup.

The country’s seven top cricketers including the likes of David Warner, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, and Daniel Sams have pulled out from the upcoming West Indies and Bangladesh series. Star batsman Steve Smith was also not included in the squad as he is yet to fully recover from an elbow injury that flared up during the IPL.

In Aaron Finch’s absence, Matthew Wade captained the side in Bangladesh where, like many of the batters, he had a lean time. Pat Cummins, the official Australia vice-captain, will be part of the World Cup squad. Australia has lost their last five T20I series, against England, India, New Zealand, West Indies, and Bangladesh, having previously climbed to No. 1 in the rankings.

Their planning has been disrupted by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on player availability but the results have also raised questions about the depth available especially in batting. Australia has never won the T20 World Cup with their best performance being a runners-up finish in 2010 when they lost the final against England in Barbados.

Cricket/News

Australia To Be Without Aaron Finch On Bangladesh Tour

Published on July 25, 2021July 25, 2021

Australia will be without their regular white-ball skipper Aaron Finch on the tour of Bangladesh, it was confirmed on Sunday (July 25).

Aaron Finch suffered a knee injury while practising in the build-up to the T20Is against West Indies, which he aggravated in the fifth game of that series. He hasn’t featured in either of the two completed ODIs with the tour set to culminate with the deciding one-dayer at Bridgetown, Barbados on Monday.

Australia Skipper Aaron Finch To Head Home For Surgery

The decision to send Aaron Finch back to Australia was taken after the extent of the injury revealed the possibility of the 34-year-old needing surgery to mend his right knee.

Australia will want their captain to undergo the procedure, if needed, and have sufficient time to rest and rehabilitate before the T20 World Cup in October. Aaron Finch though will have to serve out a 14-day quarantine upon landing in Australia before he can undergo the surgery.

“I’m extremely disappointed to be heading home,” Finch said on Sunday (July 25). “This was considered the best course of action rather than traveling to Bangladesh, not being able to play, and losing that recovery time. I will have the surgery if required and start the recovery process ahead of the World Cup.”

Aaron Finch hasn't played either of the two completed ODIs versus West Indies. — Aaron Finch hasn’t played either of the two completed ODIs versus West Indies. © AFP

Aaron Finch could be in a race to be fit for the 2021 T20 World Cup as he faces knee surgery after being ruled out of the remainder of Australia’s tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh.

Due to the complexities around travel arrangements and biosecure bubbles, Australia won’t call up a replacement for Aaron Finch. They have two reserve players on the tour, but paceman Nathan Ellis and legspinner Tanveer Sangha only provide bowling cover.

Alex Carey To Captain Australia In The Final 3rd ODI In West Indies

Alex Carey will captain the side in the final ODI in West Indies while a new T20 captain will be named over the course of time. Matthew Wade is the designated vice-captain of the T20 side and even led a game against India in Aaron Finch’s absence last year. Australia is set to fly out of Barbados on Wednesday with the five-match T20I series in Dhaka set to begin on August 3.

Alex Carey will be Australia's 26th captain in ODIs Getty Images — Alex Carey will be Australia’s 26th captain in ODIs Getty Images

When Aaron Finch missed a T20I against India last season, Matthew Wade led the side. Alex Carey is not a certain starter on the T20I side, unlike the ODIs. Other options could include the in-form Mitchell Marsh or the experienced Moises Henriques. Aaron Finch’s injury leaves Australia without another senior player on a trip to West Indies and Bangladesh where they are already missing David Warner, injured Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis from a likely first-choice batting line-up.

In the 2nd ODI, Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder rescued West Indies from more top-order troubles to level the ODI series in Barbados in the match that was delayed by 48 hours after the Covid-19 scare in the home side’s camp.

In the end, it was Australia’s collapse that proved decisive when they crumbled to 45 for 6 as left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein claimed three wickets in six balls.

The last four wickets turned the innings around by adding 142, which included a 59-run ninth-wicket stand between Adam Zampa and Wes Agar. West Indies too slipped to 72 for 5 – with Mitchell Starc again being brilliant as there was the chance of a remarkable resurgence.

West Indies 191 for 6 (Pooran 59*, Holder 52, Starc 3-26) beat Australia 187 (W Agar 41, Hosein 3-30) by four wickets

West Indies and Australia (Image Source: Twitter)

Cricket/News

West Indies-Australia 2nd ODI Suspended After Covid-19 Case

Published on July 23, 2021

Australia won the toss and decided to bat against West Indies in the 2nd ODI but the match was suspended. The second ODI in Barbados was suspended moments before the first ball was due to be bowled after reports of a positive Covid test emerged.

A short while later a CWI spokesman confirmed the match had been “postponed”. The toss had already taken place with teams named when the situation began to unfold. Australia captain Alex Carey had been able to take the same route as the opening game as he won the toss and opted to bat first.

Australia’s Stand-In Skipper Alex Carey Wins Toss And Opted To Bat First But The Match Was Postponed After A Positive Covid-19 Case Was Confirmed

Alex Carey was again leading the side in the absence of injured Aaron Finch. Australia handed an ODI debut to fast bowler Riley Meredith in place of Wes Agar. West Indies has been boosted by the return of wicketkeeper-batter Shai Hope after an ankle injury kept him out of the opening match. He will open the batting in place of Shimron Hetmyer and take the gloves off Nicholas Pooran.

Shai Hope's return is a bonus for West Indies AFP via Getty Images — Shai Hope’s return is a bonus for West Indies AFP via Getty Images

The second ODI between West Indies and Australia was postponed after a positive COVID-19 case was confirmed minutes before the opening delivery was to be bowled. A decision on when the match will be replayed will be made once all the test results are confirmed, said the Cricket West Indies.

Australia Included ODI Debutant Riley Meredith In The XI

Australia had opted to bat after winning the toss but the teams were made aware of the development after the toss. Riley Meredith, who was set to make his ODI debut and was included in place of Wes Agar, will now have to wait for his opportunity. The teams will now be placed in managed isolation.

“The second ODI between West Indies and Australia has been postponed due to a positive Covid-19 test result from a non-playing member of the West Indies team,” Cricket West Indies said in a statement.

“This decision was taken after the toss at Kensington Oval once the result was known due to the Covid-19 protocols. All members of both teams and match officials will be retested today. A decision on when the match will be replayed will be made at a later date once the test results are known. They will remain in isolation in their hotel rooms until their PCR-Test results are returned.”

Given the positive case, it remains to be seen how Australia’s next upcoming few fixtures will get affected. After the final ODI which is now scheduled on July 24, the visitors are scheduled to fly to Bangladesh for five T20Is starting from August 3.

In the 1st ODI, which was marred by rain, Australia’s stand-in captain Alex Carey scored a half-century and pace bowler Mitchell Starc took five wickets as they beat West Indies by 133 runs in Barbados. Chasing a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) adjusted 257 runs for victory after Australia scored 252-for 9 in 49 overs after three rain delays, the hosts suffered a collapse to fold for 123 with only returning skipper Kieron Pollard (56) offering resistance.

Teams For The 2nd ODI:

West Indies (Playing XI): Evin Lewis, Shai Hope(w), Darren Bravo, Jason Mohammed, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard(c), Jason Holder, Hayden Walsh, Sheldon Cottrell, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hosein

Australia (Playing XI): Josh Philippe, Ben McDermott, Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Alex Carey(w/c), Ashton Turner, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Riley Meredith, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

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