A new chapter is about to open in Women’s cricket as they are set to feature in the Commonwealth Games for the first time in its history in 2022. The multi-sport tournament is going to feature cricket for only the second time after a hiatus of almost 24 years in Birmingham. Women’s cricket was part of the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014, with Pakistan winning the Gold on both occasions.

The historic tournament in Birmingham will commence on the 29th of July and will feature eight teams, divided into two groups of four. The ten-day long tournament will be played in the T20 format and will feature 16 matches, hosted by Edgbaston. Although it is expected to be a hotly contested affair with the Gold medal at stake, some teams are the favourites going into the tournament.

Here are three teams who can win the gold medal in the competition: 

1. Australia

The dominant force in Women’s cricket, Australia are at the summit of the rankings in all formats of the game and are one of the bookie’s favourites to clinch the gold at the quadrennial sporting event. Led by their enigmatic leader Meg Lanning, Australia got their hands on the seventh World Cup title earlier this year, defeating arch-rivals England in the final.

The Aussies are also the most successful T20I team in women’s cricket, with five World Cup titles to their name in seven editions of the tournament, a testament to their superiority. The reigning champions will face off against India in the opening fixture of the tournament.

Beth Mooney is the lynchpin in the batting order for the Women in Yellow alongside skipper Meg Lanning. The pair are the highest ranked T20I batters in the ICC rankings. The emergence of Ashleigh Gardner has been fruitful for them, who will be vying to make a mark in the tournament alongside the mercurial Ellyse Perry from the all-rounder contingent.

2. England

Australia’s nemesis and the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup winners England are arguably the biggest threat to the Kangaroos’ ambition of clinching the gold medal at this tournament. England and Australia are placed in different groups being the top-seeded sides and could potentially lock horns in the blockbuster finale, in a repeat of the 2022 ODI WC final.

The English camp has been hit by terrible news ahead of the tournament, as the 2017 WC-winning skipper Heather Knight is doubtful for the CWG 2022 after sustaining a hip injury in the ongoing series against South Africa.

They will be looking to redeem themselves by winning the gold medal after losing out on the WC title earlier this year. Knight’s deputy Nat Sciver has been in inspired form of late and is likely to lead the side if Knight misses out. Young bowling sensation Sophie Ecclestone will be accompanying veteran spearhead Katherine Brunt in the bowling department.

3. India

The Women in Blue are the dark horses for the momentous tournament at CWG 2022 and can throw in the spanner in the hopes and dreams of Australia and England. The fourth-ranked T20I team in the world is capable of turning over any side in the world on their day, and the opponents will be wary of their abilities.

Under the truculent leadership of star all-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur, India have reinvigorated their hunger after a disappointing World Cup earlier this year. Mithali Raj’s retirement in June has left a massive void to fill for the Indian camp, but the emergence of youngsters like Harleen Deol bodes well for the team.

The onus will be on the eye-catching opening duo of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma along with accomplished all-rounder Deepti Sharma, while the bowling lineup will be relying upon Radha Yadav, who has been a constant threat with her left-arm spin.

Australia Women captain Meg Lanning aims for the gold medal in the T20 event of the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, which will commence later this month. This is the first time women’s cricket or the T20Is will be a part of the mega event.

Lanning recalled watching swimming and hockey at the Commonwealth Games growing up and admiring Australia’s teamwork across various sports. But she felt that she would never get the chance to partake in the events because cricket was not part of it. Australia, being the defending champions of the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup, will go into the Commonwealth Games as one of the gold medal contenders.

“Certainly, the aim is to win gold,” Lanning told the ABC. “I remember watching a lot of the swimming and hockey at the Commonwealth Games growing up and really loving the teamwork of the Australian athletes across a range of sports.”

We are looking to embrace this opportunity: Meg Lanning

“But because cricket was never really a part of it, I didn’t expect to be able to get this chance myself,” said the Australia captain. “As a group, we’re looking to embrace this opportunity because being part of a wider Australian team is new for us, and it might not be something we ever get to do again.”

The ‘Cricket T20’ in Birmingham will commence on July 29, Friday, and the opener will be played between Australia and India. The other teams in the group are Barbados and Pakistan. Group B comprises New Zealand, South Africa, England, and Sri Lanka. The final will be played on August 7 at Edgbaston.

The last time cricket was played in the Commonwealth Games was in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, and the ODI format was used. South Africa, led by Shaun Pollock, won the gold medal, beating Steve Waugh’s Australia in the finals by four wickets. New Zealand settled for the bronze medal. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has also been in talks to get cricket to the Olympics for Los Angeles in 2028.

Emerging cricketer Will Pucovski’s international career might not have taken off, but he is still pretty much in  Australia’s long-term future plans. It has been learned that Pucovski happens to be one of the candidates named in the group of emerging batters and spin bowlers to head to the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai for being a part of a ten-day training camp next month.

The 24-year-old, who made his Test debut against India at the SCG in January last year, could not don the whites again for the Aussies after suffering a shoulder dislocation that required immediate surgery. The injury kept him out of action for a while and he also ended up missing the Ashes 2021/22 later that year.

Will Pucovski looks to make a comeback to the Australian team

The ten-member group will be coached by former Sri Lankan cricketer Thilan Samaraweera who was also one of the members of the coaching staff for the Australia A team in Sri Lanka. Pace legend and three-time World Cup winner Glenn McGrath would also be making his presence felt during the camp. The veteran fast bowler’s role will be that of a coach of the group as he’s a consultant to the MRF Pace Foundation.

Meanwhile, the selector, as well as tour manager Tony Dodemaide, has explained how this experience would be handy for the players. “It is exciting to renew the partnership with the MRF Foundation and provide this group of young players with a truly unique experience,” Dodemaide said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

“Some players have toured the subcontinent in the past so this trip will further refine their skills while others will gain valuable new experience in these testing conditions,” he added. The training camp is scheduled to be held from August 7 to 17 and Pucovski will be joining the likes of Josh Philippe, Matthew Kuhnemann, Henry Hunt, Tanveer Sangha, Todd Murphy, Cooper Connolly and Teague Wyllie respectively.

Former Australia skipper and veteran Allan Border has opined that the middle-order batter Travis Head needs to learn how to play spin before Australia’s next tour of India. Border has suggested that Head should take a look at Matthew Hayden’s gameplay in the subcontinent and make changes to his batting technique accordingly.

To note, Head had very poor outings during Australia’s red-ball games against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Playing on turning tracks on two recent Asian tours, Head only managed to score 91 runs at a poor average of 15.17 with his highest being just 26 runs.

He is a very good player against anything other than the turning ball: Border on Head

“He has got to sit down and work out a method better than it is going at the moment, that is for sure. I have talked to him a little bit about batting on spinning wickets,” cricket.com.au quoted Border as saying.

“He has got to learn how to sweep and sweep well. And he has got to use his feet – people do not seem to be prepared to go down the track, and defend even. There are just a few subtle little things. He is a very good player against anything other than the turning ball. That is the chink he has got to work on, but it is (play the) sweep shot, use your feet, get on the front foot, and when you are trying to defend, use nice soft hands,” Border added.

He also wants Head to learn from Matthew Hayden as the Australian opener was very successful in the Asian countries. The left-handed batter had amassed 1,663 in Asia at an outstanding average of 50.39. He had also demolished India’s bowling line-up during their series in 2001 where he smashed 549 runs at an average of 109.80.

“Hayden is a great example. You are talking about a kid who batted on the Gabba five games a year, then the WACA … Sydney (the SCG pitch) turned, that was the only place that really (gave you a chance to bat) against a spin bowler,” said Border.

David Warner has been playing some of his best cricket at the moment, and his form and temperament have engendered a unanimous voice in Australia calling for the upliftment of the captaincy ban on the southpaw. Former Aussie captain Allan Border is the latest cricketing figure to throw his weight behind the matter as he urged Cricket Australia to lift the ban as soon as possible.

Warner, along with Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft, were banned from playing international and domestic cricket for up to one year in the aftermath of the sandpaper scandal in the Cape Town Test in 2018 against South Africa. The Australian board were quite severe with their indictment of Smith and Warner as the former was banned from taking leadership roles for two years, whilst the latter was handed a lifetime ban from captaincy.

Meanwhile, former Australian skipper Allan Border becomes the latest name to back the 35-year-old and has batted for uplifting the lifetime ban on his captaincy duties. Earlier, Pat Cummins, the red-ball skipper for the Kangaroos, had also voiced his opinion on the matter and had urged the CA to contemplate their verdict. In what can be called a controversial statement, Border accused other teams of doing the same and said that the players have already served their punishments and should not be liable anymore.

“It was a harsh penalty in the first place… let’s get on with it; they’ve served their time. I know that every other side’s doing exactly what we were caught doing. (If) all the captains put their hands on their hearts and say, ‘I wasn’t doing anything similar, they’d be telling ‘porky pies’ (lies). The bans those boys copped were a bit over the top for the crime, given the knowledge around the cricket fraternity where this has been going on,” Border told The West Australian on Monday.

Scratching the ball gets the ball to reverse swing: Allan Border

The 66-year-old, who led a young, unheralded Australian team to World Cup glory in 1987, stated that there is nothing wrong in scratching the ball with the hand. He believes that natural ball tempering should be permitted in cricket as it helps the bowlers induce reverse swing from the ball and level the playing field in tough bowling conditions on batting-friendly decks.

“If you get the ball in your hand… just scratching the ball and working on it over a period of time, and you get the ball reverse swinging… what’s wrong with that? It’s not a bad idea because, on flat wickets, you need something. Otherwise, the scores are just going to blow out, and that’s what happens now when we start preparing result wickets because it’s very hard to get good players out on very flat tracks,” Border added.

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Emma McCarthy. The Aussie cricketer posted a picture on the social media site Instagram on Sunday afternoon, 24th of July.

Lyon, who had been dating Emma for the past five years, married her in a romantic ceremony on Sunday as the pair exchanged vows in front of their families and friends. The 34-year-old and his partner are rumoured to have been engaged back in 2021 when she was spotted with a beautiful diamond ring on her wedding finger.

The off-spinner, who predominately represents the national team in red-ball cricket these days, shared a picture of the newlywed couple on Instagram. The picture features the pair roaming the fields with Emma in a stunning beaded wedding gown and Lyon in an elegant black tuxedo, white shirt, and a black bow tie.

The pair has received congratulatory messages from fans and families, while comments from compatriots Sean Abbott, Peter Siddle, and Brett Lee also came in.

 

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‘He’s a nervous sort of guy’ – Mike Hussey recalls Nathan Lyon’s first game for Australia

The Australian spin maestro recently broke into the top 10 list of the leading wicket-takers in Tests after scalping his 438th victim in the series against Sri Lanka. It was a sweet moment for the Aussie, who picked his first wicket in international cricket against the same opposition at the same venue in 2011 at Galle.

Lyon had a dream start to his career as he got rid of Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara on his first delivery in international cricket. Former teammate and Aussie batter Mike Hussey recalled the offie’s first game and stated that he looked nervous before bowling the first ball.

“As he’s about to bowl his first ball, I sort of got a real hit of nerves just hoping he’d get off to an okay start and land his first one because I could tell he was really nervous. He’s a nervous sort of guy,” Australian great and Lyon’s teammate Mike Hussey remembers in an interview with foxsports.com.au

Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s batting antics during the fourth Test match against Australia in 2020/21 could have played a big role in Cricket Australia (CA) bagging a media rights deal with Disney Star worth AUD360 million.

To note, the left-handed batter played an excellent innings of an unbeaten 89 runs as the visitors managed to beat Australia at their fortress Gabba by three wickets and also completed a famous Test series victory on Australian soil. As per a report published in The Sydney Morning Herald, the innings could have played a vital role in CA signing a major deal with Disney Star.

CA’s agreement with Disney Star is larger than the fee Nine was paying: Reports

The report said that “Pant’s phenomenal innings to deliver India the Gabba Test and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January 2021 remained fresh in plenty of executive memories”. The report also stated that the current CA agreement with Disney Star is “larger than the fee Nine was paying, as recently as a decade ago, for all cricket in Australia — AUD275 million between 2006 and 2013″.

With Star confirming its deal with CA, it will now become the official broadcaster of Australia’s international matches apart from having the official broadcasting rights for Men’s Big Bash League (BBL) and Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). To note, Star recently also purchased the TV broadcast rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) after paying a huge amount of INR 23,575 crore for the 2023-27 cycle.

“We are delighted to announce this new association with Disney Star from season 2023-24 onwards,” the Chief Executive Officer of the CA, Nick Hockley, was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.“Disney Star is synonymous with the game in India and we look forward to working with them to showcase the outstanding cricket played in Australia every summer.”

“The magnitude of this association is testament to the enduring rivalry and respect that exists between Australian and Indian teams, the excitement and popularity of WBBL and BBL, and the high regard of Australian cricket in India and global markets more broadly,” he added.

Australia has been dominating the ongoing tri-series with back-to-back victories against the hosts, Ireland. The Southern Stars are leading the charts and are unbeaten in the tournament so far, with two wins from three games. Their campaign opener against Pakistan was washed out within just eight overs of the game, but Australian bowlers had managed to reduce Pakistan to 56/6 in eight overs.

They are clearly the favourites in the upcoming game, which will also be their last. The reigning World Champions will look to sign off on a high note by bagging a win. Pakistan, on the other hand, has won just one game, against Ireland, and has two more fixtures in the series- one against each team. Both teams will be benefitted from the contest as they gear up for an even bigger global tournament- The Commonwealth Games 2022.

Match Details:

Venue: Bready Cricket Ground, Magheramason

Date and Time: July 23, 2022, 8:30 PM IST

Live Streaming: FanCode App

PAK W vs AUS W Pitch Report

The pitch at the Bready Cricket Ground will provide equal assistance to the batters and the bowlers. It will be a high-scoring game as Australia have managed to post big total at this venue. Their previous game against Ireland saw them putting up a whopping 182 runs, and a similar batting display would be seen.

Probable Playing XI for AUS W vs PAK W

Australia:

Alyssa Healy (w), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath, Rachael Haynes, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

Pakistan:

Bismah Maroof (c), Muneeba Ali (w), Iram Javed, Ayesha Naseem, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Kainat Imtiaz, Fatima Sana, Tuba Hassan, Diana Baig, Anam Amin

PAK W vs AUS W, 5th T20I Probable Top Performers

Probable best batter of the match

Meg Lanning:

The Australia skipper has been at her best, like usual, in this series so far. She is currently the top scorer of the series with 113 runs from just two innings. Australia won’t be losing the top-order batters easily, but if they do, Lanning would be there for the rescue.

Probable best bowler of the match

Alana King:

Alana King has emerged as one of the finest spinners in the team currently. With eight wickets from three matches and the best bowling figures of 3/8 in the series, Alana King has unlocked multiple achievements. She has been a regular in the team ever since her debut, and will continue to be at her best.

Today’s Match Prediction: Australia team to win the match

Also Check: Dream11 Team Prediction for Pakistan Women vs Australia Women

Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.

Five months after parting ways with Pip Edwards, former Australian captain Michael Clarke is rumoured to be involved with Jade Yarbrough, Jasmine Stefanovic’s younger sister. The two are reported to have met through mutual acquaintances Karl Stefanovic, and her business partner Danielle Robertson’s husband, Travy Bacon.

Clarke is a former Australian player and a World Cup-winning captain as he led the Men in Yellow to a victory in the 2015 ODI World Cup. The rumoured couple was spotted earlier this week at Rose Bay’s Sonoma Bakery. Yarbrough turned 30 last year and is the owner of the prosperous interiors business Merci Maison.

As per a report by The Daily Telegraph, Clarke is very fond of Yarbrough and is currently travelling to Europe for a vacation. According to reports, Clarke and PE Nation designer Edwards parted ways mutually at the end of 2021.

“The decision was mutual. They’re two best friends who decided to part ways as a couple earlier this month but continue their friendship,” a close source in the know of the developments had told the media at the time. After the cricketer’s divorce from Kyly Clarke, Edwards and Clarke started dating.

Clarke, a batter of exceptional talent, came into his own during Australia’s heyday. He also guided the team back to the top spot in the Test rankings. At his best, Clarke was regarded as the best Test batter in the world, a testament to his talent and his perseverance in battling a severe back condition that grew worse as his career progressed. While the team did not always function smoothly under Clarke’s leadership, he was at the helm for an Ashes rout in 2013–14 and a World Cup victory in 2015.

An intelligent and combative captain Clarke had succeeded Ricky Ponting in 2011. After an unsuccessful Ashes quest in England in 2015, he announced his retirement, but he could still be proud of a distinguished career.

Match Preview:

Pakistan Women (PK-W) will be facing Australia Women (AU-W) in the 5th match of the Ireland Women’s T20I Tri-Series at Bready Cricket Club in Bready on Saturday. Pakistan Women won their last match against Ireland Women by 13 runs on the D/L method. They scored 92 runs in a 14-over match while batting the first 29-run knock from opening batter Muneeba Ali (wk). Then bowlers did a good job to defend this total as Ireland managed just 83 runs in 14 overs. Australia Women won both the fixtures against Ireland after beating them by 63 runs in the last match. Star skipper Meg Lanning and all-rounder Tahlia McGrath smashed 70-plus scores while batting first and Megan Schutt, Jess Jonassen, and Alana King took two wickets each to bowl out Irish women on just 119 runs.

Match Details:

Pakistan Women vs Australia Women, Match 5

Venue: Bready Cricket Club, Bready

Date & Time: 23rd July at 8:30 PM IST and 4:00 PM Local Time

Live Streaming: FanCode

PAK-W vs AUS-W, 5th T20I, Pitch Report:

The pitch at the Bready Cricket Club is well suited for the bowlers in T20 games. Australia Women are likely to score big if they get to bat first here on Saturday. The average first innings score here is just around 100 runs.

Injury News:

(will be added when there is an update)

Also Read: Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn to participate in Legends League Cricket 2022

PAK-W vs AUS-W, 5th T20I, Probable Playing XIs:

Pakistan Women:

Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wk), Bismah Maroof (c), Ayesha Naseem, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Tuba Hassan, Diana Baig, Anam Amin.

Australia Women:

Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath, Rachael Haynes, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown.

Top Picks for PAK-W vs AUS-W Dream11 Match:

Top Picks – Pakistan Women

Anam Amin:

The star leg-spinner is the only Pakistani bowler on ICC Bowlers’ top-ten chart and will be a key bowler for them in the upcoming match.

Nida Dar:

The in-from all-rounder scored 26 runs off just 15 balls against Ireland Women and also contributed in bowling by taking a wicket.

Top Picks – Australia women

Beth Mooney:

The second-ranked ODI batter scored 45 runs off just 33 balls in the first match against Ireland Women and will be a key batter for her side on Saturday.

Meg Lanning:

Australian skipper smashed 74 runs off just 45 balls in the last match and is now leading the most-runs chart with 113 runs in just two matches.

PAK-W vs AUS-W Must Picks Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for PAK W vs AUS W Dream11 Team for Fantasy Cricket Tips:

Muneeba Ali, Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney (c), Meg Lanning, Bismah Maroof, Alya Riaz, Nida Dar, Tahlia McGrath, Anam Amin (vc), Alana King, Darcie Brown.

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for PAK W vs AUS W Dream11 Team for Fantasy Cricket Tips:

Alyssa Healy (c), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (vc), Bismah Maroof, Iram Javed, Nida Dar, Tahlia McGrath, Anam Amin, Fatima Sana, Alana King, Megan Schutt.

PAK W vs AUS W Risky Captaincy Choices:

Aliya Riaz:

The 29-year-old all-rounder is struggling for form and has scored only one fifty in her last five overall matches.

Rachael Haynes:

The middle-order batter is likely to get more than 20 balls to play considering the recent form of top-order batters.

Players you should avoid:

Diana Baig:

The 26-year-old pacer conceded 10 runs in her only over bowled against Ireland in the last match.

Also Check: Who will win today’s match between Pakistan Women and Australia Women?

Note: Updated Fantasy teams and Playing XIs of every match will be provided in our Telegram channel if the information is available.

Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.