ICC rankings: Brook rises to second among Test batters, Starc closes in on Bumrah

December 31, 2025 4:15 PM

ICC rankings: Brook rises to second among Test batters, Starc closes in on Bumrah

England batter Harry Brook climbed to second place in the ICC Test batting rankings after his performance in the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, while Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc moved closer to the top spot among bowlers, the ICC said on Tuesday. Brook moved up three places after scoring 59 runs in a low-scoring match, overtaking Australia’s Steve Smith and Travis Head as well as New Zealand’s Kane Williamson. The 26-year-old now trails only England captain Joe ...

Mayhem in Perth as 19 wickets crash on Ashes opening day; Stokes leads England’s recovery

November 21, 2025 4:33 PM

Mayhem in Perth as 19 wickets crash on Ashes opening day; Stokes leads England’s recovery

Australia trailed England by 49 runs on 123-9 at the end of an extraordinary opening day of the Ashes series on Friday at Perth Stadium, where bowlers had very much the upper hand and a remarkable 19 wickets fell. Mitchell Starc, spearheading the home attack in the absence of the injured Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, took a career-best 7-58 as Australia dismissed the tourists for 172 before tea. The large visiting contingent in the crowd of 51,531 were soon in full voice, however, as England...

Test opener Matt Renshaw bats way into Australia’s ODI squad

October 7, 2025 9:28 AM

Test opener Matt Renshaw bats way into Australia’s ODI squad

Former test opener Matt Renshaw is in the frame for a long-awaited one-day international debut after being named in Australia’s squad for this month’s home series against India. Renshaw played the last of his 14 tests against India in New Delhi nearly three years ago but has earned a surprise place in the Mitchell Marsh-captained squad released on Tuesday after piling on the runs for Australia ‘A’ against Sri Lanka ‘A’ in July. The 29-year-old lefthander was one of four additions t...

Starc pulls out of Champions Trophy, Smith to lead Australia

February 12, 2025 9:53 AM

Starc pulls out of Champions Trophy, Smith to lead Australia

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has withdrawn from the Champions Trophy for personal reasons, leaving the squad without its three frontline quicks for the ODI tournament in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. Starc's withdrawal comes after pace stalwarts Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out due to injuries. World champions Australia will now lean on a quartet of fringe fast bowlers - Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis - in their bid for more ODI silve...