After colleague Aaron Finch announced that he was hanging up his boots from the BBL, he announced his own retirement.

“I have loved playing for the Renegades, I’ve met some great people over the last five years and the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime. This playing group is special. They’ve been amazing to me, amazing team-mates and even better friends,” said Marsh.

“To the Renegades’ coaches and staff and everyone behind the scenes – thank you for backing me in from the start and over my final years. It’s made my job a little easier out in the middle,” he added.

Marsh scored the most runs in the first season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the same year, he played his first One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) matches during the West Indies tour.

Marsh scored a total of 2265 runs in 38 Tests, 2773 runs in 73 ODIs, and 255 runs in 15 T20Is for Australia. He notched up 13 centuries and 25 half-centuries in these formats.

The 34-year-old veteran, chosen unexpectedly over Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris, and Matt Renshaw, will be opening for Australia in the upcoming Test series against the West Indies in Adelaide. This marks his debut in the new role, starting Wednesday.

“They (selectors) were obviously very keen to get Cameron (Green) in the side as well and play our best six batters, and for me it didn’t sit right to have him come in and bat up top,” he told reporters.

“I’ve played for a long time and I’m an experienced player, and I think it’s something I should have done.”

Mitchell Marsh’s resurgence in the all-rounder role has led to the sidelining of the highly rated Green. In a strategic move, Smith has been shifted up the order instead of selecting a specialist opener, allowing Green to return primarily as a batsman. Smith had been considering this idea since the Ashes in England last year, and it finally materialized during the third Test against Pakistan in Sydney this month.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity of getting in and facing the new ball,” he said.

“It’s something that isn’t really foreign to me. I’ve batted on numerous occasions where I’ve come in early doors and I batted at number three for quite a while.”

Ex-captain Smith, with 105 Tests and 9,514 runs under his belt, prefers batting early because “I don’t like waiting to bat.

“I actually don’t like watching cricket that much, believe it or not,” he said.

“I’d prefer to be out there batting. It gets a bit boring sitting there (with the pads on) but I don’t have to do that any more.”

Yuvraj Singh, the former Indian cricketer and World Cup hero, praised Rinku Singh for his outstanding performances in T20 cricket. Yuvraj considers Rinku Singh as the top left-handed batter in India right now, comparing his playing style to his own. In the recent T20Is, India has experimented with various left-handed batsmen, including Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, and Shivam Dube. In the first T20I against Afghanistan on January 11 in Mohali, these players featured in India’s top six, contributing to a six-wicket victory.

Rinku Singh has continued his excellent form from the IPL 2023 season to international cricket. With a stunning strike rate of 180.52 and an outstanding average of 69.50, he has scored 278 runs in nine innings.

Yuvraj Singh Commends Rinku Singh’s Excellent Performances

Yuvraj Singh emphasized Rinku Singh’s capacity for critical decision-making under duress in a recent interview. Yuvraj is confident in Rinku’s potential as a match-winner and reliable finisher, especially at the No. 5 or 6 positions.

“He’s probably the best left-hander in the Indian squad right now. He reminds me of myself – he knows when to attack when to rotate strike, and he’s incredibly smart under pressure,”

He added: “He can win us matches. I don’t want to put pressure on him, but I truly believe he has the skill to do what I used to – to be the finisher who delivers at No.5 or 6,”

Yuvraj Singh, with almost 12,000 international runs and 17 centuries in his impressive career, played a key role in India’s successful 2011 ODI World Cup campaign, earning him the Player of the Tournament award.He also played a significant role in India’s 2007 T20 World Cup triumph.

Now, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket team is aiming for a series victory as they take on Afghanistan in the second T20I match at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday, January 14.

South Africa is set to host the 2024 U-19 World Cup, but David Teeger, the Proteas captain, has stepped down from his role. He stepped down as captain because people were worried about possible protests due to his supportive comments about the Israel Army. Cricket South Africa (CSA) released a statement, stating that Teeger’s presence as captain could lead to unrest among supporters.

Teeger had expressed his support for the Israel Army in late 2023, two weeks after Hamas’ attack on the country during the conflict in Gaza. Despite an investigation into his comments, CSA initially cleared him to play and appointed him captain. However, ahead of the U-19 World Cup, they decided to relieve him of his captaincy due to concerns about potential disruptions.

The tournament was supposed to be in Sri Lanka, but it had to change to South Africa because the ICC suspended the Sri Lanka Cricket Board. The U-19 World Cup will now take place in smaller grounds like Benoni, Potchefstroom, Kimberley, and East London, as South Africa is also currently hosting SA20.

Adam Gilchrist has clarified that a quote attributed to him online about Pakistan’s performance in Australia is completely false.
In a tweet, he said, “I never said that.” Absolutely fake, it is a made-up quote.” Gilchrist praised Pakistan’s performance, noting that they were excellent at times during the summer against a world champion Australian team.
He stressed that the quote doesn’t represent his thoughts and praised Pakistan’s performance in the Test series. Gilchrist, recognized as one of the best wicket-keeper batters globally, played 96 Tests and 287 ODIs for Australia in his 13-year international career.

Hetmyer has been excluded from both the ODI and T20I squads for the West Indies’ upcoming series against Australia. This decision follows his omission from the team against England late last year. Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers are included in the T20I squad after opting out of the Test tour for T20 franchise contracts.

Notably absent from the ODI squad are Holder and Mayers, with batters Brandon King and Sherfane Rutherford allowed to participate in franchise cricket before rejoining for the T20Is. The ODI team, led by Shai Hope, features potential debutants Teddy Bishop and Tevin Imlach. Allrounders Justin Greaves and Kavem Hodge make a return, along with legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr.

Hetmyer, who struggled against England, averaging 32.23 in ODIs, has been left out. The ODI series, scheduled for February 2, 4, and 6, will be followed by the T20Is on February 9, 11, and 13. West Indies aims to build on their recent successes and improve in preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup, where they are the hosts. Australia’s ODI squad will be captained by Steven Smith, while the T20I squad is yet to be announced but is expected to include David Warner.

David Warner is making a dramatic entry into the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) for Sydney Thunder. He plans to play in the last three league stage matches before heading to the UAE to captain Dubai Capitals in the International League T20. Despite his recent retirement from Test cricket, he’s in a race against time to reach the venue for a crucial match against Sydney Sixers on January 12. Interestingly, Warner, who retired at the SCG last week, will land his helicopter on the same outfield where the ‘Thanks Davey’ message was painted during the Australia-Pakistan Test match. Initially considering Allianz Stadium, the plan changed, and weather permitting, Warner will touch down at the SCG outfield at 5 PM local time after attending his brother’s wedding in the Hunter Valley.

“He’s going to take a lot of effort to come and play for us. We love having him here. Last year he was awesome for us, maybe didn’t score as many runs as he would have liked but around the group and passing on knowledge was awesome to have him around. He’s one of the better team men. All the fans get to enjoy him playing cricket,” Sydney Thunder pacer Gurinder Sandhu said.

In the upcoming match, Sydney Sixers will feature Steve Smith, adding to the excitement of the game. The fixture is anticipated to be a blockbuster, and a full house is expected at the SCG. Commenting on David Warner’s entrance, someone remarked, “He’s a bit Hollywood, isn’t he? That’s very Davey.” Another person mentioned getting a Lime bike and planning to replicate the same and ride out as Warner lands tomorrow night.

“I’m glad they are making it happen because think everyone in the country who is a fan of cricket wants to see David Warner in the BBL and I’m really looking forward to coming up against him. One of the best players in the world and has been for a long time,” Sixers pacer Sean Abbott added.

Warner retired from Test cricket after the last match against Pakistan in Sydney, ending his 12-year stint as a top-order batsman. Initially, Bancroft, Harris, and Renshaw were considered for the opening role, but Smith expressed his interest last week.

Chief selector George Bailey announced, “Steve Smith will open, and Cameron Green will bat at number four. Steve is motivated and eager for the challenge. It’s something he believes he can do, and it fits our team.”

Green, who was temporarily sidelined by Mitchell Marsh’s excellent performance as an all-rounder, will return primarily as a batsman. Shifting Smith up the order allows selectors to utilize Green’s batting skills.

Renshaw, the only change in the 13-man squad for the upcoming two-Test series, got a Test lifeline. Bancroft and Harris were left out, a setback for Bancroft, the leading run-scorer in Sheffield Shield over the last two seasons.

The pace trio of Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc, who played all three Tests against Pakistan, might face workload management challenges. If needed, Boland will step in.

The ODI squad for the West Indies series sees Cummins rested, and Smith taking over as captain. Marsh, Starc, and Hazlewood will also sit out the ODIs.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (capt),  Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja,  Nathan Lyon,Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Matt Renshaw, Josh Hazlewood, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc,Scott Boland,.

Australia ODI squad: Steve Smith (capt), Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Adam Zampa,Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Travis Head, Matt Short.

Sri Lanka faced a challenging task of chasing 209 runs to win. The left-arm seamer, Richard Ngarava, created difficulties for the batsmen with his extra bounce, taking the first four Sri Lankan wickets. He ended up taking five wickets for 32 runs, making it his best performance in his career. Despite the early struggles, Sri Lanka managed to recover, thanks to a 56-run partnership for the seventh wicket between Maheesh Theekshana and Liyanage. However, Liyanage fell short of his century by five runs while attempting to clear mid-off. Ngarava’s impressive bowling performance helped Sri Lanka gain some breathing room, and Liyanage’s inclusion in the team for this series was based on his excellent form in domestic cricket.

His 95 came off 127 deliveries with six fours and two sixes. “I wanted get to the hundred but was disappointed,” he said.

When Liyanage got out, Sri Lanka needed 37 runs with two wickets left. Jeffrey Vandersay (19) and Dushmantha Chameera (18) successfully chased the target, adding an unbroken 39 runs for the ninth wicket. Rain caused a delay of more than an hour during the Sri Lankan innings, but the game continued without reducing the overs. Spin bowler Sikandar Raza supported Ngarava, taking two wickets for 32 runs in his 10 overs, but the other bowlers didn’t provide enough support. Zimbabwe chose to bat first, and captain Craig Ervine scored the highest with 82 runs. Sadeera Samarawickrama’s one-handed diving catch at extra cover dismissed Ervine, leading to Zimbabwe’s struggle. From 182 for four, Zimbabwe collapsed, losing the last six wickets for 26 runs, and ended up with a total of 209 all out. Theekshana took four wickets, while Chameera and Vandersay claimed two wickets each.

Ervine called it a “well fought game” and was “proud” of his bowlers. “We have one more game and we need to look at squaring the series,” he said.

Sri Lanka is ahead in the three-match series with a 1-0 lead. The first game on Saturday was canceled due to rain, and there’s a chance of bad weather affecting the upcoming match on Thursday at the same venue.

The team will be in Colombo for the ODI series, playing all matches at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. After that, they’ll head to Dambulla for the T20Is. Following this, the Blue Tigers will move to the UAE, hosting Ireland from February 28 to March 18. During this period, they will play a Test match and three white-ball format matches. The Test match will take place at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, while the white-ball series will be held in Sharjah. The ODIs are scheduled for March 7, 9, and 12, and the T20Is will begin on March 15. Naseeb Khan, CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, believes that these series, along with the upcoming trip to India, will strengthen the team for future challenges, including the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA in June.

“The year 2024 is a very busy and full of high-voltage competitions for the Afghanistan national team”, Naseeb began.

“The upcoming tours of India, Sri Lanka, and then the home series against Ireland will help us to prepare the team for the much-important T20 World Cup. (We’re) eagerly looking forward to the multiple series.”

Afghanistan’s T20I tour of India starts on January 11 in Mohali.