England to play 3 games ahead of first Ashes Test

Bracewell blames pet for drink-driving

MELBOURNE, Australia, May 25, (Agencies): England will play tour games in Perth, Adelaide and Townsville before facing Australia in the first Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Nov 23.

Cricket Australia said Thursday that England and its captain Joe Root will start its schedule against a Western Australia XI in a two-day match at the WACA on Nov 4-5. Earlier this month, the venue for the third Test was moved to the WACA when it was determined a new stadium in Perth would not be finished in time.

Following the two-day match in Perth, England will travel to the Adelaide Oval for a four-day, daynight tour match against a Cricket Australia XI from Nov 8-11. That will give them a chance to get accustomed to the pink ball which will be in use for the first day-night Ashes Test at the same venue beginning Dec 2.

England will then have a chance to acclimatize to the Queensland heat with a final four-day tour game, again

His lawyer told the Hastings District Court that Bracewell had been drinking at a function when his girlfriend called him in distress after their cockatoo was killed by dogs they were minding for a friend, the local newspaper Hawke’s Bay Today reported on Thursday.

Judge Bridge Mackintosh also disqualified him from driving for a year and said the 27-Test cricketer had let himself, his family and New Zealand Cricket down.

“This offending in my submissions should be seen as an unfortunate hiccup and something that doesn’t reflect the man he has become or the sportsman,” the newspaper quoted Mackintosh as saying.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said it would not impose any additional penalty.

“NZC notes Mr Bracewell suffered a serious leg injury in February and is unlikely to resume his competitive cricket career until next summer,” local media quoted the organisation as saying in a statement.

“Under these circumstances, and considering the penalty imposed in the Hastings District Court today, NZC will be taking no further punitive action.”

Bracewell, who has also played 14 one-day internationals and 14 Twenty20 internationals, was previously caught drink driving in 2008 and 2010 and has been involved in a string of alcohol-fuelled incidents.

In this photograph taken on March 24, India’s cricket coach Anil Kumble (right), talks with captain Virat Kohli during a training session on the eve of the fourth and last cricket Test match between India and Australia at The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in

Dharamsala. (AFP)

But Latham refused to admit that Bangladesh have the upper hand when the teams meet again in Cardiff on June 9.

“Credit to Bangladesh today, they batted very well and paced their innings perfectly,” he said.

“We couldn’t get over the line but we beat them last week and when we play again in the last group game in the Champions Trophy we have to start again and so do they.”

Meanwhile, India’s cricket board Thursday invited applications for a new head coach, as Anil Kumble’s contract draws rapidly to a close.

The former Test captain was appointed coach in June 2016 for a year but will automatically be considered for a renewed term. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given other interested parties until May 31 to put in their resumes.

All applicants will be interviewed by a cricket advisory committee comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.

The advertised opening comes as India prepares to defend their Champions Trophy title in England. India will kick off their campaign in the eight-team event next week with an opening round match against Pakistan. The BCCI had always stated Kumble’s performance would be reviewed after his one-year term, but the timing on the eve of a major event has raised eyebrows.

Local media has reported that Kumble displeased some within the world’s most powerful cricket board when he demanded pay hikes for himself and skipper Virat Kohli, and extra retainer fees for Grade A players. The gutsy cricketer, who captained the Test side for just over a year after replacing Rahul Dravid in 2007, has had a largely successful run on the international coaching circuit.