INJURED STARC SET TO MISS INDIA ODI, T20 SERIES
NEW DELHI: Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Starc, who struggled for form in the Test series against India and was rested for the ODIS, is set to miss the limited-overs series in India due to injury, cricket.com.au said quoting the Australian media. Selectors will name the squads for the two T20s and five ODIS on Thursday. Starc was Man-of-thematch after taking 10 wickets in the second Test win over Sri Lanka but is suffering from a soft tissue injury in his upper body, it quoted News Corp as saying. Josh Hazlewood is recovering from a back injury. The India tour runs from Feb 24 to Mar 13.
‘Crazy not to include Smith, Warner for World Cup’
SYDNEY: Steve Smith and David Warner will not be rushed back into the Australia side as soon as their bans expire next month but coach Justin Langer thinks it would be “crazy” not to include them in the World Cup squad. The former Test captain and vice-captain, Australia’s best two batsmen, will become eligible for state and international cricket on March 29 after serving one-year bans for their part in the Newlands ball-tampering scandal. The prospective return of both has been complicated by elbow injuries with Smith’s more serious problem requiring major surgery and likely to sideline him right up to the expiration of his ban.
Extras top score as Aussie side all out for 10
SYDNEY: It’s not a good look when the extras are the top score, but that’s what happened to an Australian women’s side who were all out for 10 on Wednesday. It took six extras for South Australia to reach double figures at the National Indigenous Cricket Championship in Alice Springs. Roxsanne Van-veen returned the unbelievable figures of five wickets for one run off two overs. Naomi Woods took two wickets with the only two balls she bowled. The innings was over in just 62 deliveries and NSW only needed 15 balls to knock off their target in the T20 match.
SA women defeat Lanka, wrap up series 3-0
CENTURION: South Africa women’s team defeated Sri Lanka by 39 runs in the third T20I in Centurion to wrap up the threematch series 3-0. Put into bat, South Africa scored 163/5, thanks to handsome contributions from captain Dane van Niekerk (38), Tazmin Brits (36), Lara Goodall (35) and Sune Luus (26). Sri Lanka opener Chamari Atapattu scored a 36-ball 43 but the visitors lost their way in the chase, finishing at 124/8 in 20 overs.