There has never been any doubt on Jason Roy's talent: England selector Ed Smith

Agencies
July 18, 2019

Dubai, Jul 18: After giving opening batsman Jason Roy his debut call-up to England`s Test side, national selector Ed Smith lauded the player, saying there has never been any doubt on Roy`s talent.

Roy is all set to play the one-off Test match against Ireland at Lord`s next week and the player is likely to included to be in the side`s team for the Ashes.

"I think we have all seen him grow and improve as a player in white-ball cricket. There has never been any doubt about his talent, audacity or his presence at the crease - it is fantastic," International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Smith as saying.

"He has also gained improved mastery and adaptability. I think he is a more complete player now than he ever has been. It just felt like absolutely the right time for Jason to make his Test debut," he added.

Roy amassed 443 runs from seven innings in the recently concluded ICC Men`s World Cup and he was a vital cog in England`s World Cup-winning squad. The player was also named in the team of the tournament by the apex cricketing body ICC. Smith said that it felt like the right time to get Roy included in the Test lineup.

"It is no great secret the selectors have long been admirers of Jason. The big question with Roy was when was the ideal time if he was going to make the move into Test cricket?" said Smith.

"Joe Root and I spoke at length months ago about the scenario in which Roy finished the World Cup confident, full of runs and went straight into the Ashes and that`s what we`ve done. It feels like a really good time for Jason to join the Test team as an opener. He`s in and has our full backing," he added.

England`s national selectors have been known to get players included in the Test lineup on the back of successful performances in the limited-overs format. In 2018, England included wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler in the Test team against India after his match-winning performances in the shorter format.

"Going back to that first decision last May when coming in as selector it just felt like exactly the right time for Jos to come back into the Test team. Although I wouldn`t compare them because they are very different players and different people, in the same way, it feels like the right time for Jason. He`s playing very well, growing and developing all the time and it`s an exciting prospect for us," Smith said.

England won their first World Cup as they tipped New Zealand in the finals based on boundary countback rule as the two teams could not be separated despite the 50-over match and subsequent super over.

Following the World Cup, England will next host Australia for the Ashes series, which is set to take place from August 1 to September 16. Before the Ashes, England will play against Ireland in a four-day Test at Lord`s from July 24.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Northamptonshire, Jul 31: Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez has tested positive for coronavirus, and as a result, he will miss the British Grand Prix.

The Racing Point driver was absent from the circuit on Thursday after self-isolating following what his team called an "inconclusive" test. Perez then re-tested later in the day and it returned positive.

Formula 1 is following a strict testing regime as part of the safety protocols put in place when racing resumed earlier this month, and this is the first time a driver has tested positive.

"Perez has entered self-quarantine in accordance with the instructions of the relevant public health authorities, and will continue to follow the procedure mandated by those authorities," Formula 1 and the FIA said in a statement.

"With the assistance of the local organiser of the British Grand Prix, local health authorities and the FIA COVID-19 delegate, a full track and trace initiative has been undertaken and all close contacts have been quarantined," the statement added.

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News Network
March 31,2020

New Delhi, Mar 31: Australia batsman David Warner on Tuesday decided to shave off his head to show support towards all those people who are working relentlessly on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.

After shaving off his head, Warner also challenged his Australian team-mate Steve Smith and India skipper Virat Kohli to do the same.

Warner, shared a time-lapse video on Instagram, of him shaving his head, and captioned the post as: "Been nominated to shave my head in support of those working on the frontline #Covid-19 here is a time-lapse. I think my debut was the last time I recall I've done this. Like it or not".

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Australia's death toll stands at 19, as per the Sydney Morning Herald.

As of 8 am today, 4460 people across Australia have tested positive for COVID-19.

The World Health Organisation had termed coronavirus as a 'pandemic' on March 11.

Earlier in the day, Australia Test skipper Tim Paine also confirmed that the side's tour of Bangladesh is unlikely due to the virus spread.
"You don't have to be Einstein to realise (the Bangladesh tour) is probably unlikely to go ahead, particularly in June. Whether it's cancelled or pushed back, we're not quite sure at the moment," cricket.com.au quoted Paine as saying.

Currently, Australia has 296 points in the WTC from 10 matches, while India has 360 points from nine matches.

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Agencies
August 5,2020

New Delhi, Aug 5: "Want to know what makes him tick," said Australian pacer Kane Richardson will talking about playing alongside Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.

The IPL 2020 will be played in the UAE from September 19-November 10 and the tournament will run for 53 days.

In the players' auction which was conducted in December 2019, RCB managed to bag key players like Richardson, Chris Morris, Aaron Finch, Dale Steyn, Joshua Philippe, and Isuru Udana.

In an interaction with news agency, Richardson talked about playing alongside Kohli and the learning curve which is in store for him by being in the same squad as Proteas great Dale Steyn.
"Huge. These guys (Virat, AB de Villiers) are the absolute legends of the game. Anything I can learn from them will be a bonus, that's for sure.

I am really looking forward to playing with Virat, there are few more competitive players in the world. I am really looking forward to seeing what makes him tick," Richardson said.

The 29-year-old pacer also said that he would want to learn from Steyn as to how to be consistent in all formats of the game over a long period of time.

"There are loads I can learn from Dale. He has been amongst the best at the highest level for so long. His control and ability to swing the ball without losing his pace is really impressive. 

I look forward to getting in his ear about how he performs so consistently over a long period, in all forms," said Richardson who has 39 ODI wickets to his credit.

Richardson has so far played 14 games in his IPL career so far and has picked up 18 wickets. The bowler played for Pune Warriors India in 2013, Rajasthan Royals in 2014, and RCB in 2016.

For this year's IPL, RCB has also bagged Australia's limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch, and Richardson thinks having a familiar face in the camp would help him to settle better in the franchise.

"Finchey is an awesome player and a fantastic leader. I am sure it will help to have two Aussies in the side along with Josh who is playing his first tournament after a massive summer in the BBL. We are all professionals, I'm sure it won't take long for us to gel as a side," Richardson said.

However, before the IPL starts, Australia is expected to tour England for a limited-overs series, comprising of three ODIs and as many T20Is.

The side was last seen in action in March this year as they played one ODI against New Zealand in Sydney. After the first match, the remaining two ODIs were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Talking about the series against England, Kane replied: "We will be fresh, that's one thing, while the England players have been in a bubble for some time now. As long as we get enough practice in before and possibly some centre wicket it should not be an issue."

"They are World Cup holders and the number one ranked side for a very good reason. It will be a tough series also given they will have played a fair bit of cricket together by then. We know we need to work hard on our one-day game which will be a priority over the next period," he added.

The pacer also talked about how the lockdown was like for him, and Richardson feels that everyone would come back strong as a result of this break.

"The break from playing has been refreshing, to be honest. We have come back strong and are well into pre-season training with our states. As a bowler, our loads are not at their peak but we are working towards getting ready for a tour of the UK in a few weeks," Richardson said.

The Australian quick has so far played 25 ODIs and 18 T20Is, managing to take 39 and 19 wickets respectively.

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