tag

Matt Renshaw’s confidence is soaring amid a golden start to the Australian summer but the Queenslander is not holding his breath for an Ashes recall while Usman Khawaja remains in contention at the top of the order. Left-handed opener Renshaw made a sparkling 112 for Queensland against Victoria in a day-night Sheffield Shield match at Brisbane’s Gabba over the weekend as Test selector Tony Dodemaide looked on. With Australia to play England in the day-night second test at the Gabba next week, Renshaw’s pink ball form is timely given Khawaja’s struggles with back spasms during the Ashes opener in Perth. Renshaw has played 14 Tests for Australia and has mounted a strong case for selection with scores of 128, 29, 101 and 51 before his latest century. However, the 29-year-old was not holding much hope of facing England if Queensland teammate Khawaja proves his fitness. “He’s got an average over 40 in test cricket, he’s played 85 games, he’s one of our best batters,” Renshaw told reporters at the Australian PGA Championship pro-am in Brisbane on Wednesday. “He’s one of the best cricketers that Australia’s ever produced.” Though Australia won the Perth test by eight wickets in two days to take a 1-0 lead in the series, Khawaja’s back spasms disrupted the hosts, forcing a rejig to the batting order because he was off the field for too long for treatment during England’s innings. Marnus Labuschagne opened in his stead in the first innings while Travis Head scored a match-winning 123 in the second innings as a makeshift opener. Batting at number four, Khawaja was caught behind for two in the first innings and did not bat in the second. Khawaja, who will turn 39 next month, has had a lean run with the bat and reports he played three rounds of golf in the leadup to the Perth test were viewed dimly by pundits. Cricket Australia defended Khawaja’s golfing but former Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson was unimpressed, saying that Khawaja needed to have better preparation “at (his) age.” Khawaja mocked his critics by posting a picture of a golf course on his Instagram feed this week but he ended up pulling out of the pro-am at Royal Queensland on Wednesday, with Renshaw replacing him. If Khawaja is unfit for the second test starting on December 4, Renshaw could still miss out. Australia’s selectors may opt to retain Head as an opener with Jake Weatherald and pick another all-rounder like Beau Webster in the middle order. Australia coach Andrew McDonald said on Monday Head might be deployed again as a tactical second innings opener depending on the match situation. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said it was unlikely Khawaja would be dumped but having Head open regularly was worth considering. “(Selectors) would have to be chatting around it,” he told Australian media. “When you see what Travis did, it’s hard to argue against leaving him there.” 

Former England captain Ian Botham has raised questions about the team's lean Ashes preparations and whether the players will be ready to take on an entire nation backing Australia's bid to retain the urn.England did not have their full squad in Perth until last Sunday and will play one internal match before the series-opener starts in the Western Australian capital on November 21. All but one of Australia's Ashes squad, meanwhile, are warming up with the red ball in domestic Sheffield Shield matches around the country.A number of England's players played white-ball cricket in neighbouring New Zealand before arriving but Botham said touring teams traditionally needed time to adjust to Australian conditions. "It's not the way I would prepare," Botham told reporters in Melbourne Tuesday."I think historically you have to acclimatise when you come down here. You've got to remember there's 24mn people down here, not 11. And you have to take that on board. The ball does seems to get to you quicker (in Perth) and the light's different. You've got the 'Fremantle Doctor'; there's all kinds of things go into the melting pot."Joe Root-captained England played two internal matches against the England Lions before the last 2021/22 Ashes in Australia and lost the series 4-0. Botham expects a better outcome for Ben Stokes's team this time around, as long as they can avoid too many injuries."It's one of those big ifs," the 69-year-old said. "If England's bowlers can stay fit, which doesn't happen very often, and the captain can play a full part then I think England have a got a real chance."Botham said England could consider unleashing a four-prong pace attack against Australia, saying West Indies had done pretty well with a similar strategy in 2024 and split a two-test series 1-1 with Pat Cummins's team. "I think it's the right way. You want to be aggressive, come through and players, if they're not playing very well, don't like it in the ribs," he said. "So, yeah, it'll be interesting."Botham was speaking at a press conference looking ahead to the 150th anniversary Test between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from March 11-15, 2027. Governing body Cricket Australia is launching a ticket ballot on December 23 for the non-Ashes match, which commemorates the nations' first test in 1877 at the MCG.Australia beat England by 45 runs in the centenary match in 1977 at the stadium, with pace bowler Denis Lillee taking 11 wickets for the hosts and England number three Derek Randall named man of the match after scoring a second-innings 174.Greg Chappell, who captained Australia in the centenary Test, remembered having to "represent" England in back-yard matches against brother Ian, who played as Australia."It's hard to beat 150 years of history," Chappell said alongside Botham. "Sadly, we've been alive for half of it."