Ball-tamperers Smith and Warner can’t get back on the pitch fast enough to end their fellows’ humiliation.
If a week is a long time in sport, a year must be an age. To the Australian cricket community, January 2018 must seem to belong to a bygone era, a mythical golden age when the men in the baggy green caps ruled the roost and all was right with the world.
A year ago, Australia crushed England at the Sydney Cricket Ground to win the Ashes 4-0. The scorecard reflected the dismal one-sidedness of a much-anticipated series: after dismissing England for 346, Australia declared at 649 for 7, then bowled England out for 180 to win by an innings and 123 runs.
Fast forward a year: the Australian squad for their upcoming series against Sri Lanka is missing five of the X1 that played in Sydney. The goners are Shaun and Mitchell Marsh, who both made centuries at the SCG but have floundered at test level since, and the Three Miscreants: ex-captain Steve Smith, exvice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. Smith and Warner are still serving bans for their part in the ball-tampering scandal that detonated like a bomb under Australian cricket last March; having served his time, Bancroft has begun his comeback in Australia’s T20 competition.
Denne historien er fra January 26 - February 1, 2019-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra January 26 - February 1, 2019-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
