Australia's Usman Khawaja comes out batting for David Warner saying he's 'paid his dues'
Usman Khawaja has leapt to the defence of fellow Australian batsman David Warner, saying he has “paid his dues” over the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
David Warner Sport News
'Paid his dues': Australia's Khawaja goes in to bat for embattled Warner
MELBOURNE: Australia batsman Usman Khawaja has mounted a spirited defence of David Warner after former team mate Mitchell Johnson questioned his place in the test squad and said he had not taken full responsibility for the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
Mitchell Johnson Slams David Warner's "Hero's Sendoff", Australia Chief Selector Responds
Australia's squad selection for the Test series against Pakistan hasn't been without controversy. David Warner's inclusion in the series hasn't gone down well with former Australia star Mitchell Johnson who lashed out at the Aussie opener, while also reigniting the ball-tampering controversy. Johnson, in his criticism for Warner, said that the southpaw doesn't deserve a "hero's sendoff" referring to the Pakistan series being his last.
India vs Australia: Five Players Who Boosted Their T20 World Cup 2024 Prospects
Though the recently-concluded T20I series between India and Australia lacked star power, with several seniors like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Steve Smith giving it a miss, the bilateral series proved to be of great value for several fringe players, serving as an audition for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 to be held in West Indies and USA next year.
On Viral Video Of Pak Players Loading Luggage In Truck, Shaheen Afridi's "Save Time" Clarification
A video of Pakistan players loading their luggage in a truck, following their arrival in Australia, had gone viral on social media earlier this week. In the video, Pakistan players were seen helping the luggage crew to load their kit bags and bags. While the video had garnered a lot of criticism, with fans blaming the officials for mismanagement of the situation, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi has revealed the reason behind the same. He said that with the team scheduled to catch their next flight in about 30 minutes, the Pakistan players were only helping each other out to save time.
Medjedovic upsets Fils to win 5-set Next Gen Finals championship match
RIYADH: Hamad Medjedovic squandered two match points before he finally upset the top-seeded Arthur Fils and won the Next Gen Finals championship match on Saturday. It was the first five-set final in six editions of the tournament. Medjedovic missed the chance to seal it in four but converted his third match point in the fifth to beat Fils 3-4 (6), 4-1, 4-2, 3-4 (9), 4-1 after two hours, 11 minutes. The 20-year-old Medjedovic did not lose a match on his way to becoming the first Serbian to win the tournament for the top eight players aged 21 or under. The tournament was held in Saudi Arabia for the first time after it was played in Milan ever since the inaugural edition in 2017. Besides shorter sets, other changes to the usual tennis rules included shorter changeovers and less time on the shot clock for some points. “I can’t believe I have won this title, but it’s going to give me a lot of confidence for 2024,” said Medjedovic, the lowest-ranked champion yet at No. 110. The 36th-ranked Fils became the youngest Frenchman in nearly two decades to win an ATP title when he triumphed at Lyon this year. Medjedovic, who is coached by Serbia Davis Cup captain Viktor Troicki, reached tour-level semifinals in Gstaad and Astana and won three lower-level Challengers this year.
Al-Ahli, Al-Shabab to the fore at Saudi Games
RIYADH: Al-Ahli and Al-Shabab dominated the medals at the Saudi Games’ athletics events on Saturday.
Shaheen Afridi Keen To Spoil David Warner's Farewell Test Series
Pakistan's star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is looking to spoil Australia batter David Warner's farewell series from Test format. The highly anticipated three-match Test series will kick off on December 14 at Optus Stadium in Perth. Warner has amassed 8487 runs with a batting average of 44.4 in 109 Test appearances and has scored 25 tons and 36 half-centuries. The left-handed batter will have his last dance in the red-ball cricket and will be hoping to end it on a high note. Ahead of the series, Afridi stated that the team is looking to spoil Warner's farewell series and said as quoted from Geo News, "We would wish him good luck but we are not hoping for a good end for David Warner in his last Test series against us."