London: Australia's chairman of selectors has told England now is not the time to dismiss his side's chances of regaining the Ashes, despite the controversy currently engulfing the tourists. Title-holders Australia's early exit from the Champions Trophy tournament in the UK, which included a defeat by arch-rivals England, was compounded when David Warner was suspended until next month' first Test for a bar-room attack on home batsman Joe Root and fined Aus$11,500 (7,000, $11,000).
Warner's conduct was labelled "despicable" by Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland, yet the opening batsman was allowed to remain on tour rather than be sent home. It all raised fresh questions about the squad's discipline, particularly in the light of the 'homework' incident in India earlier this year when four Australia players were made to miss a Test for failing to provide feedback requested by team management during the course of a 4-0 series loss.
Meanwhile captain Michael Clarke, now Australia's best batsman, hasn't played a competitive match since March due to a recurrence of a back injury he suffered in India and was absent again as the team's Champions Trophy exit was confirmed by Monday's 20-run loss to Sri Lanka at The Oval. Australia's 16-man Ashes squad lacks the stellar names of recent times, with Ricky Ponting, now playing for English county Surrey, among the absentees.
But John Inverarity, Australia's chairman of selectors, insisted the Ashes squad contained the "best players available" and that history showed Australia teams written off before
11:17 PM, Jun 18, 2013
New Delhi: Intelligence Bureau Special Director Rajinder Kumar, who was interrogated in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, on Tuesday told the CBI that the inputs generated by the intelligence agency were genuine and based on intercepts of terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba. The interrogation details accessed by CNN-IBN reveal that Rajinder Kumar has denied any involvement in the alleged fake encounter and said that he didn't advice the Gujarat Police to...
07:04 PM, Jun 18, 2013
Rosmalen: French Open finalist David Ferrer lost his first-round match Tuesday at the Topshelf Open, a grass-court tournament held the week before Wimbledon. A single service break in the second set was enough for Xavier Malisse of Belgium to beat defending champion and top-seeded Ferrer in straight sets, 7-6 (3), 6-3. The 2011 champion Roberta Vinci had no such problems, brushing aside Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 6-3 in the first match...
06:35 PM, Jun 18, 2013
Enniskillen (Northern Ireland): Russian President Vladimir Putin faced further isolation on the second day of a G8 summit on Tuesday as world leaders lined up to pressure him into toning down his support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Following an icy encounter between the Kremlin chief and US President Barack Obama late on Monday, the G8 leaders will seek to find resolution to a war that has prompted powers across...
07:34 AM, Jun 18, 2013
IBNLive Sports gives you Monday's round-up of all the latest transfer news and gossip from the leading clubs and top players around the world. Agent convinced Cavani will choose Real Madrid Italian agent Donati Di Campli expects Napoli striker Edinson Cavani to choose Spanish giants Real Madrid ahead of Chelsea and Manchester City. Read more Chelsea's David Luiz interested in PSG Chelsea defender David Luiz has revealed that he has...
06:37 PM, Jun 17, 2013
IBNLive Sports gives you Sunday's round-up of all the latest transfer news and gossip from the leading clubs and top players around the world. Man Utd want Fergie to persuade Ronaldo to leave Real Madrid English champions Manchester United will use the influence of their former boss Alex Ferguson to lure Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford this summer, according to reports in the English media. Read more......
05:07 PM, Jun 16, 2013
Mumbai: He sailed into Bollywood riding on the hit movie 'Student Of The Year' (SOTY), but the success of his first film has not influenced Varun Dhawan. "I think it is too early for all that (stardom). I just feel like an actor now and whose performance people really liked, hence they want to support and love (me). I feel it is important for me to support things, which I...
05:06 PM, Jun 16, 2013
London: Under-pressure Australia coach Mickey Arthur tried to focus on cricket and the threat posed by Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga as the fall-out from the David Warner affair continued on Saturday. Title-holders Australia must beat Sri Lanka at The Oval on Monday to have any chance of qualifying for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. But they go into the key fixture still facing questions about their team culture after...
09:00 AM, Jun 16, 2013
London: Stand-in captain George Bailey insists leading Australia during the Champions Trophy tournament in Britain has been a "dream come true" despite the distractions of the David Warner affair. The 30-year-old Tasmanian, already Australia's Twenty20 skipper, has found himself in charge of the one-day side while regular captain Michael Clarke has been sidelined with a recurrence of his longstanding back problem. Bailey responded by top-scoring for defending champions Australia with...
08:38 AM, Jun 16, 2013
IBNLive Sports gives you Saturday's round-up of all the latest transfer news and gossip from the leading clubs and top players around the world. Juan Mata rubbishes reports of Chelsea exit Chelsea's player of the year Juan Mata has brushed aside reports that the new Blues' boss Jose Mourinho has put him up for sale. Read more... Claudio Marchisio responds to Manchester United links Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has been...
05:26 PM, Jun 15, 2013
Although Cesc Fabregas has dismissed rumors of him moving out of Barcelona, newly appointed Manchester United manager David Moyes continues to remains upbeat about his chances of signing the Spaniard to his club. According to a report in Daily Star, Moyes is basically targeting three individuals in order to strengthen United's central mid-field and Fabregas tops his list. It makes sense considering Moyes is stepping into Sir Alex Ferguson's shoes...
11:19 AM, Jun 15, 2013
Sydney: Cricket Australia is seeking professional advice on what the organisation believes is troubled batsman David Warner's drinking problem, a report said. The controversial opener was fined Aus$11,500 ($11,000) and suspended until the start of the Ashes by CA on Thursday for an incident in which he punched England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar during the ongoing Champions Trophy. He will miss the rest of title-holders Australia's involvement...
08:46 AM, Jun 15, 2013
London: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said on Friday that Britain had prevented NSA leaker Edward Snowden from flying to London out of loyalty to its ally, the United States. In an interview given to Reuters and others ahead of the first anniversary of his seeking refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, Assange said he was concerned by reports that Britain had told airlines to stop Snowden from flying to...
06:53 AM, Jun 15, 2013
Sydney: Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland on Friday slammed the role of the Australian team in the damaging David Warner punch-up incident in England and demanded they crack down on bad behaviour. Warner was on Thursday fined Aus$11,500 ($11,000) and suspended until the start of the Ashes series next month for punching England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar during the ongoing Champions Trophy. The 26-year-old told a London...
10:04 AM, Jun 14, 2013
London: Australia captain Michael Clarke has insisted the side will put their off-field troubles behind them and be "100 per cent ready for the Ashes" come next month's first Test against England. The latest in a recent line of high-profile disciplinary problems saw opener David Warner suspended Thursday by Cricket Australia until the start of the first Test in Nottingham on July 10 after punching England batsman Joe Root in...
09:16 AM, Jun 14, 2013
London: Australia batsman David Warner on Thursday apologised to Joe Root after punching the England batsman in a Birmingham bar during the ongoing Champions Trophy. "I am here today to put my hand up and apologise to Joe. I've let my team-mates, family and everyone down," the 26-year-old told a news conference. Warner said he had exchanged text messages with Root and that his apology had been accepted. Earlier Thursday,...
11:28 PM, Jun 13, 2013
London: Shane Warne, the former Australia legspinner, has termed David Warner's bar-room bust-up and subsequent suspension as an unfortunate indecent for touring Australian cricket team while criticising the batsman for his lack of sense and responsibility. According to Warne, however, suspending the player was unhelpful and that it was the duty of senior players and management to guide younger players, especially in times of difficulty. Cricket Australia on Thursday suspended...
10:25 PM, Jun 13, 2013
Birmingham: Australia suspended David Warner up until the first Ashes Test and fined him 11,500 Australian dollars on Thursday for attacking England player Joe Root in a late-night incident at a bar. The opening batsman will miss Australia's final Champions Trophy group match, against Sri Lanka on Monday, as well as the team's tour games against Somerset and Worcestershire in the lead-up to the first Test at Trent Bridge in...
04:15 PM, Jun 13, 2013
Birmingham: Describing David Warner as "generous and giving", Australia's stand-in cricket captain George Bailey downplayed the opener's bar-room brawl with England batsman Joe Root, calling it a "minor" incident but "disappointing" nonetheless. After the ICC Champions Trophy Australia versus New Zealand group A match here was abandoned due to rain, the post-match media conference of Bailey centred around Warner. "It's been dealt with from my point of view. It's disappointing,...
09:57 AM, Jun 13, 2013
Former England players have lambasted Australian opener David Warner on Twitter after he was indulged in an ugly bar hassle with English cricketer Joe Root. Former England allrounder Andrew Flintoff's Twitter Handle "@flintoff11" read "With the bat @davidwarner31 will try and hit anything when it comes to people he just goes for the smallest ! #weak. Warner was involved in a physical altercation with an England player, which was later...
09:57 AM, Jun 13, 2013
