Australia ball-tampering: Matt Renshaw backs Cameron Bancroft to recover from ban

Matt Renshaw has backed Australia team-mate Cameron Bancroft to return stronger from his nine-month ban for his part in the ball-tampering scandal. Renshaw, 22, has replaced Bancroft as overseas player at Somerset after the 25-year-old was suspended. "It's a tough scenario to be in and I feel for Cameron, but I think he'll be back at some point," Renshaw said. Ashes aspirations - Middlesbrough-born Renshaw, who has played 11 Tests, is available to play for Somerset in all formats of the game until 30 June and will then return to Taunton on 19 August for the remainder of the season. He hopes he can impress during his time in county cricket as he aims to cement a place in the Australia squad, with an Ashes series in the United Kingdom on the horizon in the summer of 2019. "A lot of Australians talk about coming over here and it being a really good challenge," the left-hander said. "I'm looking forward to playing against some guys who I have been following over the last couple of years. I will embrace every opportunity I get ahead of what could be an Ashes tour next year. "It is important to try to get experience on certain grounds which play differently to others. "Getting as much experience as I can at such a young age will be really important to those aspirations of playing in the Ashes."

Overseas captains in IPL history

Australia: Outside India, IPL has had most captains from Australia (12). They have also been the most successful. In fact, other than Rohit, Dhoni and Gambhir, only Australian captains (Warne, Gilchrist, Warner) have won the IPL. Of Australians, Steven Smith has the best record as captain (win percentage 66.7 from 24 matches). Gilchrist has led in most IPL matches (74). Hopes, former Delhi Daredevils (DD) captain, is coaching them this season.

Pick Gillespie as Aussie coach: Chappell

Jason Gillespie would make a better Australian cricket coach than Justin Langer, former captain Ian Chappell says. Chappell has weighed into the debate over Darren Lehmann's successor after Cricket Australia (CA) rejected speculation ex-Test batsman Langer was set to be appointed. Western Australia and Perth Scorchers coach Langer has previously filled in for Lehmann, who quit after the ball-tampering controversy in South Africa. Langer has long been raised as a candidate alongside Sussex and Adelaide Strikers mentor Gillespie. Chappell said Gillespie's integrity as a player, along with the former Test bowler's success at the helm of Yorkshire where he won two County championships, should make him the preferred candidate. "He's got a good understanding of cricket," Chappell told Macquarie Sports Radio. "When you talked to him while he was playing he was very interested in the history of the game. "So I thought he played the game with a lot of integrity. He was obviously a very good bowler. "He's had a lot of success in that position in some different position. Yorkshire obviously, a hell of a lot of success there." Integrity could be an important criterion given Australian cricket's took a battering with the tampering scandal."I just find him a decent bloke," Chappell said of Gillespie.

Justin Langer might be favourite to become the next Test coach, but Jason Gillespie the dark horse

JUSTIN Langer will be the next coach of the Australian Test team ? at this point, that much seems a foregone conclusion. But Cricket Australia is wise to not rush anything, with an ongoing review into the breakdown of team culture which led to last month?s ball-tampering fiasco expected to shine a light on a team which is roundly viewed as the most hated in the sport. The outrage and vitriol levelled at the Australian camp ? much of it from ex-players around the globe ? in the wake of the Cape Town tampering scandal proved that this team is far from popular on the world stage. Outgoing coach Darren Lehmann, who stepped down after the fourth-Test defeat in Johannesburg as the weight of the sandpaper saga took a personal toll, took ownership of the flaws in the Australian culture which he?s been in charge of shaping since taking on the head role ahead of the 2013 Ashes. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting was prepared to sacrifice a 2006 Test in South Africa rather than put his good friend in the firing line ? with Langer, suffering from concussion and warned that he faced death if he was struck again, determined to take the field.While Gillespie was also a crucial member of those teams, he is viewed in a slightly different light ? as a thinker and potentially a less abrasive character than Langer. Gillespie, too, has enjoyed considerable success in his coaching career ? having led Yorkshire to two County championships while also guiding the Adelaide Scorchers to their maiden BBL title last summer. He has the backing of former Australian captain Ian Chappell. ?He?s got a good understanding of cricket,? Chappell told Macquarie Sports Radio. ?When you talked to him while he was playing he was very interested in the history of the game. ?So I thought he played the game with a lot of integrity. He was obviously a very good bowler.

Aussie legend rejects Langer coach call

JASON Gillespie would make a better Australian cricket coach than Justin Langer, former captain Ian Chappell says. Chappell has weighed into the debate over Darren Lehmann?s successor after Cricket Australia (CA) rejected speculation ex-Test batsman Langer was set to be appointed. Western Australia and Perth Scorchers coach Langer has previously filled in for Lehmann, who quit after the ball-tampering controversy in South Africa. Langer has long been raised as a candidate alongside Sussex and Adelaide Strikers mentor Gillespie. Chappell said Gillespie?s integrity as a player, along with the former Test bowler?s success at the helm of Yorkshire where he won two County championships, should make him the preferred candidate. ?He?s got a good understanding of cricket,? Chappell told Macquarie Sports Radio. ?When you talked to him while he was playing he was very interested in the history of the game. ?So I thought he played the game with a lot of integrity. He was obviously a very good bowler. ?He?s had a lot of success in that position in some different position. Yorkshire, obviously, a hell of a lot of success there.?

Captain Paine says Australia will ?tweak? on-field behavior

HOBART, Australia (AP) New captain Tim Paine says the Australian cricket team needs to make ?a few tweaks? to its on-field behavior to win back the support of the Australian public. Paine admitted that in recent times the team ?got carried away? in the way it conducted itself on the field and that came to a head with the ball-tampering incident in South Africa which resulted in the suspension of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. But he revealed former captain Smith had already raised the issue of the team?s behavior and set in motion a plan to improve it months before he participated in the attempted ball-tampering at Cape Town. Cricket Australia has now appointed former test opener Rick McCosker to head a panel which will review the culture of the Australian team. Paine insisted Thursday that major change isn?t needed. ?Obviously we?ve had this incident which has brought everything to a head,? Paine said. ?But during the Ashes there wasn?t a lot said about our culture. ?Looking back it?s just a few little things that we can tweak and do a little bit better as a team. If we do that I think the Australia public will jump back on board pretty quickly.? Paine said Australia would definitely tone down the verbal abuse of opponents which has been an integral part of it team conduct. ?In the last couple of years at times as a team we?ve probably been a touch too emotional and got carried away,? he said. ?There?s always a time and a place to talk to your opposition. But what?s said and how it?s said will be very different going forward.? Paine said Smith had already been determined to change the approach of the Australian team before he and Warner received 12 months bans and Bancroft a nine-month suspension. ?We had these discussions a few months ago and Steve was keen to start playing a different style,? he said. ?For me it?s about carrying that on.?

No sledging: Paine's promise to Aussies

New Test captain Tim Paine says sledging won't be a part of the Australian team under his leadership, the Tasmanian vowing to clean up the side's image and win back the public's support following the ball-tampering scandal. As players await the announcement of their new head coach following the resignation of Darren Lehmann, and the outcome of a review into the team's culture, Paine has already promised a fresh approach for their next Test campaign, against Pakistan in October. The 33-year-old revealed the Australian team had already begun some introspection about their aggressive style of play in the weeks leading up to the Cape Town Test and, now that the team's behaviour has come to a head, it's his job to lead a positive change. "No, I don't think it will, not a lot," Paine said when asked if sledging will remain a part of the Australian team's tactics. "I think there's always a time and a place to talk to your opposition, but I think what's said and how it's said will be very different going forward. "A lot of this stuff we were actually starting to speak about under Steve (Smith?s captaincy) already. A lot of the players had their head around the fact we needed to change the way we play. Some of those conversations were already being had. "I'm really looking forward to playing that role and winning back the trust and respect of our fans and the Australian public first and foremost. That's a really exciting thing for our playing group. "(Smith) is someone I'll certainly be speaking too quite closely about how we go about it and keeping him in the loop. Because we'd started to have these discussions a few months ago and Steve was keen for the team to start playing a different style. So for me it's about carrying that on." With six months until their next Test series, Paine says his players have time to get away from the team environment and think more about how they want to play the game.

David Warner filmed working on the building site of his new luxury home in Maroubra

Warner has traded the white collar of his cricket shirt for blue collar work on a building site ? his own building site, to be exact. The Aussie batsman ? who was banned from international and state cricket for a year for his part in the ball tampering scandal in South Africa ? is spending his free time helping build his house in the eastern Sydney suburb of Maroubra. Wearing a black singlet and white hard hat with the words ?Project Manager? and ?Apprentice Celebrity? written on it in black marker, Warner was filmed chipping in as construction continues on his beachside mansion. According to The Australian, Warner has built a property portfolio worth $10 million, and quotes him as saying in an interview two years ago: ?My financial adviser told me: ?If you have to work after cricket, I haven?t done my job properly.?? Warner purchased the 900sq m oceanfront property for $4 million in December 2015. In May 2016, a planning application was lodged to demolish the existing building and construct a new five-level home, which was approved in February 2017. It was thought Warner and wife Candice were going to move into this property and turn it into their family home. The project has been stuttering along and 14 months later is still a building site as development has been so slow moving.

Shane Watson smashed his 3rd IPL hundred as CSK posted 204 against RR

17.2 over for Unadkat to Watson, 1 run, hundred for Watson. Two in two days in this IPL. Gayle yesterday and Watson today. The helmet comes off and the bat is up in the air to acknowledge the applause of the traveling fans. There was also a little fist pump as soon as he placed it in the gap. He scored a hundred for Royals while playing against CSK and now he's done the vice versa - the first player to do that. Coming to the ball: Back of a length around off, Watson knocks it wide of point and reaches the milestone...

Matt Renshaw scores unbeaten century on county debut

Matt Renshaw made an unbeaten century on his Somerset debut as 18 wickets fell on a busy first day against promoted Worcestershire at Taunton. "People keep telling me that Somerset have never won the County Championship and I would love to play a part in it happening. Of course, a good summer over here would help my ambitions to play more for Australia, but I am really not thinking that far ahead at the moment. "It was really tough out there in the morning session. The ball was moving around a lot and I kept getting hit on the inner thigh. "I just tried to play as straight and as late as possible, while trying to enjoy the experience. I had heard the Taunton crowd were good and now I have experienced that myself."

Shane Watson stamping his authority against his former team

Former Australian cricketer Shane Watson has been much maligned and criticised for various reasons and after last year?s IPL, it was looking like that his career would come to an end. Watson proved his doubters wrong and scored a majestic 106 runs off 57 balls and gave CSK a terrific start. Watson after getting reprieve early in his innings played with authority and imposed his big frame on Royals? bowlers. The knock completely knocked out Royals and it would have been extra special for Watson because it came against his former team and like Chris Gayle proved that age is just a number and there is no substitute for experience.

Shane Watson slams fourth T20 hundred, second of IPL 2018

Shane Watson, the Man of the Match says: "There's no doubt I had some extra motivation, playing against Rajasthan. Incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to play for CSK, so happy to repay the faith. (on the dropped catch), I'm not sure. It's just how it goes sometimes, but the other little things fell my way tonight. I'm always looking to get better, when it's time you're not learning, it's time to stop, so I'm still trying to improve certain aspects of my playing. MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming know really well how to set a team dynamic, and seeing the inner workings of the team is great."

IPL 2018: 36-year-old Shane Watson joins elite IPL list with third hundred

All-rounder Shane Watson roared back to form on Friday as the smashed his third hundred against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. Playing their first home game in Pune since the matches got shifted out of Chennai due to the Cauvery water dispute, Watson entertained the crowd hitting six maximums and nine boundaries during his 51-ball knock. The former Aussie star, who was bought by CSK for a whopping Rs 4 crore, started hitting the ball from the middle of his bat from the word go scoring two fours in the first over to get his team off to a flying start. Watson's hundred is the second by a batsman this season after Chris Gayle's swashbuckling 104 not out in 63 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad just 24 hours ago in Mohali. Interestingly, Watson's first ton in the IPL had come while playing for the Royals against the Super Kings when he scored 101 in a losing cause at the MA Chidambaram stadium in 2013. He then slammed 104 not out against Kolkata Knight Riders in Royals' 9-run victory at the Wankhede stadium in 2015. Overall, the 36-year-old has scored a total of 2754 runs in 107 matches at an average of over 31 and has picked up 91 wickets at 27.62 with one four-wicket haul.

IPL 2018: Shane Watson returns to haunt Rajasthan Royals, smacks 51-ball century

Dhoni, the winning captain says: "It's like an unknown territory for us. We're usually behind, but this time we're ahead. Most of us are over 30, so it's important to stay fit. Experience really counts, and we do have good fielders. Just need people to stay fit. The change of venue, to be frank, the people over here, they supported me when I played for Pune, so you could say that it was good that I could return the favour. Yes, it's Chennai Super Kings and not Pune Super Kings, but by the end of the seventh game, we'll see more yellow here. As for the pitch, I wasn't 100% sure. There was variable bounce, spongy bounce, and hitting from back of a length is difficult sometimes. The batsmen made the life for the bowlers easy. Whenever you score 200+, the spinners still had to vary their pace, line and length to stay in the game. The first six overs of the chase were important. Today also there was a bit of dew later on, and if the wicket is good not many teams will mind batting first."

Warne: Cricket Australia guilty of financial 'greed'

Cricket great Shane Warne has hit out at what he believes is a divide between Cricket Australia and its players, declaring "greed" is the reason why the Big Bash League will expand next summer. The angst between the Australian Cricketers Association and CA continues almost a year after the two parties fought a bitter dispute over pay and conditions. Warne, who took to social media on Saturday to vent his displeasure, has suggested a rush for cash is the reason why the BBL will leap from a 43-game competition this season to 59 next summer, including finals, as part of the sport's overall $1.2 billion broadcast rights deal. "Australian Cricket should be an equal partnership between the players & the board, then everyone would be on the same page, sure they won?t always agree - but if both parties attitude is - what?s best for Australian Cricket & not themselves - then Cricket & the fans would b happy," Warne said on Twitter. "Ps And hopefully greed would then be thrown out the door too ! For example - it?s ridiculous that the BBL will have a lot more games next season & beyond - It?s a great comp & less is more should be the attitude - not let?s put more games on for $$ - diluting a wonderful product."The eight-team BBL has become the jewel in the summer crown, and a full home-and-away competition will ensure regular nightly ratings of more than one million viewers for new broadcasters, Channel Seven and Fox Sports. Players last summer gave mixed private responses when asked whether they were in favour of more BBL matches. Warne is in India where he is a mentor for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, and has lost his commentary role at Channel Nine in the wake of CA's new deal with Seven and Fox Sports. However, he is expected to find a new commentary home.