Smith raring to go, Khawaja expected to be fit for Ashes opener | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Monday
June 05, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
MONDAY, JUNE 05, 2023
Smith raring to go, Khawaja expected to be fit for Ashes opener

Sports

Reuters
22 July, 2019, 02:05 pm
Last modified: 22 July, 2019, 02:08 pm

Related News

  • Hazlewood out of WTC final, Neser joins Australia squad
  • Warner stuns by announcing Test retirement date ahead of WTC final
  • England to stick with 'Bazball' approach for the Ashes: McCullum
  • Australia's reserve wicketkeeper Peirson gets Ashes call-up
  • Australia backing Warner to have a big Ashes

Smith raring to go, Khawaja expected to be fit for Ashes opener

Australia captain Tim Paine said former skipper Smith had given batting coach Graeme Hick long and taxing work-outs in the nets as he looks to hone his formidable game ahead of the Ashes opener in Edgbaston on Aug. 1.

Reuters
22 July, 2019, 02:05 pm
Last modified: 22 July, 2019, 02:08 pm
Smith raring to go, Khawaja expected to be fit for Ashes opener

Sixteen months after leaving test cricket in disgrace over the ball-tampering furore, Steve Smith’s preparations for the Ashes have gone up to a manic level as the former skipper looks to return to red ball cricket in top form.

Australia captain Tim Paine said former skipper Smith had given batting coach Graeme Hick long and taxing work-outs in the nets as he looks to hone his formidable game ahead of the Ashes opener in Edgbaston on Aug. 1.

Renowned for his obsessive approach to training, Smith is back in the test squad along with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, the other two players hit with long bans for their involvement in the Cape Town scandal in March, 2018.

“You don’t become one of the best players in the world and average 60 in test cricket if you don’t have some sort of a mission,” Paine told reporters of Smith at the team’s training base in Southampton.

“The boys have been having a bit of a laugh the last couple of days because nothing’s changed - he’s hit a million balls and our coach’s arm is falling off already on day two of the trip.

“It’s great to see that him, and David (Warner) and Cameron Bancroft have come back in and fitted perfectly in our group.

“They are guys who have always trained at exceptionally high standards and set the standard for others.

“The three of them have been outstanding since they’ve been back and involved.”

Australia are bidding to retain the urn and erase the disappointment of their one-day World Cup campaign, which ended in the semi-finals at the hands of hosts and eventual champions England.

Australia will play a four-day intra-squad match starting on Tuesday, with two sides padded out by Australia A players.

With the final Ashes squad to be named after, Paine said it would be no gentle hit in the park.

“Both sides will be looking to win and both sides will have individual players wanting to do really well to press their final case for Ashes selection,” he said.

“At the moment it’s a fair dinkum game of cricket and that’s been made really clear.

“We’re looking at it as a real opportunity to test each other’s skills so when we get to the first test we know exactly where we’re at and everyone’s had a perfect preparation, and everyone’s been put on pressure.”

Top order batsman Usman Khawaja, who suffered a hamstring strain during the World Cup semi-final, is being rested for the unofficial match but Paine said he was expected to be fully fit and available for selection for Edgbaston.

“I don’t think he’s in serious doubt (for the test),” Paine said. “He’s in a rehab stage so the decision has been made that he won’t play at this stage.

“There is a possibility, maybe, if something were to happen to someone else he might be right for the back end of the (practice) game.”

Cricket

Australia Cricket Team / Steve Smith / Usman Khawaja / Ashes Test

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • FILE PHOTO: A passenger plane is seen with the moon behind as it flies over London, Britain, January 4, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville
    Bangladesh withholds $214m in airline funds; 2nd among top 5 countries: IATA
  • An anatomy of power crisis
    An anatomy of power crisis
  • How BSRM turns steel waste into eco-friendly construction material
    How BSRM turns steel waste into eco-friendly construction material

MOST VIEWED

  • Photo: Reuters
    Zlatan Ibrahimovic retires from football
  • Photo: Reuters
    Verstappen wins in Spain to continue Red Bull sweep
  • Photo: Reuters
    Benzema scores on farewell but Real held at home by Bilbao
  • Photo: TBS
    Khaled Salahuddin - A trailblazing champion looking to take tennis in Bangladesh to the next level
  • Photo: Reuters
    Djokovic edges closer to Grand Slam record with spot in last eight
  • Photo: Reuters
    Hazlewood out of WTC final, Neser joins Australia squad

Related News

  • Hazlewood out of WTC final, Neser joins Australia squad
  • Warner stuns by announcing Test retirement date ahead of WTC final
  • England to stick with 'Bazball' approach for the Ashes: McCullum
  • Australia's reserve wicketkeeper Peirson gets Ashes call-up
  • Australia backing Warner to have a big Ashes

Features

Beating plastic pollution: Local startups build businesses around waste

Beating plastic pollution: Local startups build businesses around waste

3h | Panorama
New battleground of global powers

New battleground of global powers

18h | Panorama
Understanding the Indo-Pacific: A case of two rivalries

Understanding the Indo-Pacific: A case of two rivalries

18h | Panorama
US and its allies in the Ind-Pacific

US and its allies in the Ind-Pacific

18h | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Young Entrepreneurs Beating Plastic Pollution

Young Entrepreneurs Beating Plastic Pollution

1h | TBS Stories
The fitness industry of Bangladesh tries to reshape from corona effect

The fitness industry of Bangladesh tries to reshape from corona effect

16h | TBS Stories
Ukraine ready to launch counteroffensive

Ukraine ready to launch counteroffensive

19h | TBS World
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's food on the streets of Dhaka

Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's food on the streets of Dhaka

1d | TBS Food

Most Read

1
bKash denied permission to pay $4.10 lakh for Argentina football partnership
Banking

bKash denied permission to pay $4.10 lakh for Argentina football partnership

2
Boeing offers Biman its latest 787-10 Dreamliner
Bangladesh

Boeing offers Biman its latest 787-10 Dreamliner

3
Photo: Noor-A-Alam/TBS
Splash

The Night Dhaka did NOT vibe with Anuv Jain

4
Country's first floating solar power plant connected to national grid
Energy

Country's first floating solar power plant connected to national grid

5
File Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS
Bangladesh

Low-cost housing planned for 4 lakh Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar workers

6
Photo: TBS
Environment

Green space in Dhaka North declines 66% in 3 decades: Study

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]