After taking four wickets in the Sheffield Shield, Mitchell Starc is looking to build momentum ahead of upcoming matches.
Starc ‘close’ to finding Ashes form | 04:28The Marylebone Cricket Club is reportedly considering overturning the lifetime ban handed to one of the patrons involved in the infamous incident in the Lord’s Pavilion Long Room during the 2023 Ashes.
In the aftermath of the controversial stumping of England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, the Australian players were verbally abused by MCC members as they returned to the sheds for lunch. Following the ugly ordeal, the MCC handed down penalties for three members due to “abusive, offensive or inappropriate behaviour or language” — one was suspended for 30 months, another for four-and-a-half years, while the third was expelled altogether.Watch The Ashes 2025/26 LIVE and ad-break free during play with FOX CRICKET on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? “As long as he’s learnt from it,” Khawaja told the publication when asked about the potential of the ban being overturned.”If these guys have learned from their mistakes and they’re never going to spray players as they’re walking off the field 30 centimetres from their face, that’s fine. “But there needs to be some sort of remorse and understanding shown and that’s for the MCC. I’m all for second chances, I’m not a guy that holds grudges, but I do think you need to learn from your mistakes and avoid doing them again.”‘IT’S ABOUT BALANCE’: MARNUS’ FINAL CALL ON TEST POSITION Marnus Labuschagne is happy to bat wherever he’s told in his expected return to Test cricket next week, saying “team balance” is what’s important for Australia in the Ashes series. Having lost his place in the Test team earlier this year in the West Indies, Labuschagne was last week named in Australia’s extended squad of 15 for the opening Ashes battle, which starts in Perth on Friday week. The 31-year-old Queenslander’s preference is to bat in his usual position of No.3, however he’s content to open if the selectors opt to play both Cameron Green and Beau Webster. If Green and Webster play, they are likely to bat at No.3 and No.6 respectively, which would mean Labuschagne would open with his state teammate Usman Khawaja. However, if Tasmanian all-rounder Webster is left out, Green would likely drop down to six, Labuschagne would come in at the fall of the first wicket, and another Tasmanian, Jake Weatherald, would make his Test debut and open with Khawaja. “I’ll bat wherever they tell me to bat,” Labuschagne said ahead of Queensland’s Sheffield Shield battle with Western Australia starting at the WACA on Tuesday. “Considering I’ve probably played 56 Tests at No.3, that would sound right but I don’t mind where I bat. It’s all about team balance.” After being dropped from the team, the 58-Test veteran has bounced back to form with superb domestic form in the Shield and One-Day Cup competitions. “I was probably getting a little bit too much in my own head with my technical stuff, leading into games, the day before and the day of the games,” said Labuschagne, whose most recent of his 11 Test centuries came against England in 2023. “I just wanted to go out there with a clear mind, and I found the best way to do that was to save the batting for the game.” Labuschagne said playing at the WACA this week would be the ideal preparation for the first Test at Optus Stadium.”The WACA wicket and the Optus wicket are very similar in terms of their bounce and characteristics. “It’ll just be how much moisture is in this wicket, compared to what sort of moisture they’ll leave in the wicket at Optus Stadium.” Labuschagne was also confident that WA’s Green would bat well at either No.3 or No.6 in the opening Test. “We’ve got a very small sample size of him at three … we know the quality of player he is, we know the ability he has,” he said of Green. “He’s got a nice defence. For a really big strong guy, he’s got great touch and great understanding of the game, so wherever he fits in, if that’s at three or down the order, he’s got skill sets that can manage both those spots.”
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