Sports News

To aid McGrath Foundation, SCG will turn pink for third Test

Meldourne, Dec 10 : The Sydney Cricket Ground will turn pink for the third cricket Test against South Africa in aid of the McGrath Foundation.

Former Australian great Glenn McGrath announced a plan to turn the SCG pink with stumps, parts of the outfield and the players' shirts all featuring the Foundation's pink logo for the match starting January 3, The Age reported.

The third day of the Test traditionally known as Ladies Day will be renamed Jane McGrath Day in memory of the former fast bowler''s wife who died from cancer earlier this year.

Fans will also be able to buy pink bandannas with all funds going to the McGrath Foundation.

Fit Krejza ready for Perth challenge

Melbourne, Dec 10: Australia offspinner Jason Krejza has declared himself fit for the first Test against South Africa next week.

The match starts in Perth on December 17 and Krejza, with a new ankle brace, is already planning a follow-up to his 12-wicket haul in his debut Test in India last month.

Krejza twisted his right ankle during training before the second Test against New Zealand in Adelaide, which ruled him out of the contest. He had been set for a recall after missing out at the Gabba, but his injury gave Nathan Hauritz an unexpected chance.

Mumbai terror attacks should not be a reason for bad performance: Pietersen

London, Dec 10 : English captain Kevin Pietersen has asked his team-mates to ignore all the distraction and give their 100 percent for the Chennai Test despite lack of adequate match practice.

Injury to Smith, Steyn and Harris increases Proteas’ worries

Melbourne, Dec 10: South African captain Graeme Smith has joined strike bowler Dale Steyn and frontline spinner Paul Harris on the sidelines for the tourists' opening match against Western Australia on Thursday.

Smith will miss the one-dayer at the WACA with an elbow injury, coach Mickey Arthur told reporters on Wednesday.

Steyn, who is nursing a minor hamstring strain, and left-arm spinner Harris, who has had a cast removed from his injured left thumb, will also miss the game, the Daily Telegraph reported.

However, all three are expected to play in the two-day match against a WA XI starting on Friday.

Arthur said the injury to Steyn, the leading bowler in Test cricket in 2008 with 60 wickets, was not serious.

Johnson to feature in next IPL auction

Sydney, Dec 10 : Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson, who opted out of the inaugural IPL ballot to shore up his position in the national team, will seek a contract with an Indian franchise for the next tournament which can only include Australian players if the rescheduled limited-overs tour of Pakistan is again put off for security reasons.

His manager, Sam Halvorsen, said the left-arm paceman was ready to add the extra demands of the rich Twenty20 league to his workload and would nominate for the February auction.

IPL bonanza ensures seven cricketers in list of top 50 Oz sport earners

Melbourne, Dec. 10 : Thanks to the bonanza offered by the Lalit Modi-led Indian Premier League (IPL), which was launched in April and May this year, seven cricketers are in the top 50 sport earners list.

Australian cricketers Ricky Ponting (3.05 million dollars) and Brett Lee (2.5 million dollars) lead the way.

But with fringe Australian players like David Hussey and Cameron White just missing out, list compiler John Stensholt predicts Aussie cricketers will be the big movers in the near future.

"Expect to see a few more cricketers in the list next year. IPL is changing the way cricketers think about earning money," The Age quoted Stensholt, as saying.

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