Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Botham questions England desire for 'ultimate' Ashes test

Botham questions England desire for 'ultimate' Ashes test

Ashes hero Ian Botham has questioned England players' desire to confront the "ultimate test" of touring Australia as cricket chiefs try to hammer out an agreement to allow the trip to go ahead.

England are due to play a five-Test series starting in Brisbane on December 8 but concerns over player welfare and Australia's strict coronavirus restrictions have plunged the tour into doubt.


Players are understood to harbour fears over quarantine, bubble environments and access for families, with even captain Joe Root refusing to commit so far.

The England and Wales Cricket Board will meet this week to decide whether the Ashes can go ahead, with reports suggesting there have been positive talks with Cricket Australia.

Botham, who triumphed in multiple Ashes campaigns and is recognised as one of England's greatest players, questioned the mentality of the current crop of cricketers.

"I start to wonder maybe if some of these guys don't fancy the ultimate test," the 65-year-old former all-rounder wrote in The Daily Telegraph.

"You have to worry about it. To play Test cricket for England is the ultimate and to play against Australia in Australia, and win, is magnificent.

"Australia don't lose very often in their own backyard. It's a challenge and if I was in their boots, I'd already have my bags packed."

Australia has largely sealed its borders to international travellers during the Covid-19 pandemic but Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it would be "flexible and practical" over the tour.

Multi-format England players potentially face months of travelling and living in biosecure bubbles. The T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman starts on October 17 before the Ashes series in December and January.

Australia are the current holders of the Ashes after retaining the urn following a 2-2 draw in England in 2019. They won the last series "Down Under" 4-0 in 2017/18.

More For You

Jameela Jamil: Pixar’s Elio Offers Hope for Youth

Jameela Jamil says Pixar’s Elio brings a fresh message of empowerment for kids across the globe

Getty Images

Jameela Jamil says Pixar’s ‘Elio’ is the hope young people need in a chaotic world

At a time when the world feels chaotic and heavy, Disney Pixar’s Elio arrives with a message that couldn’t be more relevant: kids matter, and they’re stronger than they realise.

The animated film, which had its star-studded premiere in Los Angeles this week, follows an 11-year-old boy who accidentally becomes Earth’s ambassador in outer space. Directed by Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi, Elio is Pixar’s first feature with a Mexican-Dominican lead, voiced by Yonas Kibreab. His character’s journey from an outsider on Earth to a confident connector among aliens mirrors what many young people feel today: lost, overlooked, and searching for belonging.

Keep ReadingShow less
Apple India Reroutes 97% of iPhones to US Amid Tariff Push

Apple iPhones are seen inside India's first Apple retail store in Mumbai, India, April 17, 2023.

REUTERS

Foxconn sends 97 per cent of India iPhone exports to US amid tariff push

NEARLY all iPhones exported by Foxconn from India between March and May were shipped to the United States, according to customs data reviewed by Reuters.

The data showed that 97 per cent of Foxconn’s iPhone exports during this period went to the US, significantly higher than the 2024 average of 50.3 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Child Fame Costs: HBO’s New Young Harry Potter Reboot Stars

The new trio cast as Harry, Hermione and Ron step into a world where childhood and fame rarely mix well

Instagram/harrypotter/Getty Images

From Hogwarts to headlines, the real cost of childhood fame for Harry Potter’s new stars

As HBO prepares to bring Harry Potter back to screens with a new television adaptation, excitement is high around the casting of Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout as the iconic trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. But amid the buzz, a quiet voice of caution has emerged. Chris Watson, father of original Hermione actress Emma Watson, is urging parents and the industry to tread carefully when it comes to child stardom.

Chris Watson is not speaking as a critic or industry insider but as someone who watched his daughter grow up inside a global franchise. Emma was nine when she landed the role of Hermione Granger, and what followed was a decade of public attention that reshaped her life. Her father remembers the shift vividly. “Her homework would go back to school on motorbikes,” he once said, pointing to the surreal logistics fame forced on them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Thunderstorms to Hit East & South-East England; Met Office

The warning indicates a high risk of disruption

Getty Images

Thunderstorms to hit East and South-East England as Met Office issues amber warning

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for thunderstorms across parts of eastern and south-eastern England, in effect from 20:00 BST on Friday to 05:00 on Saturday. The affected area spans from Eastbourne in East Sussex to Cromer in north Norfolk.

The warning indicates a high risk of disruption, with flash flooding, power cuts, and hazardous travel conditions expected. The Met Office warns that flooding of homes and businesses is likely, and delays or cancellations to bus and rail services are possible due to surface water and lightning strikes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Crime boss who posed as male escort jailed for £20m cocaine plot

Shergill and his accomplices were arrested on different dates in 2020

Photo for representation (iStock)

Crime boss who posed as male escort jailed for £20m cocaine plot

THE head of an organised crime group who claimed he was a male escort while masterminding an international operation to import cocaine into the UK has been sentenced to 21 years and three months in jail.

Kulvir Shergill, 43, from the West Midlands, told National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators he made a living through male escort bookings, teaching martial arts and working as a personal trainer.

Keep ReadingShow less