Sports
New Zealand’s Williamson available for T20 World Cup on casual contract | The Express Tribune
MELBOURNE:
Kane Williamson has confirmed his availability for the T20 World Cup as part of a group of New Zealand players signed up for casual contracts, but the Black Caps batting great will miss next month’s T20I series against Australia.
Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Seifert also agreed to casual deals for the 2025/26 season, locking them in for the global showpiece in India and Sri Lanka starting in early-February, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Monday.
New Zealand’s casual contracts system allows players to take part in lucrative T20 leagues around the globe so long as they commit to representing the nation in some series and tournaments. All of the casually contracted players will be available for home T20I series against Australia, England and the West Indies, except Williamson, who will sit out the Australia portion which starts on October 1 at Mount Maunganui.
“With such a pinnacle event on the horizon we wanted to ensure our best T20 players were ready and available to push for inclusion,” NZC boss Scott Weenink said.
“The message from the players is that playing for the Black Caps is hugely important to them and I’m pleased we’ve been able to agree terms to have them casually contracted for the coming season.”
New Zealand host Australia in three T20Is in Mount Maunganui before meeting England in another three-match series starting in Christchurch on October 18.
After a shake-up, No. 1 Paul VI is now followed by conference rival Bishop O’Connell at No. 2.
Source link
The Rams and Seahawks top our ratings ahead of their head-to-head matchup, while a surprising contender leads the AFC.
Source link
Australia all-rounder Cameron Green became the most expensive overseas buy in Indian Premier League history, with a winning bid of 252 million rupees at auction on Tuesday.
Green’s name, in the first set of players in the auction in Abu Dhabi, triggered a bidding war with former champions Kolkata Knight Riders finally signing him for the 2026 edition.
The big money for Green surpassed the previous overseas record of 247.5 million rupees paid by Kolkata in the 2024 auction for Mitchell Starc.
But due to conversion fluctuations between rupees and US dollars — with India’s rupee falling to a record low of over 90 to the greenback this month — Starc’s value at the time was higher in dollars.
Green on Tuesday was bought for the equivalent of $2.77 million, compared to $2.98 million splashed out for Starc.
Green himself has a capped salary of 180 million rupees ($1.98 million) due to a new “maximum fee” rule, with the remainder going to the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
He becomes the third most expensive player in the IPL, after India’s Rishabh Pant (270 million rupees) and Shreyas Iyer (267.5 million rupees).
Green, 26, has scored 707 runs in 29 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians and defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
He missed the 2025 edition due to a back injury but is currently playing in the Ashes against England.
The auction witnessed a few surprises, including when Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk and England all-rounder Liam Livingstone went unsold. Their names could reappear later, if the franchises demand.
The business value of the IPL was estimated at $18.5 billion, according to US investment bank Houlihan Lokey
Grindr Goes ‘AI-First’ as It Strives to Be an ‘Everything App for the Gay Guy’
From Diddy to Kardashians the biggest celebrity legal battles of 2025
Princess Anne’s red lip steals the show as royals sparkle at Buckingham Palace
-
Politics1 week agoThailand launches air strikes against Cambodian military: army
-
Politics6 days agoTrump launches gold card programme for expedited visas with a $1m price tag
-
Politics1 week agoZelenskiy says Ukraine’s peace talks with US constructive but not easy
-
Fashion1 week agoGermany’s LuxExperience appoints Francis Belin as new CEO of Mytheresa
-
Tech7 days agoJennifer Lewis ScD ’91: “Can we make tissues that are made from you, for you?”
-
Business6 days agoRivian turns to AI, autonomy to woo investors as EV sales stall
-
Entertainment1 week agoToo big to fail? IndiGo crisis exposes risks in Indian aviation
-
Business3 days agoHitting The ‘High Notes’ In Ties: Nepal Set To Lift Ban On Indian Bills Above ₹100