The Australia national cricket team represents Australia in men's international cricket. Along with England, it is the joint oldest team in Test cricket history, playing in the first ever Test match in 1877; the team also plays One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket, participating in both the first ODI, against England in the 1970–71 season and the first T20I, against New Zealand in the 2004–05 season, winning both games. The team draws its players from teams playing in the Australian domestic competitions – the Sheffield Shield, the Australian domestic limited-overs cricket tournament and the Big Bash League. Australia are the current ICC World Test Championship and ICC Cricket World Cup champions. They are regarded as the most successful cricket team in the history of cricket.
Justin Lee Langer is an Australian cricket coach and former cricketer. He is the former coach of the Australia men's national team, having been appointed to the role in May 2018 and leaving in February 2022 and became the coach of Lucknow based IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants in July, 2023. A left-handed batsman, Langer is best known for his partnership with Matthew Hayden as Australia's test opening batsmen during the early and mid-2000s, considered one of the most successful ever. Representing Western Australia domestically, Langer played English county cricket for Middlesex and also Somerset. He holds the record for the most runs scored at first-class level by an Australian. As Australia's coach, he led the team to victory in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
In the sport of cricket, sledging is the practice of deliberately insulting or verbally intimidating an opposing player. The purpose is to try to weaken the opponent's concentration, thereby causing them to underperform or be more prone to error. It can be effective because the batsman stands well within hearing range of the bowler and certain close fielders, and vice versa. The insults may be direct or may feature in conversations among fielders which are intended to be overheard by the batsman. The term has also been used in other sports, as when the tennis player Nick Kyrgios insulted his opponent, Stan Wawrinka, by referring to a purported encounter between another player and the latter's girlfriend.
Bradley James Haddin, is an Australian former cricketer, vice-captain and coach who represented Australia in all three forms of international cricket. He played domestically for New South Wales as a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. Haddin was a member of the Australian World cup winning squad at both the 2007 Cricket World Cup the 2015 Cricket World Cup and played for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League.
Matthew Scott Wade is an Australian former international cricketer. He plays domestic cricket for the Tasmanian cricket team, who he also captains, and for Hobart Hurricanes.
Timothy David Paine is an Australian former cricketer and a former captain of the Australia national cricket team in Test cricket. A right-handed batsman and a wicket-keeper, he played for the Tasmanian Tigers in Australian domestic cricket and was the captain of the Hobart Hurricanes before his selection for Australia in the 2017–18 Ashes series. During his time with Australia, Paine won the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.
Andrew Barry McDonald is the head Australian cricket coach who won the 2023 Cricket World Cup and former cricketer who played for the Victoria and South Australia cricket teams. He was born in Wodonga, Victoria and currently lives in Geelong, Victoria.
David Andrew Warner is an Australian former international cricketer and Captain of Big Bash League team, Sydney Thunder. A left-handed opening batsman, Warner was the first Australian cricketer in 132 years to be selected for the national team in any format without experience in first-class cricket. He plays for New South Wales and Sydney Thunder in domestic cricket. Warner was a prominent member of the victorious Australian squad of the 2015 Cricket World Cup, the 2021 T20 World Cup, where he was the Player of the Tournament, the 2021–2023 ICC World Test Championship, and the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. He is widely known as one of the greatest opening batsmen across formats, lauded for his aggressive playing style coupled with consistency over 15 years.
Steven Peter Devereux Smith is an Australian international cricketer and former captain of the Australian national team in all three formats of the game. He is regarded as one of the best Test batsmen of the modern generation. Smith was a member of the Australian teams that won the 2015 and 2023 Cricket World Cup, the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, and the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final.
Marcus Sinclair Harris is an Australian cricketer who has represented Australia in Test cricket. A left-handed opening batter, Harris plays for Victoria and Leicestershire in domestic cricket. He made his Test debut for the Australia national cricket team in December 2018 against India. He was a member of the Australian team that won the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final.
Cameron Timothy Bancroft is an Australian cricketer contracted to Western Australia in Australian first class cricket, Gloucestershire in English first class cricket, and the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League. He made his Test debut for the Australian national team in November 2017.
Alex Tyson Carey is an Australian international cricketer. Formerly an Australian rules footballer, he is currently a wicket-keeper who plays for the Australian national team in test match and one day formats. In domestic cricket, he plays for South Australia and Adelaide Strikers. He was the captain of the Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2010, but when they joined the Australian Football League in 2012, he was left out of the squad and returned to his home state of South Australia, where he began to play domestic cricket.
The Australia cricket team toured South Africa between February and April 2018 to play four Test matches. It was the first four-Test series between the two teams since South Africa's readmission. Prior to the start of the tour, South African fast-bowler Morné Morkel announced that he would retire from international cricket at the end of the series. During the third Test, Morkel became the fifth bowler for South Africa to take 300 Test wickets.
The Australian cricket team toured England in June 2018 to play five One Day International (ODIs) and one Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. Ahead of the ODIs, Australia played List A matches against Sussex and Middlesex. This was Australia's first international tour following the Australian ball tampering scandal as well as Tim Paine's first series as captain in ODIs.
The India cricket team toured Australia from November 2018 to January 2019 to play four Tests, three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. Initially, the Test match at the Adelaide Oval was planned to be a day/night fixture, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) declined the offer from Cricket Australia to play the match under lights. In April 2018, the Western Australian Cricket Association confirmed that the Perth Stadium would host its first ever Test match. During the second Test, it became the tenth venue in Australia to host a Test match.
The Sri Lanka cricket team toured Australia in January and February 2019 to play two Test matches for the Warne–Muralitharan Trophy. The first Test, in Brisbane, was a day/night match. They also played a three-day warm-up match ahead of the Test series. In April 2018, Cricket Australia confirmed that the Manuka Oval would host its first ever Test match. Australia won the series 2–0, with Tim Paine winning his first Test series as captain of Australia.
The 2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal, also known as Sandpapergate, was a cricket cheating scandal surrounding the Australian national cricket team. In March 2018, during the third Test match against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town, Cameron Bancroft was caught by television cameras trying to rough up one side of the ball with sandpaper to make it swing in flight. Captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were found to be involved and all three received unprecedented sanctions from Cricket Australia. Although he was found not to have been directly involved, Australia's coach, Darren Lehmann, announced he would step down from his role following the scandal. Smith was replaced by Tim Paine as captain in all formats before Aaron Finch took over from Paine in ODIs and T20Is.
The 2019 Ashes series was a series of Test cricket matches played between England and Australia for The Ashes in August and September 2019. The venues were Edgbaston, Lord's, Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval.
The 2021–22 Ashes series, named the Vodafone Men's Ashes Series for sponsorship reasons, was a series of five Test cricket matches that were contested between England and Australia for The Ashes. The series was played at five venues across Australia from 8 December 2021 and was scheduled to finish on 18 January 2022.
