Steve Smith will take the starting Ashes Test in his absence, and Australia have confirmed that captain Pat Cummins won’t be fit.
Cummins, a talismanic fast bowler, has been out for a while and earlier this month declared he was “less than likely” to play in the first Test against Perth on November 21.
With the series opener less than a month away, Cricket Australia announced on Sunday that the 32-year-old has not yet played since July and has not yet returned to bowling.
Cummins is anticipated to be able to bowl “shortly,” with the goal of being ready for the second Test in Brisbane, which will start on December 4.
Australia’s renowned fast bowler and captain are losing a significant amount of money.
Cummins was initially ruled out of the white-ball series against India and New Zealand because of reports of a lumbar stress fracture.
Cummins claimed time was starting to get “tight” for the first Test because he needed at least a month to practice for the match-fit test two weeks prior.
Cummins was named captain just before the final Ashes series against Australia in 2021-22. Despite having to miss the second Test due to a Covid scare, the home side won 4-0.
Smith is a more than capable replacement for the captaincy.
The 36-year-old is the Ashes-winning skipper, and the “sandpapergate” ball-tampering scandal cost him the captaincy in 2018. He only lost the captaincy in 2018 as a result.
The batter, who has been a top Ashes run-scorer all-time, has six previous starts in place of Cummins as captain.
Scott Boland, who has a peerless average of 12.63 in Tests in Australia, is likely to take Cummins’ place in the bowling attack.
In a seam attack for the exhausting five-Test series that was squeezed into just over seven weeks, Boland, 36, is likely to join Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, both of whom are in their mid-30s.
According to sources, Geri’s Spice Girls rift has been reignited as a result of Christian Horner’s F1 scandal after rumors that she wants to control “the celebrations for the 30th anniversary” of the singer’s alleged involvement.
Digital Reporter Jessica Clarke
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Christian Horner was abruptly relieved of his duties as head of Red Bull in July(Image: PA)
Christian Horner’s F1 scandal has reportedly reignited Geri’s rumoured rift with her Spice Girls bandmates. It comes amid speculation that projects for the band’s 30th anniversary are on the horizon. Christian was abruptly relieved of his duties as head of Red Bull in July, despite having led the team to significant success. His sudden departure followed reports of internal power struggles and his being embroiled in a text scandal.
He was implicated in a scandal where a female employee accused him of “inappropriate, controlling behavior” twelve months before his departure, but a resultant investigation found him innocent.
Although Geri has a long-standing relationship with her husband, some sources claim Geri felt humiliated. According to insiders, “Geri feels she has lost some of the power she once had. She is still embarrassed by all the Christian allegations.” She wants to organize every celebration for the 30th anniversary now.
READ MORE: Christian Horner and wife Geri make public appearance together after major update givenREAD MORE: Liam Payne’s ‘most personal songs’ recorded before his death revealed
The Spice Girls are celebrating their 30th anniversary as they prepare for it, according to a source who claims there has always been a “little distance” between Geri and her bandmates.
A source told The Sun: “Although it’s always Victoria who gets the reputation for being a diva, it’s actually Geri. There’s always been that slight distance between her and the rest of them, as she did leave them high and dry at the biggest point of their career during that world tour in 1998.
The four others share a slightly different bond, despite the fact that that was years and years ago and that they have all since moved on. However, Geri is quite selfish and will always put her own needs before others, and she enjoys being in charge of making all decisions.
There have been reports of a documentary and a potential tour, despite no confirmation of the huge anniversary.
Marking three decades since their debut single Wannabe, the group has hinted that something big is in the works. Victoria Beckham, 51, who originally shot to fame as Posh Spice in the 1990s, admitted she’s open to the group reuniting at the state-of-the-art Sphere venue in Vegas, though ruled out the idea of a full-blown tour.
She said, “It would be tempting,” she said while speaking on Sirius XM in the US. But would you allow me to travel the world? No, I can’t. How talented would the Spice Girls be at the Sphere, in my opinion? The idea of it is so appealing. I mean, I’m never that great, and I’m not sure if I can even sing.
Melanie C has also sparked renewed reunion hopes. She said, “I would love that. I request that that the country make that happen.
She made it clear that discussions are taking place earlier this year, but she also acknowledged that not everyone is yet fully invested.
She said, “Next year is a big year for us, and we have to acknowledge it in some way,” So we are discussing how that will look, and Emma, Melanie, I am certain, and I am certain, we would be back on stage. However, there are times when someone needs to be a little more convincing.
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The Mirror has contacted Geri’s spokesperson for comment.
Tottenham are tracking Samu Aghehowa, while Bournemouth rejected two offers for Antoine Semenyo last summer, and Dominic Solanke may be leaving.
Dominic Solanke, 28, may be subject to a sale by Tottenham boss Thomas Frank because of his lack of positive traits. Football Insider
Tottenham and Manchester United made a £50 million summer transfer offer to Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo, but Bournemouth rejected it. (Telegraph)
Samu Aghehowa, 21, is a porto’s age 21, but Tottenham is competing with Arsenal, Newcastle, and Nottingham Forest for the Spain international. (Caught Offside)
Fabio Carvalho, 23, could leave Brentford on loan in January to pursue playing time, with a potential return to the Bundesliga in the offing. (Florian Plettenberg)
Joshua Zirkzee, 24, is currently on a loan at Manchester United, with Roma and other clubs interested in the Netherlands international. (TBR Football)
Morgan Rogers, 23, is currently in advanced negotiations with Aston Villa regarding a new contract. Football Insider
Colombia’s 29-year-old right-back Daniel Munoz and Crystal Palace‘s Daniel Munoz have received a 30 million euro (£26.2) offer from Barcelona. (Fichajes – Spanish)
Chelsea’s Malo Gusto, 22, is being watched closely by Juventus as they look into a January move for the French right-back. (Calciomercarto – Italian)
Robert Lewandowski, a 37-year-old Poland striker, will be out of contract at Barcelona next summer, according to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is the co-owner of Manchester United. (Mirror)
Waterfront Hall journalist for BBC Sport NI and  
In the Northern Ireland Open final, Jack Lisowski defeated world number one Judd Trump 9-8 to win his first-ever ranking event title.
Trump’s quest for his first title since December 2024 continued with the 34-year-old’s seventh ranking event decision coming out of the final.
Lisowski now has the opportunity to win the £100,000 prize money that was previously awarded to the Alex Higgins Trophy.
tight final for Lisowski
On his sixth attempt, Lisowski won the first frame of the second half with a break of 97 before clinching the third.
A century from Lisowski tied the match after Trump restored his one-frame lead in the fifth and fourth frames after winning.
The 34-year-old was positioned well to win the game 4-3, but Trump took advantage of it and went ahead.
Before the break, Lisowski won the final frame to start a thrilling second session.
After the break, it was still a close game, with Lisowski leveling once more in the 10th with Trump winning the opening frame, helped by an 82-run run.
Gian van Veen, a Dutchman, won his first PDC title at the European Championships in Dortmund, outshining world number one Luke Humphries.
The 23-year-old defeated four-time champion Michael van Gerwen 11-9 in the semi-finals before holding on to his resolve to win 11-10 against Humphries.
When I won my first TV title, I wouldn’t cry, and now I’m crying, Van Veen told ITV Sport to my girlfriend when I walked on stage.
“I will never forget this situation, or even this crowd,” she declared. winning my first major in Germany is incredible.
Van Veen’s thumb was injured during the semi-final, and he continued to appear pain throughout the match.
Humphries’ rival refused to let the 21-leg match go away from him, despite a strong start and a 4-1 lead.
The pair traded legs until the final stages of a back-and-forth encounter.
Van Veen, known as “The Giant,” jumped at the chance to win the decider by missing the double 20 when leading 10-9, but the winner was unharmed with a 100 checkout.
Diana, Princess of Wales’ funeral has been discussed by Earl Spencer, who revealed that he had initially written a “very different” eulogy from the one he read out at Westminster Abbey.
Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor, Daniel Bird
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Earl Spencer has opened up about his original eulogy for Diana’s funeral(Image: Getty Images for Invictus Games)
Diana, Princess of Wales’ brother had a very different eulogy planned for her funeral. On September 6, 1997, Earl Spencer delivered a powerful eulogy to the 2,000 people who attended the service at Westminster Abbey, and made a subtle swipe at Diana’s former in-laws, The Royal Family.
However, Charles, the 61-year-old ninth Earl Spencer, has revealed that he had a very different eulogy in mind. Earl Spencer had been flying to London from Cape Town, where he was currently residing, and a flight attendant had assisted him because he was “in bits” prior to the royal ceremonial funeral.
He had been looking for writers in his contact book to help him write the touching letter to his sister. I wanted to find someone who would make the speech for her after reading through my large, thick address book. And when I reached “Z,” he claimed, “I hadn’t found anyone.”
Earl Spencer continued, “I called my mother and said, “I can’t think who’s going to give the eulogy,” after getting off the plane at Heathrow [Airport]. And she said, “Well, it is going to be you, and I have an awful feeling that it is going to be me.” Your sisters and I have chosen to say “yes.”
He continued, “[It was a] very traditional eulogy, almost like “She was very good at this as a child” and everything else. Then I realized, “Well, this is ridiculous, that’s not who she was.” After the tragic Princess passed away at the age of 36 in a car accident in Paris, Earl Spencer “realized” that his job was to “speak for” her rather than speak for her.
He said: “And I knew I’d been left at that stage – it had no legal standing – but I knew she’d left me as guardian of her sons [Prince William and Prince Harry], obviously, the other parent being alive, that meant nothing, but it meant something to me.
“That sort of duty, I think. And then I wrote it in an hour and a half and, yeah, that was it, really.” He did “take one bit out,” referencing media mogul Rupert Murdoch, as he saw it “rather unnecessary”. During the eulogy, Earl Spencer spoke about Diana’s impact across the world, praising her for her humanitarian lifestyle and philanthropy.
Diana was, he said to the congregation, “the very essence of compassion, duty, style, and beauty.” She was a global example of selfless humanity. A very British girl who transcended nationality, a standard bearer for the rights of the truly oppressed throughout the world. Someone who had a classless, natural nobility, and demonstrated in her last year that she still needed no royal title to continue producing her own brand of magic.
Even though God gave you only half a life, today is our chance to thank you for the way you have changed our lives. We will always feel cheated that you were taken from us when you were young, but we must grow to be appreciative of how you came along. We only now realize how much of what we currently have is left behind, and we want you to know that life is very, very difficult without you.
After her divorce from the then Prince Charles, his statement about Diana “needing no royal title” appeared to be a rip-off of hers.
He continued to say that he and his family would not permit William and Harry to be “anguish” in any way. He stated, “On behalf of your mother and sisters, I swear that we, your blood family, will do everything we can to keep you from leading these two exceptional young men in an all-out effort to ensure that their souls don’t just get sucked into duty and tradition but can sing freely as you intended.”
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We fully respect the culture from which they were both born and will always support and encourage them in their royal roles, but we, like you, also recognize the need for them to get as many different aspects of life as possible to prepare them for the years to come. You must have had high expectations of us, I am certain. We all fought so hard for you today, William and Harry.
