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'It will always be there' - Botha warns Kuhnemann after suspect action report
Botha had problems with his bowling action throughout his career and said Kuhnemann faces a difficult road ahead even if he is cleared.
"It is a long process and unfortunately either way if you get cleared or not it will always be there," Botha told SEN in Brisbane. "Guys think it's a one-off and you get rid of it. That is not how it is. It is a bit of a process. For now he will have to bowl at a very similar speed and revolutions as he did in the Tests. Nothing gets changed now.
"He needs to try and prove himself not guilty and from there on if it is a ball or so over 15 degrees he will obviously have some work to do, then a long process starts. It never goes away because there is always someone in the crowd, someone in the opposition, or a match referee who wants to have a say or wants to feel a part of it.
"Unfortunately this will be part of it now. It is never the guy who gets 0 for 100. It is the guys who get wickets and affect games. They are the ones under scrutiny. Guys want to have a look at it and try and find fault."
Kuhnemann has never been reported previously in an eight-year professional career, including when he first played ODI cricket for Australia in Sri Lanka in 2022 and when he made his Test debut and played three Tests on the 2023 tour of India.
Botha added it is possible his action came under scrutiny at the back end of the second Test because of fatigue.
"He bowled quite a lot balls in the Test series. As you get tired your action gets put under pressure," Botha said. "I know he likes to bowl. He bowled quite a lot during the Big Bash. He went to Australia training when they were at the Gabba during the Big Bash.
"I'd be interested to see when the umpires thought or the match referee thought it was not as clean as they would have liked it. And I would guess it could be later in the game. When you start getting tired, the ball is older and softer and you have to try and generate a little bit more pace. Whereas with the new ball it obviously comes off the wicket a bit quicker so I don't think you need to force it so much."
"I've looked at my stuff over the years and it doesn't feel like it looks at times," Botha said. "There's a whole lot of different things. It's a big process.
"Hopefully for Kuhney's sake it's just a little hiccup and it's nothing serious. I really thought in the last couple of days about things I did to change it which I might pass onto him. But I think for the first bowling test you've got to go and bowl as close to as you did in the Test match. There's no use trying to change things now. That could make it worse."
Kuhnemann will now have to undergo independent testing at an ICC-accredited centre with Brisbane the likely location. Bowlers are permitted 15 degrees of flex in their elbow during their bowling action but anything more than that is deemed illegal.
Kuhnemann is still available to play Sheffield Shield or Dean Jones Trophy (Australia domestic 50-over games) matches while undergoing testing but he cannot play in international matches during the process. He did not play in Tasmania's 50-over clash with Victoria on Thursday.
Rajat Patidar appointed new RCB captain for IPL 2025
"There is a calmness to Rajat and that will stand Rajat in good stead, especially in the IPL," Flower said. "He is inherently a quiet guy, but he cares about the people around him in the dressing room. As a leader, those qualities are important."
Bobat confirmed that Kohli was an option the team management had thought about.
"Both Virat and Rajat were credible captaincy auctions," Bobat said. "We didn't want to go into the auctions with a captaincy option in mind.
"We wanted an Indian captain predominantly because this is an Indian competition. Of course, Virat was an option. [But] Virat does not need a captaincy title to lead. Even last year with Faf as captain, we have seen that."
Discussions within the group confirmed to the coaches that Patidar was the right choice, Bobat said.
Patidar, 31, was one of three players RCB retained ahead of the mega auction in November last year. While this will be his first captaincy stint in the IPL, he has captained MP in the 2024-25 seasons of the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (where they finished runners-up) and the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy. Those tournaments were his first full-time assignments as captain in domestic cricket.
"I had a conversation with Mo last year," Patidar said. "I told him before getting the captaincy of RCB, I want to captain a state team. When they told me about this that it could be between Virat and Rajat, I was happy. I can't express my reaction."
RCB have not won the IPL title yet, though they have been finalists three times, the last of which was in 2016. They have made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, including in 2024, when they won their last six league matches to get into the top four but then lost the Eliminator.
With RCB appointing Patidar, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are the only teams yet to name their captains for the upcoming season. Shreyas Iyer, KKR's captain last year, will lead Punjab Kings (PBKS) this year, while the former DC captain Rishabh Pant is now leading Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Johnson eager for chance to fill Starc's big shoes
Johnson, 29, helped Australia move into a strong position with two wickets with the new ball before he suffered under an avalanche from skipper Charith Asalanka, who sparked a turnaround as Sri Lanka ran out eventual 49-run winners.
"It's obviously something I've pictured in my mind, to come in and play a similar role to him," Johnson said about the Starc comparisons. "There were a few nerves there, and obviously big shoes to fill.
"I think I am better for the run, it's only my third ODI, hopefully a few more and I'll be able to replicate some of the stuff he's done."
While it's easy to see why Johnson is likened to Starc, he mostly threatens through awkward bounce and probes away at a back of a length using his towering height to good effect.
But after being carved through point by opener Pathum Nissanka, Johnson smartly readjusted to a fuller length and produced an edge to claim his maiden ODI wicket in his third match.
Johnson's second wicket was perhaps more fortuitous when he had Kamindu Mendis chipping tamely to square leg, but he bowled consistently around 140 kph with the new ball and his rearing bounce was impressive on a dry surface.
It might just foreshadow what's ahead in Pakistan where he is almost certain to be handed the new ball with a shorthanded Australia also without injured frontline quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
"Guys like Trent Boult and Starcy, left-armers who are aggressive, hopefully it's what I can bring to Pakistan," Johnson said. "I think this wicket is not what we're going to get over in Pakistan.
"It was nice to bowl on early with the new ball, and there was a bit of nip and carry. But [Pakistan] will be different to what we got here, potentially a bit flatter."
Australia's selectors have been unsurprisingly keen to test Johnson in the shorter formats. The 29-year-old Johnson has played 11 white-ball internationals since debuting in South Africa in August 2023.
But he's so far in his career mostly played T20 cricket. Somewhat a product of franchise cricket, Johnson is already a veteran of the circuit having also played in the IPL, Major League Cricket, T20 Blast and The Hundred.
But he's had limited exposure in the longer formats with Johnson having played just 11 List A matches and six first-class matches. In his last first-class match in November, he snapped a tendon in the middle toe of his right foot during South Australia's Sheffield Shield game against Western Australia after bowling 45 overs for the match.
Set to be a key part of Australia's Champions Trophy line-up, Johnson will now get a prolonged block in the 50-over format and a chance to build on a modest record of 12 wickets at 42.25 from 11 List A matches.
"Obviously four overs [in T20 cricket] versus 10 overs is a little bit different, but the way I sequence my overs is pretty similar," Johnson said. "I feel like I'm ready to play for Australia and I've had a little bit of a taste in T20 cricket and now a couple of ODIs. So heading to Pakistan it's exciting and I'm ready to go."
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth
New PCA chair: Hundred gender pay gap 'needs to be addressed'
This summer, the top bracket in the men's competition has risen by 60% to 200,000, while the top women's salaries have gone up just 30%, to 65,000. A difference of 75,000 last year has now increased to 135,000.
In the lowest band, men will be paid 31,000 (previously 30,000) and the women 10,000 (8,000). One of the recommendations of 2023's Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report was for equal salaries and bonuses in the competition by 2025.
"It's definitely something we need to address," Hannon-Dalby said of the pay gap. "By this stage, gender pay was meant to be equal and certainly in the conversations that we've had with the ECB in previous years, they said they were going to improve it. And it's actually probably got wider, hasn't it? The pay gap's actually got wider, which is not great.
"It's simply just not fair is it? It's not right. And certainly, if the ECB have promised that it's going to get better and it hasn't, that's not right.
"All we can do is ask and all we can do is try. The women's game in this country is absolutely exploding and its brilliant to see. Certainly, the women's Hundred has been an absolute success.
"It's a conversation we need to have and it's something we need to try. It's something that I put in my manifesto, it's something that's important to our members and something we definitely want to improve."
"James Vince has gone into a white-ball-only deal. And that's not great, is it? He's one of the players of his generation, brilliant, brilliant cricketer. For the health of the county game, we want James Vince playing red-ball cricket"
Hannon-Dalby is also keen to push for more clarity on the ECB's new No-Objection Certificates (NOC) policy, which will deny players on red-ball contracts with their counties from taking part in other competitions that clash with the English summer.
The notable exception to the rule is the IPL, which this season will run from March 21 to May 25, encroaching on the start of the English summer. But the main contention over the new stance comes from the fact the PSL is not afforded the same exception, despite concluding more than two weeks earlier, on May 9.
"James Vince, as I understand it, has gone into a white-ball-only deal. And that's not great, is it? He's one of the players of his generation, a brilliant, brilliant cricketer. He's whacked me around Edgbaston plenty of times, so actually not bowling at him next year, as much as it might help my bowling figures... for the health of the county game, we want James Vince playing red-ball cricket.
"[There is] also a bit of disparity between the people able to go to the IPL but then not the PSL. Just on the face of it doesn't seem very fair. It seems, 'one rule for one, one rule for the other'.
"I understand there has been a lot of open communication and collaboration with ECB. Getting in the room and talking about how we protect players' movement moving forward is going to be very important.
"It's probably more the movement in the winter and the bit of disparity around different competitions having different rules. I think it's probably the main bone of contention."
Hannon-Dalby will officially begin his PCA duties at the start of next month, after being ratified at the PCA annual general meeting on March 4. The 35-year-old, who started out at Yorkshire before moving to Warwickshire in 2013, will be the 16th chair of the association, having spent more than 10 years as a PCA representative.
Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
Konstas flays century but Hearne's ton the matchwinner
Queensland 310 for 9 (Hearne 107, Wildermuth 83, Nisbet 4-49) beat New South Wales 256 (Konstas 116, Guthrie 3-45) by 54 runs
Despite Konstas's impressive 116, NSW were dismissed for 256 chasing Queensland's 310 for 9 on Thursday at Allan Border Field.
Konstas was sent home early from the Sri Lanka tour without playing in either Test and only made 3 and 22 in the Sheffield Shield match earlier this week against Queensland. But the 19-year-old, whose Boxing Day Test debut was one of the highlights of the summer, reminded everyone of his vast potential as he anchored the NSW innings in his second domestic one dayer.
While Konstas was still in, NSW had a glimmer of hope that they could pull off the win. Play was held up for five minutes after he cramped badly in his left hamstring and dropped to the turf, but after treatment he was able to keep batting.
His 98-ball knock featured 13 fours and three sixes. He brought up the century with an outstanding square cut for six.
After the start of play was delayed by rain and the match shortened to 45 overs per side, the bowler-friendly conditions meant it was a good toss for NSW to win. They reduced the home side to 54 for 4, before Hearne and Max Bryant steadied the innings with their 100-run stand from 78 balls.
Wildermuth belted 83 from 56 balls with six fours and five sixes. Hearne also opened up, with four successive sixes to hit Moises Henriques out of the attack.
He was dismissed at the end of the 42nd over for 107 from 91 balls, with four fours and seven sixes.
NSW made a solid start, reaching 113 for 1 in the 18th over, before they crucially lost 3 for 5. After Mitch Swepson dismissed Matthew Gilkes for 34, Callum Vidler snared two wickets in three balls, with Henriques and Oliver Davies departing for ducks.
That left NSW 118 for 4 at the end of the 19th over and they never quite recovered. A 50-run stand between Konstas and Hayden Kerr for the eighth wicket raised NSW hopes of chasing down the formidable Queensland total.
But when Liam Guthrie snared Kerr for 14, NSW were 233 for 8 at the start of the 38th over. Sandhu claimed Konstas' wicket in the 40th over to confirm Queensland would win and the only interest remained whether the home side could claim the bonus point, by dismissing NSW for less than 247. But the visitors passed that target and their last wicket fell at 42.2 overs.
Murray, powered by grudge, drops 55 on Blazers
DENVER -- The only thing hotter than Jamal Murray's jumper Wednesday night might have been his temper.
The Denver guard was still carrying a grudge against the Portland Trail Blazers over being ejected for trash talking Monday night. Facing them again two days later, Murray let his play do his chirping with a career-best 55 points in the Nuggets' 132-121 victory.
"They shouldn't have done that," said Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji, referring to the Blazers about the trash talk. "When he's mad, there's no one in the world that can stop him."
Murray conjured up visions of "Playoff Murray" in Denver's last game before the All-Star break. He was difficult to guard when he helped led the Nuggets to their first NBA championship in 2023.
He was difficult to contain Wednesday, too, hitting one long-range shot after another on his way to a 30-point first half. When the Trail Blazers changed their tactics in the second half, Murray adjusted, too, and attacked the rim.
Murray was 20-of-36 from the floor, including seven 3-pointers, to become just the third Nuggets players with a 55-point game. It's the third-most points in franchise history, trailing only David Thompson's 73-point game on April 9, 1978, and teammate Nikola Jokic's 56-point effort Dec. 7.
Murray and Jokic are just the fourth duo to each have a 55-point game in the same season in NBA history, according to ESPN Research.
"He was just ultra-aggressive tonight," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "As a coach, obviously watching one of your players have that type of game, just so proud of him and happy for him. He's been playing at a high level for us. And tonight was his best game ever from a numbers standpoint."
The Blazers drew his ire in Denver's 146-117 victory Monday. Murray picked up a technical in the third quarter and another in the fourth for some talking after finishing a three-point play.
It led to his ejection -- and to his fuel for Wednesday.
"It's just all competitive spirit," Murray said. "I came ready to play. Especially just being used to the playoffs and playing the same team over and over, and they know your plays and things get chippy and you have to see them again. So, I think just that kind of factor made me ready to go. I was truly prepared today."
For his efforts, he received the game ball signed by all of his teammates. He brought it with him to the postgame news conference.
"It's just years of chemistry with those guys," Murray said. "They know me. I know them, and tonight was just them looking out for me. I know I shot the ball well, but I brought the ball up here just because I couldn't do it without them. That's why we're such a good team."
His scoring spree overshadowed another stellar performance by Jokic, who had 26 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for his 25th triple-double of the season. It's the third-most triple-doubles before the All-Star break in league history, trailing only Oscar Robertson's 28 in the 1961-62 season and Russell Westbrook's 27 in 2016-17, according to ESPN Research.
Malone made sure to spotlight Jokic's performance, saying people often don't talk about him because of his "expected greatness."
"Please, let's never take Nikola's greatness for granted," Malone said. "We are witnessing history every single night. I don't take it for granted. He's incredible, and I really feel fortunate and blessed to have coached him for 10 years now."
Murray had a little bit of everything going, including his explosiveness despite dealing with nagging injuries this season such as left knee and hamstring inflammation and a sprained right ankle.
"I feel the same," he said. "I've been the same person, same player, for years now. ... I came in ready to go today. I was hopping before the game started, and that's just because of the last game."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Raptors peeved at 'no class' late Thompson dunk
TORONTO -- Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said Cleveland center Tristan Thompson was "disrespectful" for dunking with four seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Cavaliers' 131-108 victory Wednesday night.
As fans booed, Raptors players Scottie Barnes and Jamal Shead confronted Thompson after the final buzzer to express their displeasure at the late two-handed slam.
"I think what Tristan did there was no class and disrespectful," Rajakovic said. "I'm not going to stand for that, for sure. I love when my team stands up for themselves. That was no class."
Even Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson struggled to explain why Thompson -- from nearby Brampton -- punctuated Cleveland's eighth victory in nine games with a dunk.
"I'm not sure what he was thinking," Atkinson said. "Sometimes, though, you're playing the game, and you just have a reaction. I know with Tristan, there's no bad intention there. I think just sometimes you're playing, and the goal of the game is to score. Unfortunate."
Barnes declined to comment, and Shead agreed with his coach's take.
"What he did at the end of the game was just a little bit disrespectful to the game of basketball, not just us," Shead said. "We had a couple of choice words. We're adults, we'll move on from it."
A 14-year NBA veteran, Thompson represented Canada internationally several times, including in qualifying for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, before becoming an American citizen in 2020.
Toronto's RJ Barrett, also from Canada, said he understood why his Raptors teammates were upset with Thompson.
"It's kind of an unwritten rule to not do that at the end," Barrett said. "Jamal did what he's supposed to."
The win was Cleveland's 44th this season, the most in the league and the Cavaliers' most before the All-Star break in franchise history. Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Back in L.A., Knecht says trade 'felt like a movie'
SALT LAKE CITY -- In the span of a week, Dalton Knecht went from playing for the Los Angeles Lakers to joining the Charlotte Hornets to going back to the Lakers after the trade that sent him to Charlotte was rescinded.
Wearing purple and gold again in L.A.'s 131-119 loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Knecht reflected publicly on the chaotic circumstances for the first time.
"It was a crazy time," Knecht said after scoring 10 points in 17 minutes against the Jazz. "It felt like a movie."
Knecht said he was at the Lakers' practice facility on Feb. 5 going through his normal routine before his shooting drills -- needing to make 25 shots from the foul line -- when he was interrupted after his 20th free throw.
Rob Pelinka, the Lakers' vice president of basketball operations and general manager, wanted to see Knecht in his office. Knecht was informed he was traded, along with Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap and the Lakers' 2031 first-round pick, to Charlotte for 7-foot center Mark Williams.
"It was hard," Knecht said. "I got drafted here, so L.A. means a lot."
Knecht flew from L.A. to Charlotte on Thursday to onboard with his new team. Then he flew from Charlotte to Detroit on Saturday, anticipating his first game with the Hornets coming against the Pistons on Sunday.
Once in Detroit, he heard from Pelinka again. The trade was off.
"Rob called me and said, 'You're coming back,'" Knecht said. "I was just excited to go out there and hoop, no matter where I was going."
Knecht flew from Detroit back to L.A. on Sunday and met with Pelinka and coach JJ Redick on Monday.
"I just want to go hoop. I told that to JJ and Rob," Knecht said. "I get it's a business, so at the end of the day, I told them, 'Let's just go play basketball.'"
Knecht was on the bench in street clothes Monday for the Lakers' 132-113 win over the Jazz in L.A., with a plan in place for him to play Wednesday in Utah. In the meantime, the Hornets contacted the NBA to dispute the Lakers' failed physical assessment of Williams, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.
When asked about Charlotte's challenge, Knecht said he had "no clue" about how feasible it would be for the league to step in to reverse the trade again.
"I'm just doing what I love to do, going out there and playing," Knecht said. "Whatever happens, happens. I'm just going to compete hard wherever I go, and hopefully it's L.A. Whatever happens, I'm just going to go out there and compete."
Knecht said his Lakers teammates welcomed him back with hugs and check-ins, and joked that he was making his debut all over again for the franchise that picked him No. 17 in the draft last June.
"This league is a business and trades happen," Austin Reaves said. "I've never seen something like this happen. So, this is the first for me. At the end of the day, he's got to come in and be a professional. Go out there and do his job, and I thought he was good tonight. I don't think he played a game in probably a week or so. Can't wait to get him back out there acclimated with everything that we're doing because he's going to help us be successful."
Redick said that now that Knecht was back in the fold, he was done addressing the rescinded trade.
"I thought his spirit was good," Redick said. "He played well. We're not going to talk about it anymore. We've talked about it. He's in a good spot. We're good."
Kyrie delivers for 'our arena' amid Mavs' chaos
DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks desperately needed their leader to deliver.
Chaos swirled around the Mavs in the 12 days since general manager Nico Harrison's stunning decision to trade face of the franchise Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. All-Star Anthony Davis, the headliner of the return from L.A., and the Mavs' other top three big men are out for an extended period. Fans were outraged about losing Doncic, and several were ejected from Monday's overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings for fairly routine acts of protest. Coach Jason Kidd was so frustrated that he skipped his postgame media session, apologizing before Wednesday's game.
Kyrie Irving remained calm through it all. And he made sure the Mavericks and their fans had a feel-good moment, scoring 42 points and taking a critical charge in the final minute of a 111-107 win over the Golden State Warriors.
"That was special," said Mavs guard Klay Thompson, who had 17 points against his former team. "That was incredible -- 42 and the defensive stop of the night. Yeah, that was incredible. Needed it bad, especially when I didn't have my best shooting night. That's our point guard, man. That was ridiculous."
The crowd at the American Airlines Center included thousands of Warriors fans, which is the norm in the Stephen Curry era, and hundreds of people wearing Doncic jerseys. But Wednesday's game wasn't marred by security activity in the stands like Monday, and there weren't any audible "Fire Nico!" chants.
Irving credited the crowd for giving the Mavs a spark. It was a necessary lift given that Dallas has so many injuries that 6-foot-7 Kessler Edwards, who is on a two-way contract, started at center.
"Anytime you're in a game like tonight and you're looking for that energy, you look into the crowd, our fans, and you could drive yourself off that or get amplified, electrified off of that energy that's in the crowd," Irving said. "And it makes a big difference for us in in our home stadium. We got to protect it -- our arena -- and I feel like our fans know that. We're obviously dealing with something unique, but at the same time we have to put our best foot forward."
Irving, who will make his ninth All-Star appearance this weekend as the injury replacement for Davis, gave the crowd plenty to cheer about with a sensational shooting night.
Irving went 15-of-25 from the floor and 7-of-10 from 3-point range, including a flurry of three 3s in 41 seconds midway through the third quarter. According to ESPN Research, Irving scored 32 of his points on contested shots (12-of-21).
"That's what great players do," said Curry, who had 25 points. "They respond to all types of adversity and changes, as wild as they might be. Especially in that first half, we had a couple breakdowns that he was able to take advantage of. That just gives him even more life and more energy than he probably already had coming into the game. He gets going, it's hard to stop."
The Warriors had a chance to tie or take the lead after Naji Marshall's floater put the Mavs up two with 25.2 seconds remaining.
Irving, who played a second shy of 40 minutes, came up with the stop by stepping in to take a charge on a Jimmy Butler drive.
"Plain and simple, if I'm putting my body on the line, we all have to," said Irving, who has been managing a bulging disc in his lower back. For me, that same sentiment and feeling -- whatever it takes to win."
Kings fill PG need with former No. 1 pick Fultz
Free agent guard Markelle Fultz has agreed to a deal with the Sacramento Kings, his agent and attorney, Raymond Brothers of I AM Sports & Entertainment, told ESPN on Wednesday night.
The Kings have searched for a point guard since the trade-deadline departure of De'Aaron Fox, and now land a deal with Fultz, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft to the Philadelphia 76ers. After rehabbing from injury in the offseason, Fultz generated interest from multiple teams in recent months and narrowed to a couple of finalists before reaching agreement with the Kings.
Fultz is healthy and ready to play, Brothers said.
Fultz, 26, spent the past 5 seasons with the Orlando Magic, serving as the starting point guard in two of those seasons. In 2022-23, Fultz had his best, most well-rounded campaign, averaging 13.9 points, 5.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 29.6 minutes -- all career highs.
Fultz had an injury-riddled season last season, appearing in only 43 games.
The Kings are winners of three games in a row and have gone 15-8 since firing Mike Brown and making Doug Christie the interim head coach. Sacramento has played Malik Monk as its primary point guard since the trade of Fox.
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