Steve Waugh has backed Australia to enjoy a winning run in the final months of the year as they build up confidence ahead of the Ashes, where he is fearful of a returning Jofra Archer.
Three consecutive victories in ODIs against England have put Australia in a better spot heading into a series of Tests against the West Indies and South Africa either side of the new year.
The Ashes then follows in June, with the World Cup in India to close out the year, and former Australia captain Waugh is confident about his side's chances.
"We've got a good cricket side, there's no doubt about that. We got a really good bowling attack, so they're capable of winning matches," he told Stats Perform.
"I think we'll beat West Indies pretty convincingly. Then we've got three Tests against South Africa, an emerging test side with a really good bowling attack. But I think they're batting is not quite up to standard.
"I think Australia will win most Test matches. But then they've got some hard Test matches coming up overseas. It's a long difficult period. It's 12 months of non-stop cricket for Australia."
Waugh highlighted the importance in getting wins on the board now to build up momentum for the Ashes, where Australia are looking to retain the urn.
"The Ashes is a big tournament for Australian cricket that's coming up in about less than 12 months now. We're looking towards that," he added.
"But in the meantime, they've West Indies and South Africa. I think will win those series, then we've got India away, which is really hard, and then the Ashes.
"The Ashes is hard to win. It's a tough assignment, but the guys are capable of winning.
"It's a long way off, and it might come down to which sides have fewer injuries to key players. If England have Jofra Archer playing, they're going to have a chance of winning."
Waugh also sprung to the defence of captain Pat Cummins, who has been outspoken on climate change and has come under the spotlight for his stance.
"He's realising that captaincy can be a difficult assignment. One minute people love you, the next minute they don't like you and your opinions matter," he explained.
"He's bought into the climate change issues and sponsorship. And yes, there's a few issues that have been around the side. I guess he's realised that maybe he's got more power than he thought he has.
"Whatever he says carries a lot of weight. And sometimes you've gotta be pretty careful what you say. But I think he's done a very good job as a captain on the field.
"He's learning as he goes along, which is only natural. He's pretty young for a captain."
Steve Waugh is an ambassador for the Laureus Challenge 2022, presented by Sierra Space.
Joan Laporta believes Barcelona's strong contingent of players within the Spain squad can help propel the national side to victory at the World Cup.
A 7-0 demolition of Costa Rica was followed by a 1-1 draw with Germany and has put the 2010 champions on the brink of qualifying for the knockout stage.
Young Barca pair Gavi and Pedri have caught the eye in midfield during the opening two fixtures, while Ferran Torres hit a brace against Costa Rica.
Laporta expressed his pride at their performances, with the Barcelona president believing Spain's positive displays are down to head coach Xavi's work at club level.
"I think it's fantastic. It gives pride for Barcelona to see how the national team is playing and how our players are doing," he told AS.
"[Spain head coach] Luis Enrique has been able to take on all the pressure, which is a way to relieve all the pressure on the players.
"He has been very brave betting on very young players who are falling in love with the world and it just so happens that most are from Barca.
"The good role of Luis Enrique's national team is also thanks to the good work that Xavi is doing in Barcelona, where there are the most players.
"For me, Spain, along with Brazil and France, are the big favourites of the tournament."
Spain face Japan in their final group match, where victory would confirm top spot.
Canelo Alvarez has issued a warning to Lionel Messi as he accused the Argentina forward of disrespecting the Mexico flag following Saturday's World Cup clash.
Argentina kept their hopes of being crowned champions alive with a 2-0 victory over Mexico, Messi scoring the opening goal with a sublime finish from outside the penalty area.
Messi has incurred the wrath of boxing superstar Canelo after footage emerged of the Argentina captain with either a Mexico shirt in front of him on the floor in the dressing room during the post-match celebrations.
As Messi pulled off his boot, he appeared to have caught the shirt with his foot and Canelo was not impressed.
"Did you see Messi cleaning the floor with our shirt and flag ???? I ask God that I don't find [him]!!" he posted on Twitter.
The Mexican fighter added: "Just as I respect Argentina, you have to respect Mexico!! I'm not talking about the country [Argentina] I’m talking about Messi because of the b******* he did.
Canelo wrote in another social media post: "Since the Mexico shirt is on the ground, it's already an insult. Stop b*******ing about what was or wasn't."
Argentina go into their final Group C game against leaders Poland knowing a win will put them into the round of 16, while a draw will be sufficient if Mexico draw with Saudi Arabia.
Mexico need a win to have any chance of progressing, while they also need a helping hand from Poland.
Draymond Green expressed his frustration at being hit with a "crazy" and "ridiculous" technical foul during the Golden State Warriors' win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Green scored a season-high 19 points and provided 11 assists - his first double-double of the season - in a commanding 134-114 victory for the defending NBA champions on Sunday.
The four-time All-Star was not impressed when he was slapped with a seventh technical foul of the season late in the fourth quarter, though.
Green was punished for moving slightly onto the court at Target Center when he rose from the bench to celebrate a late layup from Jordan Poole.
He said: "It's crazy. I probably got four techs this year that are questionable. They told me I was at the lane line, but I thought I was standing in the corner. So I don't know. It sucks, though."
Stephen Curry was also given a technical foul for coming on the court and waving his towel after Donte DiVincenzo hit a three-pointer following the incident involving Green.
Green added': "It's the NBA, man. Your team-mates make a good move, I didn't affect the play. There was no one near me. So it sucks. And the fact that that's going to count against my tech count? Come on, that's ridiculous."
The Warriors scored 47 points in the first quarter to lay the foundations for a third consecutive win, moving to 11-10 for the season.
Golden State's tally of 137 points was their biggest of the campaign, Curry scoring 25 of those and Poole weighing in with 24.
The Timberwolves have slipped to 10-10 following back-to-back losses, sitting just below the Warriors in 10th place in the Western Conference.
Luka Doncic called Giannis Antetokounmpo "the best player in the NBA right now" after the Greek's Milwaukee Bucks downed the Slovenian's Dallas Mavericks 124-115 on Sunday.
Antetokounmpo starred for the NBA-best Bucks, with 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting with 11 rebounds and four assists.
Doncic, who leads the NBA for points per game this season, could only manage 27 points for the Mavericks, who are 0-5 this season when he scores under 30.
"It's hard to go against a guy like that," Doncic told reporters about Antetokounmpo. "He's the best player in the NBA right now.
"He's almost impossible to stop. It's really fun to see him play, but it's not that fun to go against him."
Antetokounmpo's 30-point, 10-rebound double-double was his seventh this season.
"He improves every day. He works really hard, you can see it," Doncic added about Antetokounmpo.
"He works on everything. He works on his shot and he's gotten better at a lot of things. He just gets better every day."
Doncic is averaging 33.1 points per game this season, with Antetokounmpo fourth overall at 30.9, and the Greek returned the compliments.
"No matter wins or losses, just being respected by your peers, it's always a good feeling," Antetokounmpo said. "I always love playing against the best players in the league.
"He's an incredible player, incredible talent, arguably one of the most talented players I've ever seen in my lifetime. It's unbelievable what he can do for himself and his team."
Dallas have also fallen to a 9-10 record, losing their past four games and losing seven of their past 10.
"We've just got to keep going," Doncic said. "There’s 82 games. We've just got to keep going. Every day is a new day. Every game is a new game."
Aaron Rodgers feared he had suffered a punctured lung in Sunday's 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles but remains hopeful of playing next week.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback exited the game in the third quarter due to a ribs injury, which Rodgers said he sustained in the first half.
Rodgers said it was re-aggravated in the third quarter, leaving him in "intense pain".
"[I was] Just having a hard time breathing and rotating my upper body," Rodgers told reporters. "I was worried about a punctured lung as well, so I wanted to get that checked out. We'll get a scan tomorrow."
Rodgers jogged to the locker room in the third quarter for examination although he said initial X-rays provided little clarity on the extent of the issue.
Despite that, the 38-year-old quarterback, who has been playing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand since Week 5, remained hopeful of playing against the Chicago Bears next Sunday.
The four-time NFL MVP threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions in the first half before leaving the game. Rodgers has thrown seven interceptions this season, his most since 2016, along with 19 touchdowns across 11 starts.
Rodgers dismissed any talk of shutting him down either, as the loss left the Packers with a 4-8 record to be third in the NFC North.
"As long as I check out fine tomorrow, I'll expect to play next weekend," Rodgers said. "I might not be able to go Wednesday but as long as there's no major structural damage, I'll try to get back out there.
"Hopefully everything looks good tomorrow, then heal up for a couple of days and see if I can go back out there."
Packers head coach Matt LeFleur backed Rodgers' toughness to play through pain, in a sign he is not considering shutting him down either, despite 24-year-old backup Jordan Love throwing a TD pass for Christian Watson in a bright cameo.
"This is one of the toughest dudes I've ever been around so I don’t ever for a second question his toughness, his desire to be out there, his desire to compete," LeFleur said.
"He apologised to me. I said 'don't ever apologise to me'. I'll never question that. This guy is the ultimate competitor.
"He's been battling through a lot of stuff all year long. It hasn’t just been this year. It's been the last few years that we've been together. He doesn’t say anything about it, he just keeps competing and being the best he can."
Jalen Hurts made NFL history as the Philadelphia Eagles improved to 10-1 with a 44-33 victory over the Green Bay Packers, who lost Aaron Rodgers due to an oblique injury on Sunday.
Hurts became the first player in NFL history with 125 passing yards or more and 125 rushing yards or more in a half, finishing on 16-of-28 passing for 153 yards with two touchdowns and 157 rushing yards on 17 carries in a high-scoring encounter at Lincoln Financial Field.
The two sides scored seven touchdowns from 13 full drives in the first half, which was the second game this season each team has 20-or-more points by half-time.
The NFL-leading Eagles got the edge with their running game, becoming the first side since 1978 with 300-plus rushing yards against the Packers, finishing with 363, which was a franchise-best since 1948.
Rodgers threw two touchdowns but also two interceptions in the first half, marking the second time in his career he has done that in a half, before exiting in the third quarter with an oblique injury.
Packers backup QB Jordan Love found Christian Watson for a 63-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it 37-30, but Jake Elliott's 54-yard field goal with 2:09 remaining stretched the margin.
Miles Sanders ran in two touchdowns from his 21 carries for 143 yards while Kenneth Gainwell opening the scoring on the first drive of the game.
Hurts delivered to Quez Watkins in the corner on a 30-yard TD pass with 13 seconds left in the first half to open up a 27-20 lead. The Eagles QB found A.J. Brown for a third-quarter TD too.
The Packers, who fall to 4-8 overall, had trailed 13-0 in the first quarter but squared the game up after A.J. Dillon and Randall Cobb TDs. Aaron Jones also scored in the second quarter after Brown's fumble.
Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers exited the Green Bay Packers' game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter with an oblique injury.
The Packers said that Rodgers was questionable to return after jogging down to the locker room, with his side down 34-23 at the time.
Rodgers appeared uncomfortable throughout a field-goal drive in the third quarter, before heading for the locker room.
The 38-year-old quarterback had spoken at length to Packers medical staff prior to the drive, but continued on, albeit with visible pain as he grimaced his way through plays. He had been sacked earlier in the third quarter by Brandon Graham.
Rodgers' backup Jordan Love entered the game for the Packers' next offensive drive in the fourth quarter.
The QB had completed 11-of-16 passes for 140 yards, throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions. That marked the second time in Rodgers' career he had thrown two touchdowns and two picks in a half.
Rodgers revealed during the week that he had been playing with a broken thumb since suffering the injury in Week 5. The Packers were 4-7 heading into Sunday's game.
Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers exited the Green Bay Packers' game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter with a ribs injury.
The Packers initially said that Rodgers had sustained an oblique injury and was questionable to return after jogging down to the locker room, with his side down 34-23 at the time.
Rodgers appeared uncomfortable throughout a field-goal drive in the third quarter, before heading for the locker room.
The 38-year-old quarterback had spoken at length to Packers medical staff prior to the drive, but continued on, albeit with visible pain as he grimaced his way through plays. He had been sacked earlier in the third quarter by Brandon Graham.
Rodgers' backup Jordan Love entered the game for the Packers' next offensive drive in the fourth quarter.
The QB had completed 11-of-16 passes for 140 yards, throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions. That marked the second time in Rodgers' career he had thrown two touchdowns and two picks in a half.
Rodgers revealed during the week that he had been playing with a broken thumb since suffering the injury in Week 5. The Packers were 4-7 heading into Sunday's game.
The Jacksonville Jaguars produced a stunning 28-27 comeback victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, with Trevor Lawrence leading arguably the best drive of his career.
Trailing 27-20 late in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars got the ball back with two minutes and two seconds remaining on the clock, needing a touchdown.
Lawrence, the top overall pick from last year's NFL Draft, led a 10-play, 75-yard drive in 1:48 of game time, threading the needle down the sideline to find Marvin Jones Jr for a 10-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left over.
Instead of kicking the extra point to tie the game and force overtime, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson opted to leave his offense on the field for a chance to win it with a two-point conversion.
Lawrence delivered yet again, finding Zay Jones in the flat to take the lead and seal the win.
Speaking to the media after the win, Pederson said he had supreme faith in his 23-year-old quarterback, and trusted him when he said he wanted to go for it.
"What have we got to lose?," he said. "This is something I told the staff during that last five or six minutes of the game – we’ve got to think players, not plays, and trust our guys.
"Our guys believe. They believe. Once we scored that touchdown at the end, they wanted to go for two. It wasn’t my decision.
"The players were like 'let’s go'. I got a lot of faith and trust in them, and it was just a well-executed play.
"Trevor today was lights out, he played extremely well. That throw, that catch for the two-point was a thing of beauty. I think as a football team too, a win like this just kind of heads us in the right direction."
The Jaguars have been on the losing end of six one-score games this season, and Lawrence said he is excited for this team to be figuring out how to win.
"We’ve been on the other side, so we understand what that feels like too," he said. "I think we’re just appreciative of where we are, how far we’ve come, kind of what’s in front of us still.
"We said it’s a new season once we got back from the bye week. You can’t win seven games until you win one, and we had to start today.
"Obviously there was some adversity and we had to battle through it, and we just found a way. It was incredible."
He went on to discuss his relationship with Pederson, and how he values the trust placed in him to win the game.
"Just that trust he has in us – we’ve been in that situation a lot and haven’t gotten it done,” he said.
"For him to keep trusting us and keep trusting me and our offense, it was big for us. But I’ve said it before, I’m the same guy. I’ve always been this guy.
"I haven’t always played my best every week, and that’s going to happen sometimes, but I really love the direction that this offense, this team is heading, and we feel really good about who we are."
With the result, the Jaguars are now 4-7, three wins behind the Tennessee Titans for the AFC South lead.
Ivica Zubac was a man possessed in the Los Angeles Clippers' 114-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, recording a stat-line only ever emulated by the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
With star Clippers duo Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Paul George (hamstring) both absent, Zubac carried his team on both ends, scoring a season-high 31 points on 14-of-17 shooting, while grabbing a career-high 29 rebounds and blocking three shots.
Abdul-Jabbar is the only other player to offically tally those numbers, although it is widely believed both Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain should also be on that list, having played before the NBA began recording blocks and steals in the 1973-74 season.
Zubac became the first Clipper ever with 25 points and 25 rebounds, and since the 1983-84 season, there have only been 24 instances of a player grabbing at least 29 rebounds in a game, joining Andre Drummond, Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Love as the only active players to accomplish the feat.
He grabbed 12 offensive rebounds with his 17 defensive rebounds, raising his average to 10.8 for the season – the ninth-best figure in the league. He is also top-10 in blocked shots, averaging a career-high 1.8 per game.
For the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton had 19 points and 11 assists to continue maintaining his career-high and league-leading average of 11.1 assists. He is two assists per game clear of second-placed Trae Young (9.1).
The win improves the Clippers' record to 12-9, leaving them fifth in the Western Conference standings.
Nets machine begins to click into gear
The Brooklyn Nets showed the signs of a potential contender as they pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 111-97.
With offensive focal points Kevin Durant (31 points) and Kyrie Irving (22 points) combining to shoot 20-of-37 from the field (54 per cent), their perimeter-oriented style was thriving.
Ben Simmons only attempted three shots and finished with two points, but he played exactly the role envisioned for him, posting team-highs in rebounds (12), assists (eight) and steals (three) to keep the ball moving and the offense functioning.
Seth Curry was spectacular off the bench, hitting 11-of-15 shots for a season-high 27 points, showing off his supreme chemistry with former Philadelphia 76ers teammate Simmons.
Golden State's big-three deliver
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green turned back the clock as they had full control over the Golden State Warriors' 137-114 road win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Curry continued his MVP-calibre season with 25 points (seven-of-17 shooting), 11 rebounds and eight assists, while his Splash Brother Klay Thompson contributed an efficient 21 points on eight-of-13 shooting, hitting five-of-eight from deep.
They were both set up by Green, who hit six of his seven shots for 19 points, while leading the game with 11 assists and two blocks.
The Warriors have now won five of their past six games to claw above .500 at 11-10.
Justin Herbert continues to show why he is one of the most promising young quarterbacks of his generation as he led another fourth-quarter comeback for the Los Angeles Chargers, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 25-24.
The Chargers were trailing all day, beginning with a first-quarter touchdown throw from Kyler Murray to Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Los Angeles briefly hit the front in the second quarter after touchdown passes to Keenan Allen and DeAndre Carter, but in his return from a two-game hamstring injury, Cardinals quarterback Murray scrambled into the endzone to send Arizona into half-time leading 17-14.
A six-yard James Conner touchdown catch had the Cardinals up by seven late in the fourth quarter, and a punt would give the Chargers one more chance with one minute and 48 seconds remaining.
As he has done so often in his young career, Herbert marched downfield with the game on the line, finding running back Austin Ekeler for a one-yard score with 15 seconds on the clock – and they had no interest in sending it to overtime.
Instead of kicking the extra point, the offense stayed on the field for a game-deciding two-point conversion, and got it done with a quick pass to tight end Gerald Everett.
Herbert completed 35 of his 47 passes for 274 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers, helping the Chargers improve their record to 6-5 and keep their playoff chances alive.
Jacobs powers the Raiders past the Seahawks
Josh Jacobs had the game of his life to carry his Las Vegas Raiders to a 40-34 overtime win on the road against the Seattle Seahawks.
Jacobs finished with 33 carries for a career-high 229 rushing yards and two touchdowns, ripping off a 30-yard score in the second quarter before ending the contest with a walk-off 86-yarder in overtime.
He now leads the NFL in rushing yards with 1,159 – 149 more than second-placed Derrick Henry (1010).
Jan Vertonghen appeared to take a swipe at team-mates Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard following Belgium's shock World Cup defeat by Morocco.
With this tournament regarded as the last shot at glory for the Red Devils' golden generation, Roberto Martinez's side were well short of their best as late goals by Romain Saiss and Zakaria Aboukhlal snatched a 2-0 victory for the Atlas Lions.
Prior to the Group F showdown, De Bruyne and Hazard claimed an ageing Belgium were better equipped to win the World Cup four years ago, when they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by France in the semi-finals.
"We are too old. I think our chance [to win] was in 2018," the Manchester City midfielder said. "We have a good team, but it is getting older.
"We lost key players. We have good new players coming in, but they are not at the level of other players in 2018. I see us more as underdogs."
Skipper Hazard, who feels his side had "greater chances" of glory in Russia, added: "We don't have the three fastest centre-backs in the world, but they know that."
After drawing a blank against Morocco following a 1-0 win over Canada, Belgium have scored the least amount of goals after their opening two matches at a World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1930 (none).
Vertonghen appeared to take a dig at his team-mates when addressing the media in the mixed zone following the loss. "I guess we attack badly because we are also too old up front," he said.
Defeat to 2018 runners-up Croatia in their final Group F match on Thursday would result in an early exit from the competition, and Thibaut Courtois insists the Red Devils must raise their game.
"We know that Croatia are an excellent team, they have talent and are well-organised," he said. "They are good at counter-attacks, one-on-one and have no flaws.
"It will be like a final - after all, they are the finalists of the last World Cup. So far, we haven't played adequately in this tournament, if we want to win we have to level up."
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh was thrilled with the nuance and subtlety displayed by new starting quarterback Mike White as he led a dominant 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
White was making his first start of the season after the benching of last year's second overall draft pick Zach Wilson, and he looked right at home running the offense.
He completed 22 of his 28 passes for three touchdowns and no turnovers, reaching 31 points in the third quarter before putting the cue in the rack.
Two of those touchdown passes were caught by impressive rookie Garrett Wilson, with the third going to Elijah Moore, who came into the contest with just 16 scoreless receptions for the season.
Speaking to the media after the win, Saleh pointed to White's ability to run the offense smoothly and play within himself.
"He did a great job," he said. "He didn't need to be anybody but Mike White.
"We didn't need to turn into the greatest show on turf – we just needed him to play within himself and play efficient, and he did that.
"Especially in the elements, he made the easy look easy. I thought he did a really good job of… mastering the obvious. He's really good at doing his job, he gets rid of the ball, he gets it where it needs to get to.
"I thought our O-Line did a great job of protecting him, and when he needed to be aggressive, he was aggressive.
"Any time you have success there's reinforcement, but I don't think there's a guy in the locker room who didn't think he would perform today."
Saleh was also impressed with how White got his receivers involved, including Moore, whose lack of targets from Wilson prompted a trade request at the deadline.
"We have a lot of good players who are worthy of the ball," he said. "It was good to see Elijah [Moore] get some production – and it was the same with all our receivers, we have a plethora of them.
"[Moore] has always been a great kid. I know whatever happened with the trade request – that's not him.
"I feel like he's been working his tail off, being patient and trusting the process. He is focusing on the things he has control over, and it's good to see him get that production."
White, who was making the fifth start of his career, told reporters it was special to hear the New York crowd chanting his name, and that he is looking forward to getting another chance next week against the Minnesota Vikings.
"It's always cool," he said. "I'm not going to sit here and give you some quarterback cliche that I'm not focusing on [the chanting].
"There are times that I'm not [thinking about it] – I think it would be a lot cooler if they didn't do it while we were trying to snap the ball – but no, I'm not going to complain about that.
"I thought today was a complete team win – our defense did what they always do, they dominated. They flew around the field, made big plays, turned the ball over.
"We ran the ball well when we needed to, late in the game we could have just hung it up, but we kept the run going and guys were running hard.
"I feel good, obviously. It was a good game for the offense. I'll enjoy this one with my friends and family, and then tomorrow turns into Minnesota prep, and we turn the page."
The win improves the Jets' record to 7-4, one game behind the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins for the AFC East lead.
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