Australia
Cricket Australia: Sri Lanka tour still on despite unrest
Cricket Australia on Thursday said its all-formats tour of Sri Lanka is still going ahead despite a heightening of tension due to civil unrest in the south Asian island nation.
Australia’s government has advised nationals to reconsider their need to travel to Sri Lanka after unrest followed this week’s resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Also read: Bangladesh’s Five Memorable Test Knocks against Sri Lanka: A look back
Australia’s cricketers are due to travel to Sri Lanka in June and July to play three Twenty20 internationals, five one-day games and two test matches. An Australia A tour of Sri Lanka is planned at the same time.
A Cricket Australia spokesman said the sporting body, the federal government and Sri Lankan cricket officials were “keeping a close eye” on developments in the country.
Cricket Australia said the players and support staff had been briefed and, with three weeks until the squad's departure date, "there are no changes to the schedule.”
On Wednesday, Sri Lanka’s president promised to appoint a new prime minister, empower the Parliament and abolish the all-powerful executive presidential system as reforms aimed at stabilizing a country engulfed in a political and ecomonic crisis.
Also read: Sri Lanka leader vows to shed powers, appoint prime minister
In a televised address, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he condemned attacks on peaceful protesters by mobs who came to support his brother and former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who resigned Monday.
Job opportunities in Australia: Work from Bangladesh to Australia
Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESEL) is offering Bangladeshi jobs in the ICT sector in Australia. Under the management of BOESEL and under the supervision of Australian company Sterning Group, Australia, IT specialists will be employed in the IT sector in various Australian companies to perform virtual work in Bangladesh as IT specialists.
This information has been given in a notification of Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESEL). A total of 60 people will be hired in four different positions in various IT companies in Australia, the statement said. Of these, 10 will be Pega Developers or Engineers, 10 will be PHP or Symphony Developers, 10 will be Sales force Developers and 10 will be Dot Net Developers. Initially, you have to work in these positions in Bangladesh. Job skills are satisfactory but there are also opportunities to go to Australia.
Also read: How to Get a Job in Google from Bangladesh?
You have to work 40 hours a week in all positions. To apply for the first three positions, one must have two years of work experience in the relevant field and be able to write and speak English fluently. And to apply for the position of .net developer, you need to have five years of work experience.
The annual salary of a Pega developer or engineer ranges from Tk 79,19,600 to Tk 1,3,56,400. Salary for PHP or Symphony developer from 6 lakh 92 thousand taka to 79 lakh 19 thousand 600 taka per annum.
The annual salary of Salesforce Developer is from 79 lakh 19 thousand 600 taka to 91 lakh 36 thousand Bangladeshi taka. The annual salary of dot net developer is from 8 lakh 1 thousand 200 taka to 69 lakh 19 thousand 600 taka in Bangladeshi taka.
Also read: AI & Future of Jobs: Will Artificial Intelligence or Robots Take Your Job?
This rate will be paid annually after the final appointment to the four positions and after moving to Australia.
However, while in Bangladesh, the salary will be paid in Bangladeshi TK. per hour and the salary will be determined subject to discussion during the interview. The final recruits will have to first stay in Bangladesh and work under the relevant Australian company. If the performance is satisfactory, you will get the opportunity to go to Australia and will get a job under that company.
Interested and eligible candidates can apply till May 16. Applications can be made through this link (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOdOZ0rFhdn9TfraIYH5wKPraG9K5dgIO3wU1yUNt-E2105Q/viewform) .
Read Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) Recruitment Circular 2022: Job Circular for the Position of Officer Cadet
Afghan women's team plays first game in Australia
Afghanistan’s women’s soccer team has played its first match since its evacuation from the Taliban-led country last year, helped by A-League team the Melbourne Victory.
The Melbourne Victory Afghan Women's Team played a 0-0 draw in its opening game Sunday in Victoria's senior women's competition, only months after 30 players and coaches were rescued as part of an evacuation operation by the Australian government as the Taliban took back control of the country after 20 years and again placed women’s sports in jeopardy.
Also read: Optimistic female Afghan students attend university classes
The Victory are providing their support to the members of the team who relocated to Melbourne. The team held its first training session in February and will play under Victory’s banner this year.
But instead of sporting Victory's traditional navy blue with a white ‘V’, the team will wear a kit which pays homage to their homeland, a red home shirt and white away shirt with the Afghanistan flag on the back
The shirts do not have the player's family names on the back which the players say is to protect family members still in Afghanistan and potentially under threat from the Taliban. Instead the players have their first names or nicknames on their shirts.
The Afghan team was created in 2007, played its first official international in 2010 against Nepal and won its first match 2-0 over Qatar in 2012.
Also read: Afghanistan's Taliban announce ban on poppy production
The rise of the Taliban and the subsequent escape of the players also led to the team withdrawing from qualifying matches for Women’s Asian Cup in India in February, which doubled as a qualifier for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Australia Post issues stamps to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 70th year on throne
Australia's national postal service, Australia Post, has released two postage stamps to mark the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, as the nation commemorates her 70th year as Head of the Commonwealth.
The two stamps, unveiled to the public on Monday, depict portraits of Queen Elizabeth II from 1952, the year she rose to the throne, and 2019, highlighting her longevity as Head of the Commonwealth, which includes countries such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
Australia Post Group Philatelic Manager Michael Zsolt said the latest additions form part of the service's tradition of honoring Queen Elizabeth II.
Also Read: Queen Elizabeth II tests positive for COVID; mild symptoms
Queen Elizabeth II is the most featured person on Australian stamps, and the Australia Post was the first postal authority in the Commonwealth to produce a stamp for her birthday each year, Zsolt said.
The Australia Post had previously released stamps to celebrate the golden and diamond jubilees of Queen Elizabeth II, marking 50 and 60 years of her service.
While Queen Elizabeth II has very little involvement in the governance of Australia, she still plays a prominent cultural role in Australian life. Her image is also displayed on Australian coins and the five-dollar banknote.
The postage stamps and associated collectables are expected to go on sale from Tuesday.
Also Read: Queen Elizabeth II to skip Christmas trip amid omicron surge
Australia beat England by 71 runs to win Women’s World Cup
Alyssa Healy produced a milestone innings in a tournament that may be transformative for women’s cricket as Australia beat England by 71 runs on Sunday to win the Women’s Cricket World Cup for the seventh time.
Healy struck 170 from 138 balls as Australia reached 356-5 to toss aside any notions that women’s limited-overs cricket is in any way staid or lacking in spectacle.
Nat Sciver then produced an innings of almost equal quality, reaching a century from 90 balls to give hope to what seemed a hopeless England run chase. Sciver was 148 not out when England’s last wicket fell at 285 in the 44th over. While she was at the crease, Australia’s total seemed attainable.
Healy’s was the highest and Sciver’s the third highest individual scores in a men’s or women’s ICC World Cup that made clear this final was one of the best ever in a cricket World Cup.
“That was pretty special from our group, something that we’ve been working towards for a long period of time,” Healy said. “Everyone’s been talking about it for a long time so to get over the line was great.
Read:ICC Women’s World Cup 2022: Australia to Face England in the Final
“We knew England was peaking at the right time and you never know what’s going to happen. Full credit to the bowlers, they held their nerve. Nat Sciver played a tremendous innings, I thought she might have got them over the line but it was just a great game of cricket.”
More than 86,000 fans attended when Healy made 75 from 39 balls as Australia beat India in the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup in March 2020.
The crowd was much smaller this time but still near capacity at Hagley Oval and the ripples of Sunday’s match may radiate wide as women’s cricket grows and its move towards equality with the men’s game gains pace.
The women and young girls who wore the jerseys of their favorite players or clamored for autographs at the final were only a small indication of the new generation this World Cup, broadcast to an unprecedented global audience, may have inspired.
Healy helped demonstrate how far the women’s game has come since England won the first World Cup in 1973 when the players wore white pleated skirts and knee socks and the seven competing teams included Young England and an International XI.
Through 31 matches over 30 days the 2022 tournament produced cricket of the highest caliber, with 11 centuries, four innings of 300 or more and many thrilling finishes in the final over.
Healy’s innings, which followed her 129 in Australia’s 157-run semifinal win over the West Indies, represented a higher level of performance for its command, the range of her shots and the power with which she struck the ball.
The creation of women’s professional T20 leagues, especially the Australian Big Bash leagues, has seen the budding of numerous new batting talents and Healy’s innings was its fruition. She reached her century at a run a ball and added her next 70 runs from only 38 deliveries. In total, she hit 26 fours, many through or over the off side as she stepped away to leg and planted her feet firmly for leverage.
Healy put on 160 for Australia’s first wicket with Rachael Haynes who made 68. The opening pair put on 216 in the semifinal in which Haynes made 85.
It was hard at the end of the Australian innings to believe that Healy and Haynes both were cautious at first as they found the pace of a fresh pitch. They scored only 37 runs during the 10 over powerplay.
Read:ICC Women's World Cup 2022: Meet the Semi-Finalists
From then on the scoring rate climbed steadily and rapidly: Australia was 92-0 after 20 overs, 131-0 at the midpoint of the innings. England’s spirits almost visibly faded as Australia added 224 more in the second half of the innings, as its bowlers seemed powerless to slow the flow of runs.
Beth Mooney followed Haynes and rushed to a half century from 38 balls, eventually falling for 62. The last five overs yielded three wickets but no respite.
England began its innings needing more than seven runs per over to win. Captain Heather Knight spoke before the match of England writing its own remarkable story in the final and that certainly would have been the case had it achieved a world-record run chase to win back to back finals.
Sciver almost made it happen but England lacked partnerships and Australia proved too strong. It came into the tournament as the top-ranked team and favorite and won all eight games on the way to the final. England lost its its first three games and faced elimination but won five straight in virtual knockout circumstances to reach the final.
“Healy’s was the best innings I’ve ever seen live,” Knight said. “We couldn’t really find an answer.
“Nat was remarkable, absolutely remarkable, the skill against spin and seam. It was unfortunate we couldn’t have anyone stay with her.”
Australia to send armored vehicles to Ukraine after request
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday that Australia will send armored Bushmaster vehicles to Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically asked for them while appealing to Australian lawmakers for more help in Ukraine's war against Russia.
Zelenskyy addressed the Australian Parliament on Thursday and asked for the Australian-made, four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Morrison told reporters the vehicles will be flown over on Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport planes. He didn’t specify how many would be sent or when.
“We’re not just sending our prayers, we are sending our guns, we’re sending our munitions, we’re sending our humanitarian aid, we’re sending all of this, our body armor, all of these things and we’re going to be sending our armored vehicles, our Bushmasters, as well,” Morrison said.
Also read: Turkey offers to host more Ukraine talks
Zelenskyy has been tailoring his message to individual countries through video appeals like the one shown to legislators in the Australian Parliament. Lawmakers gave him standing ovation at the start and end of his 16-minute address.
Zelenskyy also called for tougher sanctions and for Russian vessels to be banned from international ports.
“We need more sanctions against Russia, powerful sanctions until they stop blackmailing other countries with their nuclear missiles,” Zelenskyy said through an interpreter.
Zelenskyy specifically asked for Bushmaster vehicles.
“You have very good armed personnel vehicles, Bushmasters, that could help Ukraine substantially, and other pieces of equipment,” Zelenskyy said.
While the Ukrainian capital Kyiv is 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles) from the Australian capital Canberra, Zelenskyy said Australia was not safe from the conflict which threatened to escalate into a nuclear war.
He suggested that a Russian victory over Ukraine would embolden China to declare war on Taiwan.
Also read: Russia's ruble rebound raises questions of sanctions' impact
“The most terrible thing is that if we don’t stop Russia now, if we don’t hold Russia accountable, then some other countries of the world who are looking forward to similar wars against their neighbors will decide that such things are possible for them as well,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy also said Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if Moscow had been punished for the 2014 downing of a Malaysia Airlines plane in Ukraine.
Two weeks ago, the Australian and Dutch governments launched a legal case against Russia at the International Civil Aviation Organization to hold Moscow accountable for its alleged role in the missile strike that killed all 298 people on MH17. Of the victims, 196 were Dutch citizens and 38 were Australian residents.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison had earlier told the president that Australia would provide additional military assistance including tactical decoys, unmanned aerial and unmanned ground systems, rations and medical supplies. He later said the additional help would cost 25 million Australian dollars ($19 million).
“You have our prayers, but you also have our weapons, our humanitarian aid, our sanctions against those who seek to deny your freedom and you even have our coal,” Morrison said.
Australia has already promised or provided Ukraine with AU$91 million ($68 million) in military assistance, AU$65 million ($49 million) in humanitarian help and 70,000 metric tons (77,200 U.S. tons) of coal.
Earlier Thursday, the government announced Australia was imposing an additional 35% tariff on all imports from Russia and Belarus starting April 25.
Oil and energy imports from Russia will be banned from that date. Exports to Russia of Australian aluminum ore will also be banned.
Sanctions have been imposed on more than 500 individuals and entities in Russia and Belarus. The sanctions cover 80% of the Russian banking sector and all government entities that handle Russian sovereign debt.
Australia to tour Sri Lanka for 10 matches in June and July
Australia will travel to Sri Lanka for a 10-match series in all formats in June and July in its first tour of the south Asian country since 2016, when the hosts won a three-test series 3-0.
The tour will feature three Twenty20 matches, five one-dayers and the two tests from June 7 to July 12. Colombo will host three T20s and three one-dayers with Kandy the venue for two one-dayers.
Read:Bangladesh falter again, lose Wellington game to Australia
Galle will host both test matches, from June 29-July 3 and July 8-12.
“There is no more challenging place to play cricket than on the subcontinent and this tour offers our players invaluable experience and another great opportunity to excel on the world stage,” Cricket Australia’s chief executive officer Nick Hockley said in a statement on Friday.
Read: Tigers Create Path-Breaking history in South Africa by Conquering Proteas in the ODI series decider
Australia tour of Sri Lanka:
June 7: 1st T20, ColomboJune 8: 2nd T20, ColomboJune 11: 3rd T20, ColomboJune 14: 1st ODI, KandyJune 16: 2nd ODI, KandyJune 19: 3rd ODI, ColomboJune 21: 4th ODI, ColomboJune 24: 5th ODI, ColomboJune 29-July 3: 1st Test, GalleJuly 8-12: 2nd Test, Galle
Bangladesh women falter again, lose Wellington game to Australia
Former skipper of Bangladesh women's cricket team Salma Khatun snapped three wickets but that wasn't enough to prevent Australia from snatching Friday's match in the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup in Wellington.
The match was reduced to 43-over a side due to rain. Bangladesh batted first and posted a meagre total of 135 for six wickets in the stipulated 43 overs.
Lata Mondal scored 33 for Bangladesh, while Sharmin Akhter scored 24. Rumana Ahmed and Salma Khatun scored 15 each.
For Australia, Ashleigh Gardner and Jess Jonassen bagged two wickets each.
Also read: Women’s World Cup: Bangladesh lost to India by big margin
In reply, Australia lost three wickets for 26 runs. Salma bagged all the three. But after that, Beth Mooney took charge and posted an unbeaten 66 to guide Australia to win.
They lost two more wickets too, but Mooney was firm at the crease and managed to keep their record of being unbeaten intact.
Australia chased down the target in 32.1 overs with five wickets in hand.
Bangladesh will play their last match in this World Cup against England on March 27 at the same venue.
Also read: ICC Women’s World Cup 2022: Can Bangladesh still Qualify for the Semi-Finals?
In the previous six matches, Bangladesh won only one against Pakistan, which was their maiden win in their first World Cup.
Pakistan collapses to 100-7 in 2nd test against Australia
Pakistan collapsed to 100-7 at tea against Mitchell Starc’s searing pace in reply to Australia's mammoth 556-9 declared on the third day of the second test on Monday.
Starc picked up 3-24 in a superb spell of left-arm fast bowling which included the wickets of Azhar Ali and Fawad Alam off successive deliveries.
Pakistan lost six wickets in the middle session for only 62 runs and still needs 257 runs to avoid the follow-on.
Also read: Australia rattle 505-8 against Pakistan in 2nd Test
Home captain Babar Azam was unbeaten on 29 with Hasan Ali yet to score. Babar survived a close lbw referral against Pat Cummins before he had scored.
Australia made early inroads when leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson ran out Abdullah Shafique before lunch.
Nathan Lyon then ignited the collapse immediately after lunch when Imam-ul-Haq played a terrible shot and holed out to mid-on before Starc ran through the middle order.
Azhar played away from his body and Cameron Green took an edge in the slips while Alam was out plumb lbw following a vicious yorker. Rizwan Ali was beaten off the hat-trick ball before eventually succumbing to Cummins.
Much like the first test, off-spinner Lyon came into the attack early and the occasional delivery by him and debutant Swepson turned off a slow wicket.
Earlier, Cummins (34 not out) helped add a rapid 51 runs after Australia resumed its first innings on 505-8.
Also read: Can’t express my feelings in words: Nigar Sultana after historic win against Pakistan
Despite losing Starc (28) to the second ball, which gave Shaheen Afridi his first wicket, Cummins and Swepson (15 not out) scored freely against spinners Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali.
Cummins lofted two sixes off left-armer Nauman, who ended up with 1-134 from 48 overs. Sajid took 2-167 from 57 overs.
Australia rattle 505-8 against Pakistan in 2nd Test
Australia’s lower-order, led by Alex Carey’s 93, blunted the Pakistan bowling attack to reach 505-8 on the second day of the second test on Sunday.
Carey missed out on a deserving century when he was clean bowled attempting an ambitious slog sweep against Pakistan skipper Babar Azam’s part-time off spin late on.
Carey and Mitchell Starc, who was unbeaten on 28, nearly played out the entire last session as they put on 98 runs on a slow wicket to the frustration of Pakistan’s bowlers.
Read:Shakib Al Hasan’s approaching milestone ahead of SA vs BAN series 2022
“You want to make those triple figures (and) the way the game’s going, it was quite an important knock in the end,” Carey told host broadcasters after batting for just over three hours and hitting seven fours and two sixes in his 159-ball effort.
“It’s great to have 500 runs on the board. Hopefully the pitch starts to deteriorate tomorrow and we can create those 20 chances.”
Starc joined Carey at the stroke of tea after Usman Khawaja played a marathon knock in the country of his birth and finally fell midway into the second session. Khawaja hit 160 in nine hours and 12 minutes before Australia continued to wore down the Pakistan bowlers for 180 overs spanning two days.
It was Australia’s greatest number of overs batted in a test innings in Asia in 14 years, surpassing its 179.3 overs against India at Delhi in 2008 when it was bowled out for 577 runs.
An occasional turn for spinners off a flat track gave Pakistan Khawaja’s wicket when off-spinner Sajid Khan (2-151) hit the top of the stump off a ball that drifted away enough from the left-hander.
Carey and Starc dominated Pakistan with their near-century stand before Babar broke through to end another tough day in the field for the home side.
Starc gave a chance on 3 but left-arm spinner Nauman Ali (1-115) couldn’t hold onto a return catch over his head early in the last session that was dominated by the tourists.
Resuming on an overnight 127, Khawaja defied Pakistan pace and spin before he was finally undone by Sajid while attempting a defensive shot off his back foot.
Khawaja raised his bat to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd, who chanted “Khawaja, Khawaja” as he left the field after his century in the city that was once home to his family.
Khawaja scored just two more boundaries on Sunday to add to the 13 on day one, but tired the Pakistan bowlers through his sedate knock that came off 329 deliveries.
Sajid picked up both his wickets in the most productive middle session for Pakistan with left-arm Nauman also clean bowling Cameroon Green (28) in the last over before the break to get his first wicket.
Sajid earlier had Travis Head (23) lbw off a fuller delivery that didn’t spin enough as the batsman tried to play across the line and was struck low on the front pad.
Read:Hafeez signs for Mohammedan to play Dhaka League
Earlier, Khawaja added 28 to his overnight score in the first session as Australia added a further 81 for the loss of only nightwatchman Nathan Lyon’s (38) wicket after it resumed on an overnight 251-3.
Fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi (0-85) and Hasan Ali (1-67) couldn’t get any lateral movement with the second new ball that was only 10 overs old and spinners Sajid and Nauman also couldn’t get the better of the patient Khawaja.
Lyon defied Pakistan for an hour and 15 minutes but Pakistan had chances to break the stand. The home team called for a television referral against Lyon in the day’s third over bowled by Hasan Ali but the television replays suggested the ball could have missed the leg stump.
Faheem Ashraf (2-55), who didn’t bowl in the last session, then dropped a one-handed catch off his own bowling when Lyon had reached 31 before the right-arm seamer finally broke the partnership when he knocked back Lyon’s middle stump.
Australia’s first test in Pakistan since 1998 ended in a draw in Rawalpindi where the lifeless pitch was rated as below average by the ICC.
“The weather is quite hot as compared to Rawalpindi and the cracks (in the pitch) will open up,” Ashraf said. “We could see a result in this test match.”