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AUSTRALIA SUFFER SETBACK AS CAPTAIN PAT CUMMINS MISSES OPENING ASHES TEST.

Cricket Australia has confirmed Pat Cummins will miss the first Ashes Test vs England due to a back injury. Steve Smith will captain in his absence, dealing a major blow to Australia's bowling attack.

Australia suffer setback as captain Pat Cummins misses opening Ashes Test.
Australia captain Cummins ruled out through injury - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Captain Pat Cummins will not play in the opening Ashes Test match against England, according to Cricket Australia.

Before the start of the five-match series, Cummins' fitness had been a hot topic of conversation. He had even hinted that he would not be ready for the opening game, which starts on November 21 at Perth's Optus Stadium.

Due to a back stress injury he got during Australia's 3-0 series victory over the West Indies in July, the captain of Australia has not bowled since then.

Steve Smith will serve as captain in place of Cummins, according to a statement released by Cricket Australia on Sunday.

Smith was a capable deputy who guided Australia to victory over England in the 2017 Ashes.

According to Cricket Australia, Cummins "said he would want to have been back with the ball in hand at least four weeks away from his return" and had not yet started bowling again.

Cummins "expects to return to bowling shortly" and is back to his best, according to the statement.

The team trying to continue a strong decade against England, which has not lost an Ashes match since 2015, will be hurt by the absence of Cummins, Australia's top fast bowler.

Earlier this month, Cummins told Fox Cricket that he was "really feeling extremely fantastic" as he recovered. His current goal is to get healthy in time for the second Test, which starts at The Gabba on December 4.

TNT Sports and Discovery+ will broadcast all five Ashes Test matches as England attempts to win a series in Australia for the first time since 2010–11.

Additionally, Cummins' absence from the opening Test raises interesting concerns about who might take his position in Australia's bowling attack, with Scott Boland, 36, probably leading the pack.

Since being named captain before the 2021 Ashes series, Cummins has had a significant impact on the Australian squad. Due to COVID-19 protocols, he was unable to play in the second Test of the 4-0 victory. Since then, he has guided his team to victory in the 2023 World Cup and World Test Championship.

In the 2023 Ashes series, his Australia team drew 2-2 with England.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES TRADE JAREN JACKSON JR. TO UTAH JAZZ IN 8-PLAYER BLOCKBUSTER

The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, creating a record $28.8 million trade exception for 2026.

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Grizzlies finalise Jaren Jackson Jr. deal

The Memphis Grizzlies turned heads on Tuesday, pulling off a blockbuster trade that sent two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr to the Utah Jazz. Along with Jackson, the Grizzlies shipped out Vince Williams Jr, John Konchar, and Jock Landale. Coming back their way: Walter Clayton Jr, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and, maybe the most important part, three future first-round picks.

And honestly, it feels like Memphis isn’t done stirring the pot. Inside the organisation, they see Zach Edey and Cedric Coward as the future. Both went late in the lottery in the past two drafts, and the Grizzlies landed some value in the second round this year, too, grabbing Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer.

All this movement means Ja Morant’s future in Memphis suddenly looks shaky. He’s been the face of the franchise since they took him No. 2 overall back in 2019. When he’s healthy, he’s electric—no question. But injuries and off-court drama have slowed him down, and now, with the trade deadline closing in, the Grizzlies are openly shopping him. Teams around the league are watching.

There’s another wrinkle here: by dealing Jackson, Memphis created a massive trade exception—$28.8 million, the biggest in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Shams Charania. It’s a huge chess piece. With that exception, the Grizzlies can absorb big, ugly contracts from other teams in exchange for more draft picks. Think of what the Thunder did a few years back—stockpiling picks by taking on bad deals until they rebuilt into a contender.

Now, you’ve probably heard Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name floating around in trade rumours. He hasn’t officially asked out of Milwaukee, but everyone in the league expects something to happen soon. Teams like the Timberwolves and Knicks are circling. The Grizzlies? They’re not likely to chase Giannis directly. But with that trade exception, they could play a big role as a third team—taking on salary dumps or unwanted contracts, collecting more picks, and helping another franchise pull off the Giannis blockbuster. Memphis just put itself squarely in the middle of the NBA’s hottest rumour.

KLINT KUBIAK SNUBS NFL RIVALS TO LEAD RAIDERS’ NEW ERA UNDER TOM BRADY

The Las Vegas Raiders are zeroing in on Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, with Tom Brady leading the search.

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Klint Kubiak is set for the Raiders as Seahawks coach faces the New England Patriots

The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of a huge shakeup right now. Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, is set to become their new head coach—and honestly, he’s nothing like Pete Carroll.

Kubiak’s still in his 30s, calling plays on offence, while Carroll just wrapped up last season as the NFL’s oldest head coach. The Raiders had their eyes on Ben Johnson previous year, but when he decided to take the Bears job, they turned to Carroll instead.

This time, Las Vegas seemed to have that same level of interest in Kubiak, but they had to wait things out because Seattle was still in the playoffs. Tom Brady, who’s a minority owner with the Raiders, clearly played a big part in picking the new coach.

Since nothing’s official until after the Super Bowl, Brady can’t come right out and talk about Kubiak joining the team. Still, he didn’t hold back when it came to sharing what he liked about the guy.

“Klint’s played to his team’s strengths. Last week, he did a ton of good things against a really strong Rams defence,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “That’s what it took for them to win. The Rams are a tough team. That game in Seattle could’ve gone either way... Seattle really had to play a complete game in all three phases to pull it out, and they’ll need to do the same this weekend in Santa Clara.”

Brady also talked about Fernando Mendoza.

Another big reason the Raiders’ coaching job is so appealing? They’ve got the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Everyone expects them to grab Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Brady doesn’t have to be secretive about it—nobody’s jumping ahead of them in the draft. He was pretty open about how much he likes Mendoza.

“What do I value most? When I see him, he’s always talking up his teammates. He wins the Heisman, and he’s giving credit to everyone else,” Brady said. “That’s the kind of attitude you want in a leader.”

Kubiak focused on the Super Bowl, not the job switch.

Kubiak’s career is about to take off, but right now, he’s locked in on trying to win his first Super Bowl. So, he isn’t ready to talk about the Raiders just yet.

“I’m coaching the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and that’s all I’m thinking about,” Kubiak told reporters on Monday. “I’m just excited for this week and this game.”

Not everyone in Seattle is thrilled to see Kubiak go. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had nothing but praise after working with him this year.

“He was unbelievable,” Darnold said Monday. “The stuff I picked up from Klint—just with schemes, and then learning from him as a coach and a person—the grit. He’s up before the sun, gets to the facility at 4 or 4:30, and leaves later than anyone. The guy just grinds. He loves football, and he’s always straight with his players. I know I really appreciated that, and so did the rest of the guys.”

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