Australian cricketer Steve Smith has stoked fears that his retirement from Test cricket could be sooner than next year’s Ashes series in England.

When asked about the series in an interview with the UK’s Telegraph, he said: “I don’t even know if I’ll be there yet. I’m kind of a series-by-series proposition.”

It’s not all doom and gloom, though, because the star batter, who has scored an average of 56 runs across 123 Test innings for Australia, was also quick to add that he’s still enjoying his time in the Test team.

Speaking of cricket, Australia is set to play Zimbabwe this afternoon in a One-Day International beginning at 5:30pm (AEST). Smith isn’t playing but will join the team in Africa next month for a Test series against South Africa.

Three
The number of matches that Port Adelaide AFLW player Ella Heads will miss has for a high bump on Melbourne’s Eliza McNamara, which left her with a fractured jaw. The combination of careless contact, high contact, and severe impact warranted the length of the suspension. Given that the AFLW’s regular season is only 12 matches, it means Heads will miss a quarter of Port Adelaide’s matches.

“I got kids now… I want to live a regular life after I’m done with football.”
Chris Olave, a wide receiver for the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, talking to the media about his decision to wear a Guardian Cap during matches. A Guardian Cap is a padded cover that goes over the top of an NFL player’s helmet to provide extra protection against head injury. Olave also said that having several concussions earlier in his career has also contributed to the decision. Repeated head trauma has been linked to CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disease that impacts many former professional athletes, particularly in the NFL.

The last non-European tennis player to win a men’s singles Grand Slam title was Argentina’s Juan Martín del Potro, who won the U.S. Open in 2009.

⚽ Two video assistant referees (VAR) for the English Premier League will not officiate this weekend after wrongly allowing Erling Haaland’s winning goal in Sunday’s Manchester derby. VAR Matt Donohue and colleague Blake Antrobus cleared the goal via offside technology but overlooked City midfielder Enzo Fernández, who was offside and played at the ball. The refereeing body Pro Ref called it an “error of judgment”.

🏋️‍♀️ Hyrox has apologised to those “directly or indirectly affected” after an Australian athlete was allowed to continue competing in an event in Beijing after suffering from bowel incontinence. Footage of Joanna Wietrzyk, a world record holder and the winner of the event, completing the indoor fitness competition with faecal matter running down her legs was circulated online and received widespread criticism. In a statement on Instagram, the organisation’s co-founder said: “Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race. In the end it is my job to foresee these potential incidents – and I did not.” He added that the organisation has also made rule changes in response.

🏉 After leaving rugby union for the NFL, utility back Jordan Petaia is in line to return to the Wallabies for the first time since the 2023 World Cup. Coach Les Kiss picked the 26-year-old as part of his wider squad ahead of Australia’s upcoming Test against world champions South Africa in Perth on 27 September. The Los Angeles Chargers waived Petaia in August 2025. He returned to rugby union with a stint at French club Perpignan before signing with Japan’s Urayasu D-Rocks.

Calling all Mustang stans - there’s a hoodie out there for you

Hear us out: a limited-edition clothing collection has been doing the rounds and we think any racing (or generally, fashion) enthusiasts need to know about it. It’s a dream collaboration between Ford and Brixton - needless to say that both these brands are soaked in nostalgia, which really comes through in this collection.

So, if you’ve ever wanted a Ford trucker cap, or a Mustang baby tee, your chance to cop them is here.

AFL star Zak Butters is reportedly set to sign a nine-year deal with the Western Bulldogs as a restricted free agent.

What is restricted free agency? And why is this such a significant trade?

In August, Butters told Port Adelaide he would explore offers from rival clubs when the season ended, making him a restricted free agent. Restricted free agents are long-serving, high-earning players who can entertain offers elsewhere, but their current club has the right to match any rival bid.

The 26-year-old midfielder has played at Port Adelaide since 2019. Butters is a three-time All-Australian (2023, 2024, 2026) and is at the peak of his career, making him highly sought-after. According to reports, Butters was most interested in playing for either Geelong or the Bulldogs. Over the weekend, he narrowed it down to the Bulldogs after they reportedly offered him between $1.8 and $2 million per year.

If Port matches the Bulldogs’ offer, Butters cannot simply switch teams. Instead, the two clubs would negotiate a trade during the AFL trade period, with Port Adelaide receiving either players or draft picks in exchange for Butters. That is the scenario most likely to play out.

The Brisbane Lions announced today that star forward Logan Morris has extended his contract with the club to stay through the 2029 season. The announcement comes a week after two-time All-Australian midfielder Zac Bailey signed on to stay at Brisbane through 2034. Meanwhile, two-time Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale is expected to move to Collingwood at the end of this season as a free agent.

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The cricket Women’s Asia Cup concluded on Monday (AEST), with India securing a record-extending eighth title.

After their win, the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi – also Pakistan’s Interior Minister – amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.

Here’s what to know.

Tensions between India and Pakistan are longstanding, particularly centering on the border region of Kashmir. When Britain relinquished control of the Indian peninsula in 1947, it split the region into two countries – India and Pakistan. Both then fought for control of Kashmir. After the UN intervened, the area was officially split into Pakistani control in the north and Indian control in the south.

More conflicts have followed, driven by religious tensions between the Muslim majority in Pakistan and the Hindu majority in India.

Last year, gunmen opened fire on a town in Kashmir called Pahalgam, killing 26 people. An Islamist group took credit for the attack, with survivors saying they were asked if they were Hindu. Disputes over the killings developed into a short violent conflict between India and Pakistan, ending with a ceasefire deal overseen by the U.S.

India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Sunday’s final, but the post-match ceremony was delayed by over 45 minutes. India held its own presentation in the meantime.

At the official ceremony, Naqvi handed medals to officials and Sri Lanka’s players, but India’s players weren’t called up, and individual awards went unpresented.

Local media outlets report the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed ACC in advance that India would not participate in that presentation.

Indian players had already refused to shake hands with Pakistan’s players before or after matches.

A similar incident occurred last September, when India beat Pakistan in the men’s Asia Cup and refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi.

India’s coach Amol Muzumdar said: “That stand has been taken by BCCI. We stand by it.”

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said India’s decision was “conscious” and “institutional”, following last year’s attack in Pahalgam, according to the Press Trust of India.

The ACC and Pakistan are yet to comment at the time of writing.

Both teams could meet in the later stages of the men’s and women’s tournaments at the Asian Games later this month.

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.