EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY LAWRENCE BOOTH: Robin Smith has had plenty to be grateful for, and much to test him. By his own admission, he is lucky still to be here.

LAWRENCE BOOTH: Robin Smith, who has died suddenly at the age of 62, had a sensitive smile and a vicious square cut, and somehow both captured this complex and much-loved man.

RICHARD GIBSON IN BRISBANE: Ben Stokes has insisted that Australian press intrusion will not affect his players' enjoyment of the Ashes tour.

England great Monty Panesar has revealed that the Barmy Army are set to unveil a new song about Darren Lehmann at The Gabba during this week's second Ashes Test.

Queensland's Minister for Sport Tim Mander has blasted 'Pommy cricketers' Ben Stokes, Mark Wood and Jamie Smith for riding around Brisbane on Lime Scooters without helmets.

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN BRISBANE: : England have gambled with their selection for Thursday's second Ashes Test in Brisbane after deciding against a repeat of the five-man pace attack.

Selectors made the bombshell call with less than two days to go before the start of the second match of the series in Brisbane.

Former Australian cricket player Michael Slater has had his life membership and hall of fame status with Cricket New South Wales withdrawn, according to reports.

Jonathan Agnew left some of his Instagram followers worried for his safety last week after he published a picture of an aeroplane that had been flipped upside down.

Usman Khawaja's fitness has again been thrown into doubt after the embattled Australian opener appeared to be suffering from some discomfort in the nets.

It has taken Mitchell Starc only about a decade to come round to the idea of pink-ball Test cricket. In the end, it was the sheer weight of his own numbers that persuaded him he had little choice.