The Black Caps look to continue their dominance over Sri Lanka tonight, NZ Football legend Wynton Rufer expects to make a full recovery after horror heart attack and things are on the up for NZ track cycling.
Australia's ODI cricket squad is looking different in more ways than one.
Usman Khawaja and Peter Siddle have been recalled, Ashton Turner has been brought in and young fast bowlers Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff and Billy Stanlake have taken the place of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.
Butthe personnel changes aren't the only thing making the squad a new-look one.
The Aussies will wear a retro kit to kick off the series against India at the SCG on Saturday, wearing a strip similar to what Allan Border's side donned in a corresponding one-day series against the Indians all the way back in 1986.
The Australian ODI squad pose for their team photo ahead of the series against India. Photo / Getty
The Australian ODI strip for a series against India in 1986. Photo / Getty
The canary yellow is back, paired with a lime green stripe across the chest and green collar — and the vintage get-up certainly struck a chord with players and fans when the news was announced yesterday.
"It's pretty awesome actually," Siddle said. "We found out the other day we were going to be in it, so the boys were a bit excited to get their pack and open up and check it out.
"I'll have to ask Zamps (Adam Zampa) to borrow one of his and go with the DK (Dennis Lillee) headband.
"We'll see what we pull out on Saturday."
The reaction on social media was just as warm and fuzzy as that of Siddle. At a time when Australian cricket is on the rocks, it's nice to have something to latch onto for comfort.
Former Test quick Trent Copeland wrote on Twitter: "Can this please be our PERMANENT ODI kit?! And a canary yellow lid! Love it!!"
Special praise was reserved for Adam Zampa's effort during the photo shoot. Almost always referred to as a "different cat" by his teammates or cricket pundits, not only was the leg-spinner rocking black trainers, he also felt comfortable enough with teammate Siddle to give his knee a bit of love.
Siddle is desperate to make the most of his ODI recall that caught even him by surprise, having used the Big Bash League to catapult into World Cup calculations.
Siddle is poised to face India on Saturday, playing his first ODI since 2010. The 34-year-old doesn't boast express pace but has earned a reputation as being Adelaide Strikers' ice-cold finisher with the ball.
Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins loom as automatic selections in Australia's World Cup squad, as they were throughout the four-Test series against India when Siddle was constantly running drinks.
But if Siddle can replicate his impressive BBL form while troubling Virat Kohli's team during the three-match series then he could easily be joining the star trio on the plane to England.
"With those World Cup spots up for grabs for a lot of people, you definitely see the best come of a lot of blokes," the Victorian veteran said. "You are playing against one of the best one-day teams in the world.
"We may not be at full strength, missing a few players we'd probably like to have for the World Cup, but at the same time it's opportunities.
"I never thought I'd get the opportunity to play one-day cricket for Australia again. I'd probably forgotten about it really ... I feel like a young kid getting his first opportunity."
Siddle joined the Strikers in 2017 and it's proven the obvious catalyst for his ODI call-up.
"If there's ever a good way to learn fast, how to develop skills, in white-ball cricket then it's definitely the T20 format," he said.
"That's definitely helped my 50-over form ... getting the chance to play a full season of Big Bash."
Variations are all the rage in T20 and ODI cricket but the old-fashioned yorker has proven a potent weapon for Siddle.
