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Hazlewood’s haul of five helps Australia surge to victory inside three days

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Josh Hazlewood took 5 for 43 to blow West Indies away [Cricinfo]

Josh Hazelwood led Australia’s surge to victory in Barbados as West Indies lost all 10 wickets in the final session of the third day, the final two falling in consecutive deliveries to Nathan Lyon in what would have been the last over the day to seal a 159-run margin.

Australia claimed the extra half an hour with West Indies seven down but with Shamar Joseph throwing the bat, having been dropped in the deep by Sam Konstas, and Justin Greaves playing solidly it appeared Australia would be forced to return on the fourth day. However, Shamar edged to slip before Jayden Seales was caught at short leg. It completed a performance where familiar Australia strengths came to the fore amid continued questions about the top order, but they were confronted by challenging conditions.

Travis Head, who was the beneficiary of West Indies’ seventh dropped catch of the match, Beau Webster and Alex Carey all played with the pro-activeness needed on this surface. Head was named player of the match for his twin half-centuries on a tricky surface. Carey’s superb strokeplay gave Australia plenty of buffer zone when it came to defending the target, meaning a repeat of what happened in the World Test Championship final was always unlikely on a surface that remained devilish at times, especially with the harder ball.

Mitchell Starc struck in the first over the chase when former captain Kraigg Brathwaite clipped loosely to backward square leg where Konstas held a low catch. However, that was followed by some adventurous strokeplay by John Campbell, including a sweep against Hazlewood, as he and Keacy Carty made encouraging process.

But innovation brought Campbell’s downfall when he attempted to lap-sweep Hazlewood again, and this time could only glove the ball to Carey. Next ball, Brandon King got an inside edge into his pads which flew high towards gully where Cameron Green, who had earlier given Carty a life on 1, used all his height to cling on. Sadly for Hazlewood, he did not make Roston Chase play at the hat-trick delivery as a packed ring of catchers awaited.

Not that he was delayed long when, two overs later, Chase got an inside edge that looped to short leg before spearing one through Carty. This was Hazlewood at his very best: hammering away back-of-a-length and giving the surface every chance to play some tricks.

Pat Cummins was then the beneficiary of those tricks when Shai Hope was cleaned up by a wicked delivery that scuttled under his bat. The run-scoring of Australia’s middle order against an older ball felt a long time ago. The only question was whether the visitors could get the job done in the evening.

Marnus Labuschagne, on as a sub, produced a direct hit run out to remove Alzarri Joseph and Hazlewood removed Jomel Warrican for his fifth wicket. Shamar Joseph launched two balls out of the stadium and some frustration was growing for Australia before Lyon sealed the job in fading light.

The game was in the balance at the start of the day, Australia ahead by 82, with plenty of eyes on how the surface would play. There was an early grubber to Head, which fortunately for him wasn’t straight, and he responded by flaying the next delivery through the off side. As Head would later find out there was always something lurking, but with a touch of fortune, runs were there to be made when intent was shown.

West Indies, though, were their own worst enemy again. On 21, Head was given a life when Greaves spilled a chance at second slip. It was the seventh they had put down for the game and had come after coach Daren Sammy had overseen the morning slips catching practice where nothing had been spilled. Head went to his second fifty of the match from 77 balls.

Webster, meanwhile, built an excellent innings, the third of his brief Test career which has come on a challenging surface following the debut half-century against India at the SCG. He used his reach to good effect to get out to the ball but was especially eye-catching off the back foot through the off side.

The stand of 102 was broken when Head received a brute of a delivery from Shamar Joseph that barely bounced, the only success for West Indies in the morning session when they would have hoped to knock over most of the remaining Australia batting.

After the break Webster brought up his fifty from 100 balls with a thick edge along the ground through gully before glancing Shamar Joseph down the leg side to Hope. An on-field not-out decision was overturned by third umpire Adrian Holdstock without any of the drama of the previous day.

By then Carey was into his stride having started positively but went up a gear in the over following Webster’s departure when he took 14 off Seales including the shot of the match: a skip down the pitch and perfectly executed lofted straight drive into the sightscreen. He went on to repeat the stroke against the lesser pace of Greaves, sending him over the stands at long-off, to motor to a 40-ball half-century as the game sped away from West Indies.

When joined by Lyon and Hazlewood he started to farm the strike as West Indies set their entire field back to him before lofting Chase into the deep. Shamar Joseph, who bowled the most overs in a match of his brief Test career, removed Hazlewood to claim the five-wicket haul which eluded him in the first innings.

Brief scores:
Australia 180 in 56.5  overs (Travis Head 59, Usman Khawaja 47; Jayden Seales 5-60, Shamar Joseph 4-46) & 310 in 81.5 overs (Alex Carey 65, Beau Webster 63, Travis Head 61, Shamar Joseph 5-87, Alzarri Joseph 2-65) beatWest Indies 190 in 63.2 overs (Roston Chase  44, Shai Hope 48;  Mitchell Starc 3-65,Josh Hazelwood 2-41, Pat Cummins 2-34, Beau Webster 2-20 ) & 141 in 33.4 overs  (Shamar  Joseph 44, Josh Hazlewood 5-43, Nathan Lyon 2-20) by 159 runs

[Cricinfo]



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BCB receives investigation report on sexual misconduct allegation

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Jahanara Alam had alleged being sexually assaulted by a member of the team management [Cricbuzz]
The Bangladesh Cricket Board received the investigation report into allegations of misconduct in women’s cricket raised by former national captain Jahanara Alam, a member of the five-member inquiry committee confirmed to Cricbuzz on Monday.

Jahanara had alleged being sexually assaulted by a member of the team management which forced BCB to form an investigation committee to probe into the matter.

Initially BCB announced that that the investigation committee will be chaired by Justice Tariq ul Hakim, former judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh while its other members were BCB Director Rubaba Dowla and senior Supreme Court lawyer and President of the Women’s Sports Association Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla.

Later, BCB expanded the committee by adding two more members- Professor Dr Naima Huq, former Chair of the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka and current Member of the Law Commission, Bangladesh and Barrister Muhammed Mustafizur Rahman Khan, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court.

When contacted, Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla told Cricbuzz on Monday that they have submitted the report to the board. The BCB has extended the deadline for this incident several times despite forming an investigation committee.

Deciding to extend the time for the first time on December 2, BCB said that Jahanara had asked the committee for some time to submit a written complaint and had been given another 15 days to submit the report. Then on December 21, the BCB again said that the independent investigation committee would submit the investigation report by January 31.

The announcement came hours after High Court issued rule over BCB’s silent role in probe into cricketer Jahanara’s allegations. On February 2, the High Court issued a rule asking why the silent role of the BCB should not be declared illegal in the probe based on the allegations of misconduct in women’s cricket raised by former national captain Jahanara Alam.

The HC bench of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar delivered the order on Monday (2 February) following a writ petition. Senior lawyer of Bangladesh Supreme Court Barrister Nasir Uddin Ahmed Asim, along with some other lawyers, took part in the hearing for writ petition in the court.

The lawyers said that the HC bench asked the BCB to show cause as to why its indifference and inaction in the Jahanara issue should not be declared illegal. The BCB has also been directed to inform the court about the steps it has taken or will take in this regard.

The writ petition states that if the authorities concerned remain silent in the case of any complaint, then not only one victim but many other potential victims would not dare to come forward due to fear or distrust, which hinders justice.

The court said that ensuring transparency and accountability is the responsibility of every institution – be it an educational institution, workplace, factory, hospital or sports ground. Such allegations should be considered with great seriousness in all cases.

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Trump confirms talks with Iran as US military shoots down Iranian drone

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People take part in an anti-USA demonstration in support of the Iranian regime in front of the US consulate in Istanbul on February 1, 2026 [File: Aljazeera]

United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that talks with Iran are continuing to try to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf, even as the US military announced shooting down an Iranian drone that approached its aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that Washington was negotiating with Iran “right now”, but declined to say where the talks were taking place.

“[The talks] are all over. But they are negotiating. They’d like to do something, and we’ll see if something is going to be done,” he said.

“They had a chance to do something a while ago, and it didn’t work out. And we did ‘Midnight Hammer’, I don’t think they want that happening again,” he added, referring to the operation last June in which the US Air Force and Navy struck three Iranian nuclear facilities.

Trump, who has been  pushing Teheran to agree to talks over its nuclear programme, has repeatedly threatened to attack the country again over a recent crackdown on antigovernment protests. The US president sent the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Gulf last week, leading to fears of a possible military confrontation.

The carrier strike group, which brought roughly 5,700 additional US troops, joined three destroyers and three littoral combat ships that were already in the region.

Tensions have been easing in recent days amid a push by regional powers for a resolution.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said earlier on Tuesday that he had instructed the country’s foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency”, provided that a “suitable environment exists”.

“These negotiations shall be conducted within the framework of our national interests,” Pezeshkian added

[Aljazeera]

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Seven million cancers a year are preventable, says report

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Air quality around the Delhi region of India reached 'severe' levels in November [BBC]

Seven million people’s cancer could be prevented each year, according to the first global analysis.

A report by World Health Organization (WHO) scientists estimates 37% of cancers are caused by infections, lifestyle choices and environmental pollutants that could be avoided.

This includes cervical cancers caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) infections which vaccination can help prevent, as well as a host of tumours caused by tobacco smoke from cigarettes.

The researchers said their report showed there is a “powerful opportunity” to transform the lives of millions of people.

Some cancers are inevitable – either because of damage we unavoidably build up in our DNA as we age or because we inherit genes that put us at greater risk of the disease.

But researcher Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram said “people are surprised to hear” that nearly four in 10 cancers can be prevented as it is “a substantial number”.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the WHO, analysed 30 preventable factors known to increase the risk of cancer.

These include smoking and ultraviolet (UV) radiation which can directly damage our DNA; obesity and too little physical activity which alter inflammation and hormones in the body to raise cancer risk; and air pollution which can wake up dormant cancer cells.

The agency’s report also looked at nine cancer-causing infections including HPV, hepatitis viruses which lead to liver cancer and the stomach bug H. pylori.

The team used data on cancer cases from 2022 and from the 30 risk factors a decade earlier – across 185 countries – to perform their statistical analysis.

The big three contributors to more than 18 million cancer cases around the world were found to be:

  • smoking tobacco which caused 3.3 million cancers
  • infections causing 2.3 million cancers
  • alcohol use leading to 700,000 cancers
Getty Images Nine people, mostly women, in a line at a bar, smoking cigarettes and holding alcoholic drinks. They all look dressed up for a fun night out.
Smoking and alcohol were two of the main causes of preventable cancers [BBC]

However, the overall figures mask a nuanced picture of cancer risk around the world.

There is a stark sex-divide with 45% of men’s cancers being preventable compared with 30% in women, partly down to higher levels of smoking among men.

In women living in Europe, the top three preventable causes of cancer are smoking, closely followed by infection and then obesity.

While in sub-Saharan Africa, infections dominate and account for nearly 80% of preventable cancers in women.

This means any measures to tackle these cancers would need to be tailored to each region or country.

“This landmark study is a comprehensive assessment of preventable cancer worldwide, incorporating for the first time infectious causes of cancer alongside behavioural, environmental, and occupational risks,” said Soerjomataram, the deputy head of the IARC Cancer Surveillance Unit.

“Addressing these preventable causes represents one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden.”

The report, published in the journal Nature Medicine, showed lung cancer (linked to smoking and air pollution) stomach cancer (linked to H. pylori infection) and cervical cancer (linked to HPV infection) made up nearly half of all preventable cases of cancer.

Dr Andre Ilbawi, team lead for cancer control at WHO, said the study was “good news” as it showed something could be done and he pointed to the success of countries that have introduced policies to tackle smoking or vaccinate against HPV.

“The percentage of preventable cancers can change over time and our goal is to get it as close to zero as possible,” he said.

[BBC]

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