Cummins to lead Australia in Pakistan ODIs, Fraser-McGuirk retained

News

Cummins to lead Australia in Pakistan ODIs, Fraser-McGuirk retained

2024-10-14 13:57 Last Updated At：14:10

SYDNEY (AP) — Pat Cummins will captain Australia’s one-day squad for the first time since lifting the Cricket World Cup in November in its three-match series against Pakistan at home next month.

Cummins was named Monday in the 14-man Australia squad for the matches at Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth along with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, the other regular members of Australia’s test pace lineup.

Jake Fraser-McGuirk has been given another chance after struggling in Australia’s Twenty20 series against Scotland in September, in which he made 16 runs in three innings with two ducks. While he made a 30-ball 50 against England, he wasn’t selected for the subsequent five-match ODI series.

Fraser-McGuirk will likely open the batting with Matt Short in the absence of Travis Head and Mitch Marsh who are on paternity leave. The squad also includes batters Steve Smith and Marnus Labushagne and white ball regulars Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis and Adam Zampa.

Cooper Connolly also has been retained after making his one-day and T20 debuts on Australia’s September tour to Britain.

Allrounder Aaron Hardie who scored 67 runs in two innings while batting No. 8 and took four wickets in the England series has kept his place while Marcus Stoinis returns after being left out of the England one-dayers.

Seamer Sean Abbott also has held his spot with several bowlers recovering from injuries suffered in England. Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett, Ben Dwarshuis and Riley Meredith all left that series with injuries while Spencer Johnson was ruled out with a side strain before it began.

Meanwhile, test allrounder Cameron Green confirmed Monday he will undergo surgery on a stress fracture in his back and will be out of action for six months.

A squad for the Twenty20 series against Pakistan will be named later this month.

The Pakistan series which comprises matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Nov. 4, the Adelaide Oval on Nov. 8 and Perth Stadium on Nov. 10 is Australia’s last one-day series before the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

South Korea's ruling party head supports suspending Yoon's powers, boosting chances of impeachment

2024-12-06 10:07 Last Updated At：10:10

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s ruling party chief showed support Friday for suspending the constitutional powers of President Yoon Suk Yeol for imposing martial law this week, in a bombshell reversal that makes Yoon's impeachment more likely.

Opposition parties parties are pushing for a parliamentary vote on Yoon's impeachment on Saturday, calling his short-lived martial law declaration “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” But they need support from some ruling party members to get the two-thirds majority needed to pass the impeachment motion.

During a party meeting, People Power Party leader Han Dong-hun stressed the need to suspend Yoon's presidential duties and power swiftly, saying he poses a “significant risk of extreme actions, like reattempting to impose martial law, which could potentially put the Republic of Korea and its citizens in great danger.”

Han said he had received intelligence that Yoon had ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities” during martial law.

"It's my judgment that an immediate suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s official duties is necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its people,” Han said.

Han on Thursday had said he would work to defeat the impeachment motion even though he criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration as “unconstitutional.” Han said there was a need to “prevent damage to citizens and supporters caused by unprepared chaos.”

Impeaching Yoon would require support from 200 of its 300 members. The opposition parties who jointly brought the impeachment motion have 192 seats combined. PPP has 108 lawmakers.

Han was previously regarded as a close associate of Yoon as they spent years working together as prosecutors and he served as Yoon’s first justice minister. But after Han entered party politics and became PPP leader, their ties soured badly as they differ over how to handle scandals involving Yoon and his wife.

Han leads a minority faction within the ruling party, and 18 lawmakers in his faction voted with opposition lawmakers to overturn Yoon’s martial law decree. Martial law ultimately lasted about six hours, after the quick overrule by the National Assembly forced Yoon's Cabinet to lift it before daybreak Wednesday.

If Yoon is impeached, he would be suspended until the Constitutional Court rules on whether to remove him from office or restore his presidential power. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country's No. 2 official, would take over presidential responsibilities.

The main liberal opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said in a televised speech Friday that it was crucial to suspend Yoon as “quickly as possible."

Lee said Yoon's martial law enforcement amounted to “rebellion and also a self-coup.” He said Yoon’s move caused serious damage to the country’s image and paralyzed foreign policy, pointing to criticism coming out of the Biden administration and foreign leaders canceling their visits to South Korea.

Yoon has made no immediate response to Han's comments. He hasn't made public appearances since he made a televised announcement that his martial law decree was lifted. But his office said Thursday that Yoon accepted the resignation offer of Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who opposition parties and Han alleged recommended the martial law imposition to the president.

Prosecutor General Shim Woo Jung told reporters Friday that the prosecution plans to investigate rebellion charges against Yoon following complaints filed by the opposition, which claims his stunt amounted to a “self-coup.” While the president mostly enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office, the protection does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason. It wasn’t immediately clear how the prosecution plans to proceed with an investigation on Yoon.

The prosecution on Thursday placed an overseas travel ban on Kim Yong Hyun.

Democratic Party spokesperson Jo Seoung-lae said Friday the party is considering filing a legal complaint against People Power Party floor leader Choo Kyung-ho, whom they accuse of attempting to facilitate Yoon’s martial law enforcement.