Australia captain Steve Smith is sure this month's one-day international series against England can hold its own against the allure of the Big Bash.
Until recently it would have been hard to imagine a contest between the old rivals playing second fiddle to any other cricketing contest, but Australia's Twenty20 competition has been a runaway success.
With a free-to-air television deal, colourful brands and a new breed of fans flocking to see their local franchises, the BBL is becoming a cultural phenomenon Down Under.
Smith on Maxwell's non-selection
Such is the dramatic impact it has had, Smith was asked on the eve of Sunday's first ODI in Melbourne whether the international side felt overshadowed by their own domestic tournament.
"Not from the players' point of view, no," he said.
"Everyone does everything they can to play for Australia or England. That's your ultimate - to play for your country. The Big bash has been a great success and draws plenty of crowds but I hope the one-day set-up does the same.
"I think we'll see some very entertaining cricket and there's some good talent on show."
Whether Australia vice-captain David Warner will be one of the attractions at the MCG is uncertain.
He has been struggling with a sickness bug for the past 48 hours, just as England's Joe Root recovers from a similar problem, and was unable to take an active part in training.
Smith was optimistic about his participation but stopped short of certainty.
"I think he's okay, but he was having a bit of a gastro issue," he said. "He turned up and walked the oval a few times, but he said he'll be fine so I don't think there'll be any trouble."
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Smith will be hoping to continue his dominance over the tourists after feasting on 687 runs at an average of 137.40 during the Ashes.
The make-up of the English attack is different, with Mark Wood, Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid all arriving to try their luck.
Asked if they might enjoy better results than their Test colleagues, he said: "I hope not. I've played a lot against those guys in the Champions Trophy, in series in England and here, too.
"But it's a different line-up and each of the guys in their team have a different set of skills. They're good one-day bowlers and a good one-day outfit so it's a good challenge."
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
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