Australia wicketkeeper Peter Nevill has said the tourists remain united despite the “complex situation” which saw him included in the side for their third Ashes Test defeat by England.
Nevill made his debut in Australia's 405-run second Test win at Lord's after first-choice wicketkeeper Brad Haddin withdrew to be with his sick daughter, Mia. Nevill, 29, impressed at Lord's, with seven catches and 45 in his only innings.
But several former Australia players, notably Matthew Hayden, felt Haddin, 37, should have been recalled for the third Test and went on to question the worth of Australia’s “family first” policy in the light of his absence.
But selector Rodney Marsh, one of Australia's greatest wicketkeepers, said Haddin's form did not warrant a recall, with coach Darren Lehmann subsequently adding selection could not be guaranteed.
Reports in the Australian press suggested some players were unhappy at a move which could signal the end of Haddin’s 66-Test career.
“It’s obviously a complex situation, but all I can really focus on is I’ve been selected to do that job and I had to do it as best as I could,” Nevill said on Monday as the Australians prepare for the fourth Test in Nottingham, which begins on Thursday.
Nevill performed well again in the third Test at Birmingham's Edgbaston ground, where his second innings fifty helped Australia avoid a two-day defeat, although England still won by eight wickets to go 2-1 up in the series.
As for suggestions of dressing-room disharmony, Nevill said: “The atmosphere is great.
“Everyone enjoys each other’s company and laughs and jokes around. Obviously it hurts losing, but the focus is now on bouncing back and winning the next Test.”
Nevill’s 59 at Edgbaston saw him score a maiden Test fifty and helped give Australia a glimmer of hope in setting England 121 to win.
“To be able to get a lead and something to bowl at, it was great to be able to do that.”
Far from being overawed at replacing Haddin, Nevill said he always had confidence in his own ability.
“I sort of felt that I’d done the work to get here and I haven’t been concerned that I’m not up to it,” he said.
Indeed, he relished his rearguard action at Edgbaston. “I had a number of moments where the crowd are very vocal and the England quicks were steaming in,” he said.
“I just took a little moment to think to myself ‘how much fun is this?’ I would have loved to have put on more.”
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Christopher Celenza,
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
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He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
