Category: Cricket News

Atlantic Conference

Mercer County Park (MCP) played host to all the league games in New York tri-state area in the opening week. It was a landmark event for cricket in the region as the teams were welcomed by a brand-new turf pitch facility at the MCP. The newly laid wicket however, wasn’t hospitable to the batsmen as the ball cocked and flew around from unusual lengths, making life difficult for the batsmen. Evidently, the average first innings score was reduced to 109 as the bowlers made merry with the extra bite off the wicket.

New Jersey Stallions endured a winless week as the batting failed to post anything over the hundred run mark twice. The Stallions crawled their way to 94 against the Manhattan Yorkers. The Yorkers eclipsed the paltry target at a leisurely place off the first ball of the 20th over, thanks to a resolute 32 from Hiren Patel. Stallions came back the next day again to be restricted to 100 against the Philadelphians, who cantered home in the 16th over after Ryan Scott crafted a magnificent half-century off 26 deliveries, laden with 6 fours and 4 sixes on a wicket where every other batsmen looked at sea.

Somerset Cavaliers rode on the back of Chanderpaul Hemraj’s patient half century and Junaid Nadir’s all-round effort to down the Yorkers by 51 runs. Nadir’s 3-wicket haul and collective figures of 4 for 13 off the 8 overs by Cavaliers spinners Saad Bin Zafar and Kareema Gore, broke the back of Yorkers’ batting in a modest chase of 134.

Baltimore Royals edged past Morrisville Raptors’s challenge of 158 with 2 balls to spare. Former Gujarat and Rajasthan batsman Abdulahad Malek’s glittering innings of 71, in conjunction with a 47-ball 50 from Jaskaran Malhotra proved to be enough for the Royals to get their campaign off to an auspicious start. However, the Raptors retorted back in the next game with an easy win over the Royals, racing home to their target of 161 with an over to spare as Trevon Griffith wreaked havoc among the ranks of Royals’ bowlers with a dazzling knock of 77 in 47 balls.

Pacific Conference

Chicago Tigers crushed the might of Chicago Kingsmen who featured 7 first class cricketers including 3 Pakistan internationals in their starting eleven. The game marked the arrival of Fawad Alam to the US domestic scene as a local and calling quits to Pakistan cricket after 19 years. Former Pakistan U19 captain Hassan Khan put up an all round show with a rapid 50 off 26 balls and a miserly spell of 2 for 23, but was overshadowed by a devastating innings at the top of the order from Tigers’ Subramanium Doraiswamy off 44 and Cody Chetty’s mature innings of 51 off 44 in their pursuit of 166, seeing them home with over 2 overs to spare.

Former USA international Abhimanyu Rajp held his nerve in the final over, going onto defend 12 in the final over as Socal Lashings trumped San Diego Surf Riders by 10 runs in a low-scoring thriller. Before his incisive spell of 4 for 24, Rajp miraculously rescued the Lashings with a fiery cameo of 39 off 18 deliveries to lift the Lashings to 134 from 87 for 6.

The Lashings, however, failed to build on that momentum as a strong East Bay Blazers robbed them off a seemingly easy win with 44 needed off 32 deliveries and 7 wickets in hand. A 77-run opening stand in 10 overs between David White (68 off 52) and Vikash Mohan launched the Blazers towards a formidable total before a middle order muddle confined them to only a competitive 159. The Lashings lower order had few answers for Brody Couch and old war horse Rusty Theron’s thrifty death over spells as Blazers wrapped up a 7-run win.

East Bay Blazers bowlers came back again the next day to strangle the San Diego Surf Riders by 25 runs in a middling chase of 153. Vikash Mohan top scored for the Blazers with 37 including valuable contributions from the rest of the middle order. The Surf Riders batsmen threw in the towel fairly early in the chase owing to a stifling spell of 3 for 11 by Musaddiq Ahmed.

Silicon Valley Strikers started life without their talisman Unmukt Chand with a rude awakening. Strikers missed the composure and maturity of Chand at the top of the order as they limped their way to a 21-run defeat in response to Lashings’ 144. Buoyed by Ruben Clinton’s 64 off 55 deliveries, Lashings bowlers had Strikers in the dock as Ayan Desai castled Lahiru Milantha for a duck. Shehan Jayasuriya’s valiant effort of 55 in 38 deliveries couldn’t save Strikers the blushes as the rest of the batsmen failed to make their presence felt.

San Diego Surf Riders , nonetheless, left no stone unturned in getting the former champions back to winning ways. Lahiru Milantha turned his fortunes around with a stormy 71 laden with 5 sixes to catapult the Strikers to 174. The Surf Riders buckled under the pressure of a tall chase to ultimately fold out for 119 with Srinivas Raghavan coming to the party with a spell of 3 for 26.

Bengal veteran batsman Manoj Tiwary on Tuesday (August 8) announced that he has decided to come out of his retirement to play one more season for Bengal in the red-ball format with the hope of helping the team bag the elusive Ranji Trophy crown.

Tiwary had announced his sudden retirement from the game on social media last Thursday.

In a press conference held at the Media Center of the Eden Gardens on Tuesday, Tiwary was accompanied by CAB president Snehashish Ganguly and secretary Naresh Ojha.

Speaking about Tiwary’s sudden retirement, Ganguly said, “After I got to know about Manoj’s retirement, I was very much surprised at his decision. I got in touch with him and told him that after representing Bengal for nearly two decades, this is not the right way to announce the retirement. A player and leader like him must retire on the cricket field and not in this manner. He has contributed immensely for Bengal Cricket, so he deserves a special and proper farewell.”

Tiwary, under whose leadership Bengal finished as runners-up in the 2022-23 edition of the Ranji Trophy, stressed that his main aim will be to lift the Ranji crown next season and bid farewell to the game.

“The decision taken by me was a sudden one. I was selfish in taking this decision as this might have hurt my family, teammates and fans. My wife also scolded me after I posted the announcement on social media. After that, I spoke to Snehashish (da), and he convinced me to play for Bengal for one more season.

“The love and respect I got from CAB is unforgettable and you must remember that what CAB does for its players is unparalleled. I would like to apologise to fans and my well wishers, and I hope to give my best next season and bring glory for Bengal,” Tiwary signed off.

On August 5, Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan insisted that they need to know Shakib al Hasan’s availability before appointing him as successor of Tamim Iqbal, who stepped down from the post of ODI captain recently.

Seventy-two hours have passed since then, but the BCB president is yet to start negotiation with Shakib regarding his availability, likely due to the fact that he needs the board’s mandate to make such a move.

On Tuesday, August 8, the BCB president received the said mandate from the board during the emergency meeting at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, as his colleagues entrusted him to appoint the next ODI captain. BCB officials said that they are confident about resolving the matter on or before August 12 – the deadline set by the Asian Cricket Council to announce the squads for the forthcoming Asia Cup, which will be hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30.

Nazmul is now expected to talk to the three probable candidates for the captaincy position – Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz .

“We had an emergency meeting today. There was an issue regarding captaincy, as we were scheduled to decide on the Asia Cup captain. We gave the responsibility of selecting the ODI skipper to our board president,” BCB’s cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus told reporters after the meeting on Tuesday.

“He will now talk to the probable candidates for the position, and we will then finalise the matter. We hope that we will decide about the captaincy before (August) 12th, which is our deadline (for the Asia Cup squad announcement).”

It is understood that all the board members want Shakib to lead the side in the Asia Cup and World Cup, as they feel that he is the most experienced at handling the pressure of big tournaments. However, some of them suggested the idea of split captaincy going forward.

The consensus is that the responsibility of the white-ball format should go to Shakib, and that of Test cricket should go to Liton in order to groom him for the future.

Bangladesh are scheduled to play a two-Test series against New Zealand on home soil after the World Cup, and according to board insiders, many feel that the all-rounder may skip the Test series as well, after playing non-stop cricket from September to November.

“You know that some of them are currently abroad (Shakib in the Lanka Premier League and Litton just completed featuring in Global T20). We could have talked to them by telephone. But there were some discussions regarding some matters between ourselves. We want to finalize whether we would give captaincy for two formats or all formats,” said Jalal.

“We want to take their consent for captaincy. As we have the Asia Cup coming up, we want to settle the ODI captaincy issue first. We may think about other two formats along with it,” he said, adding that they may announce the Asia Cup skipper first, and then a captain for the World Cup, scheduled in India in October-November.

“As the deadline for squad announcement of Asia Cup is August 12, we want to announce the Asia Cup captain by that time. After that, we want to announce the World Cup captain, for which the deadline is September 5,” he concluded.

However, it is understood that if Shakib takes over the captaincy, it will at least last the duration of the World Cup, but doubts remain as to whether or not Shakib will take up the offer.

The Netherlands team is scheduled to have a 12-day camp near Bengaluru in September. The pre-World Cup gathering of the Dutch men, the surprise qualifiers for the championship, has been organized by the Netherlands Cricket and the Karnataka State Cricket Association. The camp will take place from September 19 to October 1 at the Alur facility of the KSCA.

A KSCA official confirmed the development to Cricbuzz after a couple of Dutch officials informed Cricbuzz about the plan. There are plans to extend the camp by a couple of weeks, possibly from the first week of September, but a confirmation on this has not yet been obtained.

The Scot Edwards-led side qualified for the October 5-November 19 World Cup against many odds and ahead of stronger full member teams like the West Indies and Zimbabwe. They beat Scotland convincingly in a must-win World Cup qualifier game in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, securing their place by outperforming the Scots on Net Run Rate. Bas de Leede was the undisputed Man of the Match with five wickets and 123 runs.

“What a fantastic performance this Dutch team has achieved! Beforehand, qualification in the midst of so many Full Members seemed like a hopeless mission. The Orange bellied all the doomsayers with brilliant game plans and unprecedented fighting spirit and deserved to make it to the final tournament,” the Dutch cricket official website said of the achievement. This will be their fifth appearance in an ODI World Cup after taking part in the 1996, 2003, 2007 and 2011 editions.

The Netherlands are scheduled to open their campaign against Pakistan on October 5 in Hyderabad. They are set to play their games against New Zealand in Hyderabad on October 9, against South Africa on October 17 in Dharamsala, against Sri Lanka on October 21 in Lucknow, against Australia in Delhi on October 25, against Bangladesh in Kolkata on October 28, against Afghanistan in Lucknow on November 3, against England in Pune on November 8, and finally, play their final league game against hosts India on November 11 in Bengaluru.

Needless to emphasize, the schedule of a couple of their games may undergo a change as the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the International Cricket Council (ICC) are yet to release the final program of the World Cup.

Out of favor batter Fawad Alam has called time on his Pakistan career that spanned for 15 years. Alam, who turns 37 in October, will turn up as a ‘local’ player for the Chicago Kingsmen in Minor League Cricket T20, a tournament that underpins USA’s just concluded flagship T20 tournament Major League Cricket (MLC). He joins a long list of Pakistan players like Sami Aslam, Hammad Azam, Saif Badar and Mohammad Mohsin who moved bases to USA to ply their trade in the country.

Although he made his white ball debut for Pakistan in 2007, Alam’s presence has been sporadic at best in the Pakistan dressing room. Notching up a ton on Test debut in 2009, he was dropped a couple of Tests later and played his next Test after a gap of 11 years, despite amassing mountains of runs with an average of 55 in the domestic circuit. Alam established himself in the Test team for a brief period after his career got a new lease of life in 2020. He vindicated his selection with a hundred in New Zealand in trying circumstances in his 3rd game after the comeback. He topped that up with hundreds against South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe.

However, Alam’s unorthodox technique got found out against Australia in early 2022. He managed 33 in 4 innings on the most docile tracks and was eventually dumped after failing in a Test against Sri Lanka in July 2022. He was part of Pakistan’s 2009 T20 World Cup winning squad but could only muster up 11 more games in the format after the championship win. He played 19 Tests, 38 ODIs and 24 T20Is for Pakistan with 5 Test centuries and a solitary ODI century against Sri Lanka in the 2014 Asia Cup.

Alam’s non selection in Tests accompanied by an unconventional technique divided opinions across the spectrum in Pakistan cricket for almost a decade. Former players and media vociferously clamored for his selection as he churned out runs by the truckloads season after season in the Qaid-e-Azam trophy. He walks into the sunset with over 14,000 runs in domestic cricket in 201 first class games over 19 years.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named former Pakistan captain and batting legend Inzamam-ul-Haq as the national chief selector of the Pakistan men’s team. This will be the second stint in the role for the 53-year-old who previously held the position between 2016 and 2019. During his reign, Pakistan managed to get to no.1 in the Test rankings apart from winning the Champions Trophy title in 2017.

The immediate task at hand for Inzamam will be the upcoming bilateral series against Afghanistan to be played in Sri Lanka from August 22 followed by the Asia Cup. Then, there will be the inevitable task of naming Pakistan’s ODI World Cup squad. Coincidentally, he was in charge while picking the team for the 2019 edition as well.

Head coach Grant Bradburn and Head of Cricket Operations Mickey Arthur will also be part of the selection committee, although the extent of their roles is yet to be known. Inzamam’s appointment comes at a time when the PCB is trying to revamp the country’s cricketing structure. He was recently named along with Mohammad Hafeez as a member of the Cricket Technical Committee (CTC) to be headed by Misbah-ul-Haq. That committee has been created with the sole purpose of uplifting the scale and status of cricket from grassroots level.

The final hierarchy and responsibilities of the selection committee will be finalised after a meeting with Babar Azam, the captain of the men’s national team.

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has been named the new head coach of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, replacing Brian Lara who held the post last season. It remains unknown whether the rest of SRH’s support staff, including Muttiah Muralitharan will stay on or be replaced.

Vettori will be the fourth head coach appointed by SRH, after Tom Moody (2013-2019 and 2022), Trevor Bayliss (2020-2021) and Lara (2023).

As previously reported by Cricbuzz, SRH were on the look out for a replacement for Lara under whom SRH finished bottom of the table in 2023 with just four wins in 14 league games.

Vettori brings coaching experience in the same tournament, having helmed Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2014 to 2018. In this period, RCB made it to the playoffs in 2015 and finished runners-up in 2016. Vettori is also the coach of Birmingham Phoenix in the men’s Hundred competition.

The New Zealander also previously served as spin bowling coach for Bangladesh, and is currently the assistant as well as spin bowling coach for Australia.

The IPL is seeing a coaching overhaul across teams as RCB ended their long-standing association with Mike Hesson as well as last year’s head coach Sanjay Bangar to bring in Andy Flower. Flower himself was with the Lucknow Super Giants until IPL 2023, before being released and replaced with former Australia head coach Justin Langer.

Tilak Varma, the Indian middle order batter, admitted that the team fell around 10 runs short with the bat following their second successive defeat in the ongoing T20I series against West Indies. The hosts chased down the 153-run target with two wickets in hand and seven balls to spare at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Sunday.

Electing to bat after winning the toss, India managed to post 152 for 7, largely courtesy Tilak’s 41-ball 51 – his maiden half-century in international cricket. The southpaw walked in to bat when India were struggling at 18 for 2 in the fourth over and then revived the innings in the company of Shubman Gill (23-ball 27) and Hardik Pandya (18-ball 24). In what seemed like a competitive total on a testing pitch, West Indies dominated the run chase courtesy Nicholas Pooran’s 40-ball 67. Even as Hardik Pandya’s triple strike and Yuzvendra Chahal’s brace kept India in the contest, India were always playing catch-up.

Tilak heaped praise on Pooran’s effort and said, “The wicket was on the slower side and two-paced. We thought 150-160 would’ve been a good score. Maybe we fell 10 runs short, but it was a good performance (by our batters).

“Of course, credit to Pooran because he has batted really well. He put the pressure on the bowlers. We knew that if we could get one wicket, we could save the game because the wicket was on the slower side and it wasn’t that easy to bat. It was a bowler’s wicket. Unfortunately, it’s such a funny game, it can turn around and we could’ve made a comeback.”

Tilak also admitted that the West Indian bowlers used the conditions well to their advantage, with their variations. While Romario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph and Akeal Hosein bagged a brace each, all their frontline bowlers were also economical, never allowing the Indian innings to find the momentum they needed.

“They bowled really well,” he said. “They used their slower ones and hard lengths really well. They used the wind conditions really well, credit goes to them. We’ll sit and have a chat and come back stronger.”

Even as the team has lost both the games so far, Tilak has made an early impression on the international stage. He has had the company of Rahul Dravid, who was his coach even in Under-19 cricket, and has spent ample time discussing the game with the Indian head coach even after the practice sessions on the Carribean tour.

Opening up on his discussions with Dravid, he said, “I’ve been with Rahul sir since Under-19 world cup. He always tells me to follow my basics and spend as much time at the wicket. He always tells me to enjoy my game. Hardik bhai was also telling me the same thing. He told me you’ve done well in IPL and domestic, so just enjoy your game.”

Australia have named an initial 18-man squad for the ODI World Cup. While the likes of Aaron Hardie, Tanveer Sangha and Nathan Ellis have found a spot in the squad, Marnus Labuschagne has been left out.

The 18-member squad will first play five ODIs in South Africa followed by their tour of India where they will play three more ODIs before the World Cup.

ODI Squad:Pat Cummins (C), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

It was also confirmed that allrounder Glenn Maxwell will miss the ODI series in South Africa as he has been granted family leave and will directly join the squad in India. Skipper Pat Cummins, who injured his wrist during the final Ashes Test, will join the squad in South Africa during the ODI series in order to prepare for the India tour.

“Pat injured his left wrist diving in the field on the first day at The Oval,” Chair of Selectors George Bailey said. “He has an undisplaced fracture of his left radius which requires six weeks rehabilitation. We expect him to join the squad during the South African ODI Series. We view a period of enforced rest for Pat as a positive ahead of this important World Cup campaign. There are still a number of games he could play before the World Cup which is more than enough for him to have a strong preparation.”

Prior to the ODIs, Australia will also play a three-match T20I series against South Africa for which the big names have been rested. Mitchell Marsh will lead the second-string squad that will not have the likes of Starc, Hazlewood, Warner, Cummins and Green.

Hardie, who has been included in the ODI squad, finds a spot in the T20 squad as well. South Australian Spencer Johnson and Victorian Matt Short also join the national squad for the first time whereas Jason Behrendorff has been picked for the first time since the 2022 Pakistan tour.

“Mitch has long been a senior player within the white ball structure, with this an opportunity for him to add to his leadership skills at international level,” Bailey said. “We look forward to him taking that step in South Africa. Aaron, Spencer and Matt have been outstanding in the BBL and identified as potential national players of the future.

“Aaron has impressed in recent outings for Australia A as well as for the Scorchers while Matt has blossomed with extra responsibility at the top of the order for the Strikers. Spencer’s left-arm pace and bounce was highly effective in his first season for the Heat. This trip will be a fantastic experience for all three and the chance to play their first games for their country.”

T20I squad:Mitchell Marsh (C), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Australia have named an initial 18-man squad for the ODI World Cup. While the likes of Aaron Hardie, Tanveer Sangha and Nathan Ellis have found a spot in the squad, Marnus Labuschagne has been left out.

The 18-member squad will first play five ODIs in South Africa followed by their tour of India where they will play three more ODIs before the World Cup.

ODI Squad:Pat Cummins (C), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

It was also confirmed that allrounder Glenn Maxwell will miss the ODI series in South Africa as he has been granted family leave and will directly join the squad in India. Skipper Pat Cummins, who injured his wrist during the final Ashes Test, will join the squad in South Africa during the ODI series in order to prepare for the India tour.

“Pat injured his left wrist diving in the field on the first day at The Oval,” Chair of Selectors George Bailey said. “He has an undisplaced fracture of his left radius which requires six weeks rehabilitation. We expect him to join the squad during the South African ODI Series. We view a period of enforced rest for Pat as a positive ahead of this important World Cup campaign. There are still a number of games he could play before the World Cup which is more than enough for him to have a strong preparation.”

Prior to the ODIs, Australia will also play a three-match T20I series against South Africa for which the big names have been rested. Mitchell Marsh will lead the second-string squad that will not have the likes of Starc, Hazlewood, Warner, Cummins and Green.

Hardie, who has been included in the ODI squad, finds a spot in the T20 squad as well. South Australian Spencer Johnson and Victorian Matt Short also join the national squad for the first time whereas Jason Behrendorff has been picked for the first time since the 2022 Pakistan tour.

“Mitch has long been a senior player within the white ball structure, with this an opportunity for him to add to his leadership skills at international level,” Bailey said. “We look forward to him taking that step in South Africa. Aaron, Spencer and Matt have been outstanding in the BBL and identified as potential national players of the future.

“Aaron has impressed in recent outings for Australia A as well as for the Scorchers while Matt has blossomed with extra responsibility at the top of the order for the Strikers. Spencer’s left-arm pace and bounce was highly effective in his first season for the Heat. This trip will be a fantastic experience for all three and the chance to play their first games for their country.”

T20I squad:Mitchell Marsh (C), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan insisted that they need to know about Shakib al Hasan’s availability before appointing him as the successor of Tamim Iqbal as next ODI skipper of the national team.

The post went vacant following Tamim’s decision to step down as ODI captain recently due to his back injury. During the same press conference, BCB officials insisted that they will appoint their next ODI skipper for two years.

Shakib, who is the current Test and T20I skipper, had previously led Bangladesh in 50-overs cricket, including the World Cup in 2011.

Initially Nazmul said that Litton Das will replace Tamim as ODI skipper if he is unavailable in the forthcoming Asia Cup but as the left-hander decided to step down now Shakib has appeared as the front-runner for the post due to his rich experience at the highest level.

“We have not discussed captaincy yet. We have to take a break and think about it. As I have said before, if it was one series, we could have gone with the vice-captain (Litton) but now we have to think long term,” Nazmul told reporters in Dhaka on Saturday (August 5).

“There are two problems. If we think about the long term it is one thing. But there is the World Cup as well and the pressure of the World Cup is not small. If I select a new guy and whether he can take this pressure – we need to consider that as well. If we choose someone on a long term basis and he is not available after one year, what will we do? So we need to discuss these things,” he said.

“Shakib is the obvious choice but can you say he will play for two years? We don’t know that and so we need to know his plan and talk with the board. I think the easiest choice is Shakib and there is no problem with it,” he said.

“Leading in the bilateral series and World Cup are two different things. And whether that influences his (Litton) batting or not, we need to see everything. We will take a decision without hurrying it up,” he said.

Bangladesh need to quickly appoint their next ODI captain as the selection panel is unable to name their squad without knowing the leader of the 50-over format team.

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha is expected to arrive on August 8 and later start skill training of his charges to prepare for the upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled to be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board has named an 18-member squad for the three-match ODI series against Pakistan in Sri Lanka, which will be played between August 22 and 26, 2023. The series will be a precursor to the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, and later, the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup in India.

Fast bowlers Mohammad Saleem Safi and Wafadar Momand retain their spots after Afghanistan’s recent successful ODI series in Bangladesh, where they won the series 2-1. Zia ur Rahman, the left-arm spinner who debuted in the Bangladesh series, was left out, alongside uncapped legspinner Izharulhaq Naveed. On the other hand, Noor Ahmad, who had a successful IPL campaign, made a comeback into the squad.

The inclusion of Noor Ahmad in the Asia Cup suggests that he is in the reckoning for the World Cup, considering ACB chief selector Asadullah Khan’s earlier statement to Cricbuzz – that they were done experimenting and that the selected squad would reflect the team that would travel for the World Cup.

The two reserve players for the squad include left-arm quick bowler Farid Ahmad Malik and left-handed batsman Shahidullah Kamal.

ACB chief selector Asadullah Khan reiterated that this series was a good preparation for the high-stakes ODI events coming up in the next few months, and were fully prepared with a supervised camp in Kabul and a conditioning camp prior to the Pakistan series.

“Our whole concentration is to prepare the team for the upcoming two big events of Asia Cup and the World Cup 2023,” said ACB chief selector Asadullah Khan. “This three-match ODI series against Pakistan provides us with a wonderful opportunity to prepare the team for the forthcoming two events.”

“The preparations for the Pakistan series are progressing well; the players have recently performed well in the Kabul Camp, which has been supervised by ACB’s HPC staff. The team will also undergo a week-long conditioning camp prior to the Pakistan Series.”

Afghanistan Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Noor Ah

The owner of ball manufacturer Dukes has categorically refuted that he ever would initiate an investigation into the ball change episode that has rocked an otherwise fiercely-contested Ashes series. Dilip Jajodia, the owner of the Dukes Balls, said he is no one to conduct a probe, and a drama is needlessly being created by the team that lost the Test (at the Oval). “There is no conspiracy,” he asserted.

“Well, I didn’t actually say I wanted to do an investigation. Okay? Misquoted!,” he stated emphatically. “Everybody seems to want to do (an) investigation. I don’t know what, why there is a point of making an investigation,” Jajodia told Cricbuzz on Sunday, a day after comments attributing to him about initiating an internal probe emerged.

“It is absolutely false. There is no evidence that a 2019 ball had gone (there). I mean, I don’t know who says this and nobody does any checks. It’s not to have a ball going back four or five years, you know, in the spare box, ball box. So that’s the end of it. There’s no conspiracy, so to speak,’ Jajodia said, denying that a 2019 batch ball, which was known to swing more than the latest lot, got mixed up in that box that on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Kumar Dharmasena checked.

The Test, seemingly, turned on its head after the change of ball 37 overs into the second innings of Australia, who were cruising well at none for 140. They eventually got all out for 334, losing the match by 49 runs. Jajodia strove to explain that all this could have been part of the game, glorious uncertainties that is.

“Well, basically they are alleging that the changed ball performed more to the advantage of the English bowlers. But what they are not saying is that the weather conditions also changed. And maybe the English bowlers were in better form. Yes. You see, the marvellous thing about cricket is that it’s not entirely predictable. You know, there are changes that can happen. And even a bowler starts an inning and bowls five or six overs of mediocre rubbish and then he comes back in his second spell and suddenly finds his form and he can pick up three wickets.

“You know, that’s what cricket’s about. And it surprises me that people are always looking for excuses to create a drama. At the end of the day, the Australians lost. And so they’re alleging that. The ball had to be changed because it hit Usman Khawaja on his helmet. There’s nothing wrong with the ball. So it’s the end of the matter. There is no probe, nothing.” He was firm.

Further dismissing the talk that he would conduct a probe, he asked, “Who am I to conduct an investigation, anyway? I have no authority. The only person to conduct an investigation is the ICC. It’s an ICC competition. It’s a Test championship. So all I can do is to pass comment, and obviously, I’m an interested party as well. So at some stage, I will ask questions. But as far as I know, all the balls in the box had to be from the year 2023. (You) can’t get a ball from 2019. Nobody has a stock of balls from 2019. They’re all gone. So I think that was totally wrong. But if there’s some allegation that the ball was too new or it was a ball that suddenly did something and so on, I’m just as interested in an investigation as anybody.”

He went on to add, “The people who stage the match should conduct the probe — the county cricket club, the ground authorities, the ECB, the ICC. So out of all these people, I’m not going to be able to go in there and start demanding investigation. That was a misquote! I said I’d be interested to know if there was a problem, what it was, and I would be happy to assist in any investigation if there was one, because, I’m technically the person who makes the balls. With a bit of luck, my opinion might be useful, but frankly, I can’t control what goes in the box. It’s the umpires who choose the balls.”

After the end of the Test, Ricky Ponting demanded a probe into the ball change episode after Australia missed a chance to secure a 3-1 result in the Ashes. On the face of it, the ball they picked looked newer than the one they replaced.

“I said that it’s something that if the balls are, you know, they’re supposed to be an age, in the box, there’ll be balls that have had 50 overs or 40 overs or 30 overs, that sort of thing. And then they should be in some sort of order, and then the umpire will bring the box, and then they decide which ball is as close to the ball that they’re changing.

“So the allegation was that the ball that they took out of the box appeared to be truer than the ball that they staged and therefore started doing things which created Australia to lose. I mean, that’s the allegation, but there’s no evidence. Certainly would not be true that there was a 2019 ball in that box. From my point of view, (that’s) not possible,” he explained. “But it’s just one of these things as part and parcel of the game. When a result doesn’t go in the right direction, the people on the other side of the decision are unhappy. It’s as simple as that.”

The ball maker threw some light on how the Duke balls behave. “You know, you can get two balls and you can bowl them exactly one after another. One might swing it more than the other. That’s the way it is. As I said, the conditions and the skill of a bowler and his form (matter). So a good bowler can bowl well and get no wickets, and a not-so-good bowler can bowl, sort of, not very well and then pick up wickets. So that’s another anomaly in cricket.

“The Duke balls, generally speaking, have a reputation for doing more; they swing and it seam — the hand-stitched traditional cricket ball, and then depending on the weather conditions, depending on the skill of the bowler, depending on whether he’s in form or not, the amount of movement of the ball will depend on all those things.

“And you know, a lot of bowlers don’t get swing because they bowl too short. This is just a personal view. I’m just an observer. And weather conditions change as well. I mean, you know, the break came, from an England point of view, at the right time because the Aussies were well-set and they were looking at 130 or something for none. They were looking well-set and then there’s the break. And then when they came back, you know… the weather was slightly different and worked both extremely well and so on.”

The Pakistan government has expressed concerns about its team’s security in India during the World Cup but has stated that it will allow the side to take part in the tournament.

“Pakistan has deep concerns about the security of its cricket team. We are conveying these concerns to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Indian authorities. We expect that the full safety and security of the Pakistan Cricket Team will be ensured during its visit to India,” a foreign ministry statement said on Sunday (August 6).

However, it has stated that it will not prevent Babar Azam’s side from traveling to India. “Pakistan has consistently maintained that sports should not be mixed with politics. It has, therefore, decided to send its cricket team to India to participate in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023,” the foreign ministry statement added.

The statement, however, does not mention about sending a recoinnance delegation to India to do a recce of the venues where Pakistan will play. PCB sources have maintained that there is a chance of a security team visiting India but a decision on this will be taken later.

Pakistan’s matches are slated to take place in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata. As per the existing schedule, their inaugural match is against the Netherlands in Hyderabad, with a highly anticipated match against India in Ahmedabad, likely on October 14.

As recently reported, a high-level meeting was held on Thursday (August 3). The decision of the meeting was conveyed to the ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). “Pakistan believes that the state of bilateral relations with India should not stand in the way of fulfilling its international sports-related obligations,” the statement said, adding, “Pakistan’s decision shows its constructive and responsible approach vis-a-vis India’s intransigent attitude, as the latter had refused to send its Cricket Team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.”

The high-level ministerial and government agencies’ meeting in Pakistan regarding the national team’s participation in the World Cup concluded positively. The committee, led by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, expressed hope that Babar Azam’s team would receive the same level of security that was provided during their tour of India for the Twenty20 World Cup in 2016. A security delegation is set to visit the anticipated venues in the coming weeks.

Reliable sources in Pakistan indicate that the committee has directed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to formally communicate with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding security concerns and the upcoming visit by the reconnaissance team. Despite ongoing tensions between the countries, the prevailing sentiment from the meeting leans towards endorsing the team’s tour to India, emphasising the separation of sports from politics. An official statement from the foreign ministry is expected shortly.

The committee, formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was tasked with providing recommendations to the government regarding the team’s participation in the World Cup scheduled from October 5 to November 19. In addition to Foreign Minister Bhutto Zardari, attendees included Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Pakistan’s adviser Qamar Zaman Qaira, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar. Representatives from various security agencies were also reportedly present.

Pakistan’s matches are slated to take place in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata. As per the existing schedule, their inaugural match is against the Netherlands in Hyderabad, with a highly anticipated match against India in Ahmedabad, likely on October 14.

Mumbai and Kolkata have been designated as the semifinal venues. Should the Pakistan team progress to the final four stage, their match would be held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This decision is accompanied by precautionary measures aimed at facilitating the team’s safe travel away from Mumbai, where potential challenges for the Pakistan side are foreseen.

Andy Flower has been confirmed as the head coach for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, succeeding director of cricket operations, Mike Hesson, whose tenure with the franchise has ended. The contracts of remaining members of the RCB support staff, including head coach Sanjay Bangar, have also not been extended. The confirmation comes hours after Cricbuzz reported about the changes on Thursday night.

Making the announcement on Friday, the franchise said, “Andy has coached the International and franchise cricket teams for over a decade and in that time has won PSL, The Hundred, ILT20, T10. He went onto be a hugely successful coach for England, winning home and away Ashes campaigns as well as the T20 World Cup in 2010 taking England test team to No1 in the world. He is also the first player from Zimbabwe to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.”

The franchise also confirmed parting ways with Hesson & Co. “RCB also confirmed the decision of not renewing the contract of Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson and Head Coach Sanjay Bangar as part of the internal review that the team has concluded post the end of the previous season. The franchise places its gratitude to both of these dignitaries for all their efforts during their time with RCB for the last four seasons.”

In a report dated July 18, Cricbuzz had revealed that Flower was engaged in discussions with several franchises, including the Rajasthan Royals. However, it has since become evident that the Bengaluru-based team has secured his services for the upcoming years. There exists a potential for AB de Villiers, who greatly contributed to the franchise’s success, to collaborate with Flower as a mentor, although no official confirmation has been made yet. There is no announcement on de Villiers on Friday.

Flower’s association with the Lucknow Super Giants concluded earlier this year following the culmination of his two-year contract after IPL 2023. The Sanjiv Goenka-owned team has already enlisted Justin Langer.

RCB, under the ownership of the UK-based Diageo company, is renowned for making well-informed decisions backed by extensive research. The appointment of Hesson in 2019 followed a similar diligent selection process. Evidently, the team has conducted a comprehensive evaluation of Flower, a figure highly esteemed in the international cricket scene.

On the appointment, Rajesh V Menon, vice president & head of Royal Challengers Bangalore, said, “Andy is one of the best coaches in the game today. He has inspired players in leagues across the world. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome him to Royal Challengers Bangalore. His track record of success is ideal to take RCB forward.”

He also thanked Hesson and Bangar. “I recognise the work put in by Mike Hesson and Sanjay Bangar, who are two coaches I respect, and I look forward to the challenge of taking RCB to new heights. I’m particularly excited to be reunited with Faf. We have worked very well together in the past and I look forward to forging our partnership and relationship into something bigger and better.”

Flower said the new assignment will be a challenge which he hoped to relish. “We have an exciting roster of players to work with, and I recognise and will relish both the amazing opportunity with RCB but also the responsibility that comes with the role. It is a great challenge, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Hesson’s association with RCB began in 2019, during which the team secured playoff berths for three consecutive years. Unfortunately, their aspirations for a top-four finish in IPL 2023 were thwarted by Shubman Gill’s exceptional performance in a must-win match. “I would like to thank the RCB management, players, support staff and the fans for a journey filled with moments that I will forever cherish,” Hesson stated.

** The copy was updated on August 4