Author: WebDesk

Australia batter Steve Smith remains optimistic about Pat Cummins’ availability for the Ashes opener in Perth, but says that if he is unavailable, world class Scott Boland would be a reliable replacement. In recent weeks, several reports from the Australian media have suggested that Cummins is unlikely to feature in the first Ashes Test, which is scheduled to be played in Perth from November 21. The 32-year-old has been dealing with back issues since the West Indies tour and is racing against time to be fit for the match, having not yet resumed bowling. Recently, chief selector George Bailey expressed…

A fit-again Rishabh Pant is set for his comeback, having been named captain of the India A squad for the two four-day matches against South Africa A, to be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. These two matches will be crucial for the Indian Test team vice-captain to prove his fitness ahead of the two-Test series against South Africa, starting on November 14 in Kolkata. Pant has been on the sidelines since suffering a toe injury during the England tour. In recent weeks, there have been several reports suggesting that Pant might play for Delhi in the…

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday confirmed the appointment of Shaheen Shah Afridi as the new ODI captain, replacing Mohammad Rizwan. This change in captaincy comes in the wake of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. A series of defeats forced the board to relieve Rizwan of his role. In the Champions Trophy, Rizwan-led Pakistan failed to win a single match and finished at the bottom of Group A. Despite the poor performance, Rizwan retained the captaincy for the series against New Zealand and the West Indies, both of which Pakistan lost. The decision to appoint Shaheen was…

Kane Williamson and Nathan Smith have been named in New Zealand’s 14-player squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, as announced by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on October 19. Williamson is set to play his first international match since the Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai. After opting for a casual contract with NZC, he had made himself unavailable over the past few months. The former New Zealand captain was in the United Kingdom, playing for Middlesex and London Spirit. Having spent the past month recovering from a minor medical issue, Williamson was not in contention for…

India batter Virat Kohli revealed how playing in Australia and watching cricket being played Down Under during his childhood helped shape his career. Ahead of the first ODI in Perth, Kohli spoke about his love affair with Australia. When asked what had made him so successful Down Under, Kohli said: “Growing up, watching cricket as a kid, we used to wake up early to watch Test matches in Australia. You could see the ball flying off the pitch and the opposition right in your face, and I used to think, ‘Wow, if I’m able to step up in these conditions…

Newly appointed India ODI skipper Shubman Gill has brushed aside talk of a possible rift between him and former captain Rohit Sharma, saying there is no such issue and that they share the same bond as in the past. Ever since Gill was named ODI captain, there has been ongoing debate over how Rohit would react to the decision, particularly given he led India to a Champions Trophy win earlier this year before being relieved of the role, and whether it might affect his relationship with his successor. However, ahead of the ODI series opener against Australia, Gill put the…

Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has opened up about Rohit Sharma’s remarkable physical transformation ahead of his comeback series against Australia, starting on October 19. A close friend of Rohit and also his coach, Nayar was one of the key personnel behind Rohit’s impressive transformation. He was regularly seen with Rohit in the gym and on the training ground. Having observed Rohit’s fitness journey from close quarters, Nayar shared: “Initially, we realised that there were 12 weeks before the Australia series. The thought process was to do something different. Since we had time on our hands, it wasn’t about…

South Africa Test captain Temba Bavuma has been included in the 16-member squad for the second four-day match of the series, which will be played from 6–9 October. These two multi-day matches are part of the build-up to the Test series between India and South Africa. Bavuma is currently nursing a calf injury that has kept him out of action during the ongoing Test series in Pakistan. The World Test Championship-winning skipper sustained the injury during the recent white-ball tour of England. While announcing the squads for the Pakistan tour, head coach Shukri Conrad provided an update on Bavuma, saying:…

Kerala vs Maharashtra The first session was almost entirely ruined by rain, with a delayed start to Day 2 in Thiruvananthapuram. Maharashtra resumed on 179/7 and were bowled out for 239. A gritty 59-run stand between Vicky Ostwal and Ramakrishna Ghosh helped the visitors to a respectable total. Rajneesh Gurbani’s dismissal gave pacer M.D. Nidheesh his five-wicket haul. Gurbani and Mukesh Choudhary started well with the new ball for Maharashtra. Mukesh created pressure from one end, and Gurbani reaped the rewards by removing Baba Aparajith and Akshay Chandran. Jalaj Saxena dismissed Rohan Kunnummal with the fourth delivery of his first…

The Lucknow Super Giants have roped in Kane Williamson as a strategic advisor ahead of the next IPL season, while Carl Crowe has joined the team as spin-bowling coach, the franchise confirmed on Thursday, October 16. Williamson, who was part of the Durban Super Giants, a sister franchise of LSG, was not retained for the upcoming SA20 season. Having been part of the Super Giants family, Williamson has now been given a role in the coaching staff – something he has never done in his career until now. Speaking about his new role, Williamson said: “I’m really excited to be…