Author: WebDesk

In a major blow to the East Zone squad, Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of this year’s Duleep Trophy. Aashirwad Swain has been called up to the squad as his replacement. There is no clarity on why Kishan will miss the prestigious red-ball tournament, which marks the start of the domestic season. The Odisha Cricket Association took to X to confirm the news. “Odisha’s wicketkeeper-batter Aashirwad Swain has been selected for the East Zone squad in the Duleep Trophy, replacing Ishan Kishan! He joins Sandeep Pattnaik in the squad, while Swastik Samal has been named as a standby.” A…

England spinner Shoaib Bashir remains unhindered by his role model Nathan Lyon’s assessment, in which the Australian off-spinner described him as “okay” and backed Jack Leach as England’s leading spin option. Lyon, Australia’s most successful off-spinner, stirred debate by naming the currently out-of-favour Leach as England’s number one spin option, while offering only faint praise for Bashir. “Everyone has their own opinions and that’s fine. I just stick to what I believe and what the people around me believe. I don’t really look at that stuff,” Bashir commented as quoted by the PA news agency. Lyon’s lukewarm assessment hasn’t made…

Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson justified Babar Azam’s omission from the T20I squad for the UAE tri-series and the upcoming Asia Cup, stating that he has been asked to improve his game against spin and, in particular, his strike rate. On Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 17-member squad, with both Babar and Mohammad Rizwan left out. Since Hesson took charge of the team, both former captains have been on the sidelines as far as T20Is are concerned. Hesson noted that Babar is “working very hard” to address the issues in his batting in the shortest format…

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been dropped as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named a 17-member squad for the upcoming UAE T20 Tri-Series and the Asia Cup 2025. Salman Ali Agha will lead Pakistan in his first major assignment since taking up the captaincy reins. Both Babar and Rizwan have not been part of Pakistan’s T20 setup since December last year, when they played against South Africa. Pakistan’s new head coach, Mike Hesson, attributed their omission to a low strike rate. Apart from Babar and Rizwan, Naseem Shah, who is currently playing in the Caribbean Premier League, has also…

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez criticised Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for their poor run of form with the bat, stating that they should be ‘concerned’ about their positions in the team. Babar has not played a T20I in 2025, with his last appearance coming in December 2024 against South Africa. His last fifty-plus score in T20Is came against Ireland, where he struck 75 off 42 balls. During the recent three-match ODI series against the West Indies, he managed just 56 runs across three innings, averaging 18.67. Ahead of the Asia Cup, he has come under increasing criticism, along with…

Having not been part of the England Test set-up due to injury concerns, England speedster Olly Stone understands that he might not be the first name on the team sheet for the Ashes, but he is determined to push his case. Stone, who has taken 17 Test wickets for England, last played in September last year at The Oval, when Sri Lanka won the Test by eight wickets. Although he made his Test debut in 2019 against Ireland, he has been unable to cement his place in the side due to persistent injury issues. Injuries have been a recurring obstacle…

England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed has expressed his desire to be part of the Ashes squad but also acknowledges that the final decision on selection lies with the selectors and team management. The Ashes is still three months away, but discussions around squad selection have already begun. While England’s pace attack is more or less settled, the debate surrounding their spin-bowling options continues. Shoaib Bashir appears set for his maiden Ashes series, but the question remains: who will accompany him? Having taken 23 wickets in ten County Championship matches, along with scoring over 700 runs for Leicestershire, Ahmed has made a…

England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards admitted that her team was ‘massively challenged’ by India, but insisted it wasn’t a “reality check”, as she believes the four-time World Cup winners are capable of beating any side when the World Cup arrives. In the build-up to the tournament, England lost a three-match ODI series at home to India 2–1. It was a setback for the hosts, who had come into the series on the back of six consecutive white-ball wins at home against the West Indies. India Women first defeated them in the T20I series and then overcame the Nat Sciver-Brunt-led…

Bangladesh’s first major ICC trophy win came in 2020 when they beat India in the final of the U19 World Cup in South Africa. Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon played key roles in that campaign, and senior men’s team assistant head coach Mohammad Salahuddin backs the duo to succeed at the top of the order as Bangladesh look to settle their batting lineup ahead of the Asia Cup. Both Emon and Tanzid are part of the preliminary squad for the Asia Cup, which will be trimmed in a few days’ time. Although competition is stiff, with Mohammad Naim and…

Tamil Nadu spinner R Sai Kishore has been ruled out of the upcoming Buchi Babu Tournament due to injury. With Kishore unavailable, Pradosh Ranjan Paul will now captain the TNCA President’s XI, while Shahrukh Khan has been named skipper of the TNCA XI. Paul, who was originally set to lead the TNCA XI, has been reassigned to the President’s XI. Andre Siddarth will be Paul’s deputy. Shahrukh, initially part of President’s XI, takes over as TNCA XI captain in the reshuffle. Boopathi Vaishna Kumar will assist Shahrukh. In other changes, P Vidyuth has moved from the TNCA XI to the…