Author: WebDesk

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar has lauded Shubman Gill for deciding to play in the upcoming Duleep Trophy immediately after the five-match series in England. Gill is set to lead North Zone in the zonal tournament. Playing his first series as Test captain, Gill enjoyed a dream run with the bat in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy, scoring 754 runs in five matches. Under his leadership, a new-look Indian team fought hard to draw the series 2–2. Fresh from a long and gruelling Test series, Gill is once again set to return to red-ball cricket. “Shubman Gill, captaining the North Zone team,…

Australia batter Tim David has revealed that the team management has given the batting group the freedom to play with full aggression in T20Is as preparations ramp up for next year’s T20 World Cup. His comments came after a blistering 83 off 53 balls in Darwin helped Australia post 178, setting up a 17-run win over South Africa in the series opener. At 75/6, the 2021 T20 World Cup champions were under pressure, but David stuck to his attacking instincts. “We’ve been playing together for a while now, so there’s not much in the way of strict instructions from the…

New Zealand women’s cricket team assistant coach Craig McMillan believes that whichever team handles spin best will win the upcoming Women’s World Cup, which runs from 30 September to 2 November in India and Sri Lanka. McMillan is currently overseeing a two-week training camp for a 10-player group at the CSK Academy in India, alongside White Ferns head coach Ben Sawyer, at the Chennai Super Kings High Performance Centre (HPC). Spin has always played a key role in the subcontinent, and according to McMillan, it will be the deciding factor in the global tournament. “We’ve brought ten players over with…

Crystal Palace came from behind twice to stun Liverpool on penalties and win the FA Community Shield at Wembley, the first time a new name had appeared on the trophy as outright winners since 1978. Liverpool started like a runaway train, with debutants Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong both netting in the first half. But Palace grew into the game and were full value for their equaliser in the second half. Dean Henderson then produced stunning saves from Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott after Mohamed Salah had ballooned the first kick way over the bar. Justin Devenny, a late…

Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne is highly motivated to prove his doubters wrong and earn a recall to the Test side ahead of the upcoming Ashes, scheduled to be played later this year. After the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s — which Australia lost — Labuschagne was dropped from the Test side for the first time since 2019. Having averaged 27.82 with one century over the previous two years, his omission came amid a prolonged dip in form. “This [being left out] has given me an opportunity to reflect, without the pressure of the media saying, ‘Marnus…

India pacer Akash Deep lauded the ‘commendable’ efforts of Mohammed Siraj, who was the stand-out pacer in the recently concluded England–India series, taking 23 wickets in five matches. At a time when all-format players are managing their workload, Siraj displayed remarkable fitness, grit, and determination by playing all five games of the series. He bowled 1,113 deliveries across 185.3 overs. His wickets came at a slightly expensive average of 32.43, as the conditions favoured batters more in what was a high-scoring series. “Playing continuously for five Test matches and putting in so much effort until the final game is truly…

Australia’s T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh has confirmed that he and Travis Head will form the team’s opening partnership heading into next year’s T20 World Cup. With the tournament scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka, Australia is working on locking in their best XI, and the top-order slot now seems settled. After David Warner’s retirement, the selectors have experimented with various options at the top, including Matthew Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, and more recently Glenn Maxwell. However, it’s now clear that Marsh and Head will be given the responsibility of opening the innings. The duo will debut as an…

Uncapped Johann Layne has been drafted into the West Indies ODI squad as a replacement for the injured Matthew Forde for the three-match series against Pakistan, starting on Friday. Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed the development ahead of the series opener at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad. According to CWI, Forde dislocated his left shoulder while attempting a catch during the team’s training session on Wednesday. “West Indies Academy pacer Johann Layne will replace Matthew Forde in the squad for the three matches against Pakistan starting on Friday,” said an official CWI release. Layne, a 21-year-old fast-bowling…

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has provisionally suspended Haider Ali with immediate effect after the batter was arrested in connection with an alleged case of sexual molestation. On 3 August, Haider, who travelled to the UK with the Pakistan Shaheens, was reportedly arrested by Greater Manchester Police in Hove. According to the PCB, Greater Manchester Police informed them of an ongoing criminal investigation currently being conducted against Haider. “The PCB has been made aware of a criminal investigation currently being conducted by Greater Manchester Police involving cricketer Haider Ali,” the PCB said in a statement. “The investigation pertains to an…

South Africa’s pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada believes it is time for the Proteas to move on from their World Test Championship final win at Lord’s and focus on next year’s T20 World Cup. Rabada made this remark as South Africa prepare for a six-match white-ball series against Australia, beginning on Sunday in Darwin. The Temba Bavuma-led side ended their ICC trophy drought by defeating Australia in the WTC final. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Rabada reflected on the significance of the WTC final victory while emphasising the need to shift focus to the upcoming series in Australia. “I think…