Author: WebDesk

England star Harry Brook lavished praise on teammate Jamie Smith following the wicketkeeper-batter’s breathtaking century against India in the second Test at Edgbaston on July 4. Smith delivered one of the standout knocks of the match, hammering 184 off just 207 deliveries — the joint third-fastest century in England’s Test history. England were under pressure when Smith walked in, but the 23-year-old responded with a stunning counterattack, smashing 21 fours and four sixes during his stay. Alongside Brook, he stitched together a record-breaking 303-run stand for the sixth wicket, rescuing England from a precarious position. Reflecting on their partnership, Brook…

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has excluded Najmul Hossain Shanto from the 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, scheduled from 10 to 16 July. Shanto, who stepped down as T20I captain earlier this year, has been left out following a poor run of form — averaging just 18.84 across 21 matches last year. In-form batter Mohammad Naim has been recalled in his place. Naim impressed in the NCL T20, scoring 316 runs at a strike rate of 135.04 and guiding Dhaka Metro to the final. This performance also earned him a spot in the ODI…

India’s star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja made a quiet departure from protocol on day two of the second Test against England in Birmingham, opting to arrive at the ground ahead of schedule. With the prospect of facing a relatively new ball early in the day, Jadeja decided to head to the venue on his own to get in some extra batting practice before play began. This move, while seemingly minor, went against the BCCI’s post-Australia tour guidelines, which state that players must travel to and from the ground together via the team bus for security and coordination. Although it’s against the…

England Women’s skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt has been ruled out of the third T20I against India Women due to a left groin injury. The series deciding match is set to be played at The Oval in London. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the news via an official media statement, clarifying that Sciver-Brunt is currently only ruled out of the third fixture. Her participation in the remainder of the series will be determined following scan results assessing the severity of the injury. “The scan outcome will help decide whether Sciver-Brunt needs to miss additional matches, with the fourth Vitality…

Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga commended skipper Charith Asalanka for his composed leadership and vital contribution with the bat, which steered the hosts to a dominant 77-run victory over Bangladesh in the opening ODI at Colombo on Thursday, 3 July. Sri Lanka, having been reduced to 29 for 3 after a shaky start, managed to post 244 thanks largely to a superb knock from Asalanka. The left-hander played a captain’s innings, scoring his fifth ODI century — a fighting 106 off 123 balls featuring six boundaries and four maximums. With little support from the rest of the batting line-up, Asalanka…

Former England batter Jonathan Trott has heaped praise on India captain Shubman Gill, describing him as a “world-class player” with a promising future after the latter produced another fine century against England — his second in the ongoing five-match series. On the opening day of the second Test in Birmingham, Gill remained largely untroubled by England’s pace attack and went on to register another commanding hundred on English soil. Trott highlighted the Indian skipper’s tactical awareness, particularly in how he handled the threat posed by bowlers like Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes. According to Trott, Gill’s ability to develop tailored…

South Africa will be without stand-in captain Keshav Maharaj for the second Test against Zimbabwe, set to begin on July 6 at Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo. Maharaj, who had taken over captaincy duties in the absence of injured regular skipper Temba Bavuma, picked up a left groin strain while batting on Day 3 of the first Test and will return home for further medical evaluation. All-rounder Wiaan Mulder has been named as the new captain for the series decider. Senuran Muthusamy has been called up as Maharaj’s replacement in the squad. Meanwhile, fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, who was expected…

Australia Test vice-captain Steve Smith is set to make his return for the second Test of the Frank Worrell Trophy, taking place at St George’s in Grenada from July 3 to 7. Smith, who missed the first Test in Barbados—where Australia secured a 159-run win—rejoined the squad last Sunday after completing rehab in New York for a dislocated little finger sustained during the World Test Championship final. In his first training session back, he batted for close to an hour while adjusting to a protective splint on the injured finger. As per Cricket Australia, Smith faced fast bowlers briefly, followed…

With doubts lingering over Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, England captain Ben Stokes has made it clear that he is only concerned with his own team’s affairs. The Indian pacer’s availability remains uncertain, but Stokes insists it’s a matter for India to handle. Bumrah was initially scheduled to feature in just three of the five Tests in the series. After a stellar performance in the opener at Headingley, where he took five wickets in the first innings, questions remain over whether he will be part of the playing XI for the second Test in…

England’s promising young batter Harry Brook has heaped praise on Rishabh Pant, calling him one of the finest batters in the world ahead of the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Pant, who is also India’s Test vice-captain, delivered a sensational performance in the series opener with scores of 134 and 118. Despite his brilliance, England chased down 371 to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Pant’s feat made him only the second wicketkeeper-batter after Andy Flower to score two centuries in a single Test match. His stellar display also saw him rise to a…