Page 22 - Cricket

Gary Kirsten returns home as Pakistan to announce next white-ball captain

Pakistan's head coach for limited-overs format Gary Kirsten has returned home with the board set to announce the successor to captain Babar Azam in white-ball formats later in the month. Kirsten returned home after spending the last few weeks in Lahore and Faisalabad after watching the Champions Cup and attending several meetings with the selectors and board officials on the state of Pakistan cricket. Kirsten will join the Pakistan squad directly in Melbourne on October 29 for the white ball series in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, a board official confirmed. Pakistan is due to play total of 18 matches nine ODIs and as many T20Is in these three countries in November-December, starting with the first ODI in Melbourne on November 4. The official informed that Kirsten was available for the team and board whenever his input was required or he wanted to talk to the selectors or players. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi's names are doing rounds as the

PCB to downsize list of centrally contracted players from last year's 27

The PCB in all likelihood will prune the list of centrally contracted from 27 last year as per directive from two foreign coaches Gary Kirsten (white ball) and Jason Gillespie (red ball) with skipper Shan Masood being party to the decision. It is believed that PCB will announce the list for the 2024/25 season before the national squad leaves for its tours of Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa on October 29. There is a lot of work going on finalising the list of players who will get these lucrative contracts but the announcement will be made before the team leaves so that they are not distracted during the test series against England, an official source in the board said on Saturday. You can expect demotions of players, promotions of a few and the addition and exclusion of some players in the new list, the source said. He said despite the demotions, promotions etc the number of players will be reduced in numbers. The recent fitness tests and performances of players have been take

Sachin Tendulkar joins America's NCL ownership group to grow cricket in US

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has joined America's National Cricket League (NCL) ownership group, a move that is expected to give a big boost to the sport in the United States in the coming years. "Cricket has been my life's greatest journey and I am pleased to join the National Cricket League at such an exciting time for the sport in the US," Tendulkar said after the NCL announced that the batting legend has joined them. "The NCL's vision to create a platform for world-class cricket while inspiring a new generation of fans to resonate with me. I look forward to being part of this new initiative and witnessing the growth of cricket in the US first hand," Tendulkar said. The NCL tournament opens with a performance by singer Mika Singh and features themed nights, bringing a Coachella-like energy, a media release said. This season, the NCL brings together cricket legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Zaheer Abbas, Wasim Akram, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sir Vivian Richards, Venkatesh Prasad, Sanath .

BAN W vs ENG W Highlights, Women's T20 World Cup 2024: ENG beat BAN by 21 runs in a low scoring game

Bangladesh women vs England women HIGHLIGHTS: Englamnd's Danni Wyatt-Hodge named player of the game for her 41 off 40 innings

AUS W vs SL W HIGHLIGHTS, Women's T20 WC 2024: Australia begin with 6-wicket win against Sri Lanka

Australia women vs Sri Lanka women HIGHLIGHTS: The defending champions begin their campaign with a win courtesy of Beth Mooney's unbeaten 43 on the day.

Women's T20 World Cup 2024: AUS-W vs SL-W live time, playing 11, streaming

The defending champions Australia will aim to win the title for a record-extending seventh time when they start their campaign on Saturday

Women's T20 World Cup 2024: IND-W vs NZ-W playing 11, live time, streaming

The two sides have met each other 13 times over the years, with the Kiwis having the upper hand, winning 9 matches. India have won 4 matches against New Zealand so far.

Sense each others feelings just by facial expressions: Shefali on Mandhana

Shafali Verma, the significant other of the blockbuster Indian opening pair, says her no-holds-barred approach goes well with Smriti Mandhana's elegance and both can "sense each others feelings just by our facial expressions" while batting. One of the factors behind the Indian women's cricket team's dominance in recent times has been the success of its openers, and Shafali admits they know how "important" they are to the team's fortunes. "I've been opening with Smriti for the past two-three years, and now we can sense each other's feelings just by our facial expressions while batting. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and we give each other positive vibes," Shafali told Star Sports when asked about her on-field relationship with Mandhana. "We understand how important we both are to the team, especially during the powerplay, so we try to perform well for ourselves, our teammates, and the country." The younger partner added, "Smriti di is an exceptional timer of the ball

Women's T20 World Cup 2024: SA-W vs WI-W playing 11, live time, streaming

Both South Africa and West Indies will face a tough task ahead, with 2 defeats each in their warm-up matches going into the tournament.

Women's T20 World Cup 2024: PAK-W vs SL-W live time, playing 11, streaming

Pakistan women's cricket team won the toss against Sri Lanka and elected to bat first in Sharjah.

Women's T20 World Cup: Bangladesh beat Scotland by 16 runs in opener

A brilliant bowling display by the Bangladesh contingent saw them bag their first points in the table.

Women's T20 World Cup 2024: BAN-W vs SCO-W live time, playing 11, streaming

Bangladesh women's cricket team will lock horns with Scotland women's team in the opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 at Sharjah today

Former PAK opener Mudassar Nazar blasts PCB for team's recent downfall

Former Pakistan opener Mudassar Nazar has blamed PCB for the escalating tension between senior players Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, insisting that the board must provide its captain with ample support and time to assert his leadership. Babar resigned as Pakistan captain for the second time on Wednesday, having previously stepped down last year after a disappointing performance at the 2023 ODI World Cup, following which Shaheen was appointed as the limited-overs skipper. However, the pacer was quickly removed from the role, with the PCB reinstating Babar as the white-ball captain in March this year. "It is our own doing (the friction between Babar and Shaheen). We shouldn't have messed around with the set-up," Mudassar told PTI on the sidelines of the 'Cricket Predicta Conclave' in Ajman, UAE. "There was one set captain, we should have given him a longer term and if somebody else had been made a captain, then he should have had a decent go at it. And not been thrown out ...

Kirsten's observations after T20 WC led Babar Azam to step down as captain

Premier batter Babar Azam had lost his interest in captaining the national white ball teams after a critical report submitted by the limited overs head coach Gary Kirsten to the Pakistan Cricket Board. In discussions with insiders in the cricket board and those close to the Pakistan team, it was apparent that Babar had lost his mojo after the T20 World Cup in July in which the team fared poorly under his captaincy. "Babar was not happy with the observations and recommendations of Kirsten and even assistant coach, Azhar Mahmood and felt he was solely being blamed for the disappointing performances,"one insider said. "He had indicated to the cricket board after some parts of Kirsten's report became public that he was not interested in remaining captain." The insider said Babar had complained to some board officials, who had worked a lot with him that it was unfortunate the PCB didn't take his past performances and results into their consideration nor showed the required confidence an

Spinner Tabraiz Shamsi opts out of CSA contract for T20 franchise cricket

Left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi on Thursday opted out of Cricket South Africa's central contract pool to more actively pursue opportunities in T20 leagues across the globe. However, Shamsi will still be available to play for the Proteas in major bilateral or ICC tournaments in white ball formats. I have decided to opt out of my central contract in order to be more flexible during the domestic season, allowing me to explore all opportunities available and look after my family in the best way possible, Shamsi said in a statement issued by the CSA. Shamsi also reiterated his commitment to South African cricket, and hoped to be part of a World Cup-winning squad in future. This will not impact my ability or motivation to play for the Proteas in any way and I will always be available to play for my country whenever I am needed. It has always been my dream to bring the World Cup home to South Africa, and no franchise league will ever be more important than playing for my country, t

Biggest challenges for IND in women's T20 WC will be AUS, SL: Harbhajan

India's World Cup-winning spinner Harbhajan Singh said the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will face a tough challenge from Australia and Sri Lanka in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. The global showpiece gets underway in the UAE from Thursday, and India are placed in Group A alongside Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand. "I think India needs to be very careful when playing against Australia. Looking at this group, India has Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. But one match that I think will be a little tough is the India-Australia match," Harbhajan told Star Sports. "Australia is a good team, even though these matches are being played in Dubai, on subcontinent pitches that might not suit them as much as their home conditions. But Australia, no matter where they play, are hard to beat. So, the biggest challenge for India may be Australia," he said. Harbhajan's fears were not entirely misplaced as the Australia have beaten India 23 times in 32 T20Is with the 'Women i

West Indies award 9 cricketers with historic multi-year contracts

In a historic first, nine West Indies cricketers, including ODI vice-captain Alzarri Joseph, pace sensation Shamar Joseph, women's T20I skipper Hayley Matthews and her deputy Shemaine Campbelle, were awarded multi-year contracts for the next two years, the CWI announced. The Cricket West Indies offered contracts to 15 men's cricketers and with six among them received multi-year deals based on their performances during the 2023-2024 evaluation period. Of the 15 senior women's players, three were awarded multi-year contracts. The announcement comes amid growing participation of the West Indies cricketers in lucrative franchise leagues across the globe, which has long undermined the stability of the national teams. The talent drain to global T20 leagues has considerably weakened West Indies' international squads, prompting the CWI to offer multi-year contracts as a strategy to provide financial security and retain players longer for national duty. The development follows a four-year

Women's T20 WC: India need top guns firing in unison against New Zealand

A stellar effort by senior stars would be mandatory when India take on New Zealand in their opening Group A match of the women's T20 World Cup here on Friday, aiming for a strong start in their quest to wipe off the memories of past near-misses. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who in all likelihood, will be appearing in her last T20 World Cup, has been witness to several near misses and disappointing moments from close quarters, including India's capitulation to Australia in the final at Melbourne in 2020. As a has been in the past, this Indian line-up is rich in talent and, arguably, only Australia have a similarly well-oiled unit. But the reigning champions have six titles in their cabinet, and India's is still dust-laden. So, what pegs India back in global events? It seems more a case of mental fragility at clutch moments, and the Women in Blue tried to address that during a preparatory camp at the NCA (National Cricket Academy) with a few counselling sessions. But such external meas

Sarfaraz Khan's wait for a longer spell with Team India in Tests continues

Sarfaraz and Dhruv Jurel were included in the squad for the Bangladesh series but were told that they have to wait for their opportunities as of now

South Africa cricket team crush Ireland by 139 runs in ODI series opener

Mark Adair took four more wickets for Ireland but it wasn't enough this time as South Africa won the opening cricket match of their ODI series by 139 runs. South Africa scored 271-9 thanks to opener Ryan Rickelton's 91 runs in 102 balls with three sixes and seven fours and 79 from Tristan Stubbs after winning the toss and choosing to bat in the first of three one-day internationals. Rickelton and Stubbs put on a 152-run partnership for the fourth wicket as they helped the Proteas recover from an early innings collapse. Lizaad Williams then tore through Ireland's top-order, taking three wickets in an eight-over opening spell as they Irish slumped to be five down inside the first 15-overs. Williams ended with 4-32, his best ODI figures from his five matches played, with Lungi Ngidi and Bjorn Fortuin taking a further two wickets apiece as Ireland was bowled out for 132 in 31.5 overs in reply. George Dockrell top-scored for the Irish with 21 off 32 balls. Earlier, Adair claimed 4-5