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Legendary England all-rounder Ian Botham has been made a member of the House of Lords of the British Parliament.

The 64-year-old Botham, a former captain, was among 36 new peers announced by the government to join the unelected House.

File image of Ian Botham. Reuters

Botham, who played 102 Test matches for England between 1977 and 1992, is a prominent Brexit supporter. He was knighted in 2007 in recognition of his services to charity and cricket.

He will sit as a crossbench – independent – peer.

He is the first cricketer to be awarded a peerage since former England women's team captain Rachael Heyhoe-Flint in 2011. David Sheppard, Colin Cowdrey and Learie Constantine were the others who were honoured with House of Lords seats earlier.

Botham's most famous moment on the cricket field came in 1981 when he inspired England to a sensational win over Australia in the Ashes.

After retirement, he has been involved in charity campaigns, including raising funds for research into leukaemia, besides doing commentary of cricket matches.



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Eid Al-Adha: Sports stars like Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Kumar Sangakkara, Odion Ighalo tweeted their greetings.

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London: Spectators will no longer be allowed to attend sporting events in England after concerns about a rise in coronavirus infections forced the government to delay the partial reopening of venues until at least 15 August.

Small groups of fans were due to attend horse racing, cricket and snooker in the coming days as part of pilot events with coronavirus prevention measures but British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reversed course on Friday.

“Very disappointing news that with rise in infection rates we cannot press ahead with sports pilots with fans this weekend I know the huge efforts cricket, snooker & horseracing have made to welcome fans back,” Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden tweeted. “We’ll keep working together on their safe return asap.”

A cricket match in London between Surrey and Middlesex at The Oval was attended by up to 1,000 people earlier this week, with a two-seat gap between family groups of a maximum of six.

Two further cricket matches in London and Birmingham were due to be part of the government scheme piloting the return of fans ahead of a planned wider re-opening of venues from October.

“We understand this is disappointing for supporters who have waited a long time to see their clubs in action," the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement. “However, we understand the reasons the government has made this decision, and remain ready to work with them to ensure supporters can safely return to stadiums when government advice allows."

As Johnson made the announcement from Downing Street, some spectators were already in place at the world snooker championship in Sheffield in northern England. The Glorious Goodwood horse racing festival on Saturday was also due to be part of the scheme with 4,000 spectators allowed.

“We understand that concern about the national infection rate is the primary reason,” the British Horseracing Authority said, “and as a result all pilots of larger crowds in sporting venues will be postponed until at least 15 August.

The government also scrapped plans to allow venues such as casinos, bowling alleys and skating rinks to open on Monday.

Scientists say they are no longer confident the R number, which measures how many people each infected person passes the disease on to, is below 1 in England. A number above 1 means the virus will exponentially spread.

The Irish Cup final was still due to be staged on Friday night with up to 500 fans at Windsor Park in Belfast because the decision rests with the Northern Ireland Executive rather than the Westminster-based British government.



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Southampton: David Willey celebrated his return to the England team with a maiden one-day international five-wicket haul as the world champions drew first blood in the Royal London series against Ireland at the Ageas Bowl.

Willey was dropped from England’s World Cup squad last year to make room for Jofra Archer, but with several regulars absent due to their Test commitments the left-armer took centre stage on his international return.

In England’s first home ODI since winning their first 50-over World Cup, Willey’s 5-30 restricted Ireland to 172 all out in 44.4 overs, a total the hosts overhauled with six wickets to spare.

England had lurched to 78-4 but Sam Billings, included after Joe Denly’s withdrawal due to a back injury, settled the team's nerves with a 67 not out off 54 deliveries in an unbroken 96-run stand with Eoin Morgan.

England got over the line with 22.1 overs still remaining at the start of a three-ODI series that marks the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League, forming part of the qualification process for India 2023.

But, on a surface where timing proved troublesome for a number of batsmen, the day belonged to Willey, who was chiefly responsible for Ireland teetering on 28-5 after being invited to bat first under sunny skies.

After the players took a knee to support Black Lives Matter, Ireland were saved from free fall by international debutant Curtis Campher, a South African-born all-rounder who qualifies through his mother’s passport.

The 21-year-old showed no lack of patience and fortitude in his 59 not out from 118 balls in front of the vast swathes of empty seats, before Willey returned to the attack and ended the innings.

Willey’s prowess with the new ball is well-known and despite little evidence of significant movement, he was still effective as Paul Stirling clipped to midwicket before Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie was tempted into an expansive drive, only succeeding in nicking through to Jonny Bairstow.

England's David Willey celebrates after dismissing Ireland's Paul Stirling during the first ODI. AP

Saqib Mahmood cramped Harry Tector for room and the ODI debutant chopped on while Willey struck twice in two balls as Gareth Delany sliced to backward point to end a counter-attacking 22 from 16 deliveries, before Lorcan Tucker was trapped in front - a decision overturned on review.

Campher survived the hat-trick ball and showed maturity beyond his years in steadying the ship alongside Kevin O’Brien and then Andy McBrine, partnerships of 51 and 66 that helped Ireland avoid abject humiliation.

O’Brien holed out as he went in search of his first boundary on 22, while McBrine’s 40 featured a towering six over midwicket off Moeen Ali, but his patience also ran out as he was caught in the deep. Either side of those dismissals Simi Singh was run out after being sent back attempting a quick single.

Campher’s knock contained just four fours but he ran out of partners before he had the chance to counter-attack, Willey fittingly ending Ireland’s innings when last man Craig Young toe-ended to mid-off.

Campher’s watchful innings ensured England would not have a perfunctory chase in the late evening sunshine and that was underlined when Bairstow was trapped in front by off-spinner McBrine after seamer Barry McCarthy had limped off in the first over.

Jason Roy and James Vince both flickered briefly before succumbing to Young, lbw and caught behind for 24 and 25, respectively, and England were in some strife when Campher struck four balls into his international career.

Campher had accounted for Tom Banton for South Africa’s Under-19 side a couple of years ago and history repeated itself when the Somerset batsman top-edged a pull, with Ireland wicketkeeper Tucker taking a challenging catch.

Morgan had demoted himself to six but came to the crease to join Billings, who twice reverse swept Singh for four and seemed more confident on a surface that had given his top-order teammates trouble.

A crisp pull for his ninth four took him to a 41-ball 50 before Morgan (36no) thumped Singh back over his head to finish the game in style.



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Ben Stokes' intent of wanting to be in the midst of tough situations makes him a player that every captain wants in his team, said Rajasthan Royals skipper Steve Smith.

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New Delhi: Ben Stokes' intent of wanting to be in the midst of tough situations makes him a player that every captain wants in his team, said Rajasthan Royals skipper Steve Smith about his team's premier all-rounder.

While Smith is sincerely hoping that Stokes doesn't bring in his A game during Australia's white-ball series in England, he wouldn't mind one bit if Stokes saves his best in the Royals jersey during upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE.

"It will be great to be able to play some competitive cricket against a quality England side which has few of my Royals teammates (Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler).

"Hope they don't score too many runs or take too many wickets and can save that for the IPL," Smith told PTI during the screening of three-part docu-series, Inside Story: A Season with Rajasthan Royals.

The series has been produced by Red Bull Media House and would be aired on Jio TV and Jio Cinemas.

Smith was all praise for Stokes who has been in dream form across formats in the past year.

"I have seen Stokes go from strength to strength. He had an incredible World Cup and recently played in Test matches. He bowled beautifully and got some wickets as well," Smith said.

"He is a player who wants to be involved whether he is batting, bowling or fielding. He wants to be in hotspots. You want these players in team as they want to deliver in tough situations."

File image of Steve Smith and Ben Stokes. Sportzpics

Australia will resume their international calendar with a white-ball series against England and Smith said that nothing better than getting to play some quality cricket after nearly seven months.

"It will be great being back to playing some cricket. We haven't played a game since February and like most of the world, our country was also shutdown, had to find way to get through this COVID experience which has been incredibly different for everyone."

On a different note, Smith admitted that staying in a bio-secure environment away from "loved ones" for extended periods is difficult but people try to make relationships work as it's the way of life for elite cricketers.

The IPL is expected to start from 19 September in the UAE and all teams will have to follow the protocols of a bio-secure environment which might force cricketers to be away from wives and partners for more than two months.

"It will be difficult for anyone to be away from their loved ones for extended periods of time but you kind of get used to it playing international cricket, quite often staying apart for long times and trying to make it work," said Smith.

The biggest challenge for Smith is to get things in order but on the other side, most of the players will be starting from zero.

"People haven't played any cricket or for that matter little cricket so from that perspective, it will be an even contest. Everyone going in with same sort of preparation," the former Australian skipper said.

Adapting to conditions in the UAE will be key but Smith believes that it will be pretty similar to India.

"I think part of being a professional cricket player is being able to adapt to conditions. Conditions in Dubai can be similar to India (in terms of heat and humidity).

"Couple of players have experienced playing before as the IPL was held (partially) in UAE (in 2014). Guys are going to be jumping out of skin to get back to playing some quality cricket."

He sounded disappointed that IPL is not happening in India but lauded the BCCI for being able to arrange a tournament of this magnitude in an overseas country.

"Obviously we would have loved to have playing in India. Amazing what's going behind the scenes to give everyone a chance to play," said the 31-year-old with nearly 12,000 international runs.

On the Red Bull produced docu-series, Smith said it was a different experience with cameras following the players everywhere.

"First time I have been in documentary and being in two at the same time was different. People following us left right and centre with cameras which you are not used to. Meetings, filming every little step on the way. It's done brilliantly," he said.



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Skipper Azhar Ali said he is lucky to have young pacers like Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah at his disposal and the right balance of experience and youth in their pace unit will hold Pakistan in good stead in the Test series against England.

The three-Test series begins in a bio-secure environment at Manchester with the opening Test on 5 August.

File image of Azhar Ali. AP

"The way Naseem and Shaheen have bowled in recent Test series, I as captain feel very lucky to have them in my squad," he said during a podcast organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The 35-year-old said that the young pace bowlers in the extended squad are benefitting immensely from the presence of experienced pros like Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Muhammad Abbas and Imran Khan in the squad.

Experienced left-arm pacer Muhammad Aamir has also now joined the squad in Derbyshire with another young pacer Haris Rauf set to join the team after finally clearing his COVID-19 tests.

"I am happy we have experienced and young blood in our pace attack and then there is Yasir Shah a proven performer in Tests," he said.

"The good thing is that players like Muhammad Abbas, Sohail Khan, Wahab are also on this tour and they are also sharing their experience with the youngsters. I think our bowlers will get a lot of advantage."

Azhar said Yasir's presence was a source of comfort for him as the experienced leg-spinner has done well in English conditions on his past tours.

The senior batsman said the players were a bit rusty at the start of their training but have been making steady strides towards regaining their form after coming out of quarantine in the first week of July.

"Because of coronavirus we have been in lockdown for quite some time and it was a challenging experience for all of us but it helped us get rid of our rustiness and now the bowlers are also doing well and are in rhythm. The workload for the fast-bowlers has been good," he said.

"Our players seem to be in good touch. The balance of the side is also very good and the good thing is in the past we have done well in England in Tests."

Pakistan drew their 2016 Test series 2-2 and 1-1 in 2018.

Following the Test series, Pakistan will play three T20Is at Old Trafford starting 28 August.



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Relations between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its franchises in the Pakistan Super League have soured after three teams failed to fulfill their financial and sponsorship obligations with the board.

The six franchise owners of the league had sent a strongly-worded email to the PCB after it called off a scheduled governing council meeting of the PSL on 28 July as the chairman and the CEO of the board left for vacations to the UK.

But instead of adopting a conciliatory tone, PSL project executive Shoaib Naved in his reply said that in future three franchises who had constantly failed to fulfill their financial and other obligations would not be part of the governing council or any discussions until they cleared their dues.

"Shoaib Naved made it clear that the board has decided why should the franchises who had kept their financial matters with the board up to date suffer because of the defaulting franchises," a reliable source in the board said.

Representational photo. AP

He said the board has been constantly reminding the franchises to submit all the details of their sponsorship and other deals and fulfill their financial obligations to the board.

The source also said that some of the franchises have been pushing the board to ensure payment of their share of the PSL revenues.

"The PCB has taken the stance that until the franchises don't submit all details asked for as per contractual obligations they can't get their shares plus defaulting franchises have to first clear their dues and give all sponsorship details before things can move ahead," the source said.

The PCB and some of the franchises have already been at loggerheads over the staging of the remaining four play-off matches of PSL 5 which had to be stopped in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the board has indicated that it will suffer great losses by staging these four matches, the franchises who have made the knockout stage are insisting the matches must be played to decide the winner.

The board, on the other hand, is keen to declare the winner on the basis of the points table following the completion of the league stage of the tournament.



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New Delhi: The Emirates Cricket Board is eager to fill up 30-50 percent of the stadiums with spectators when the IPL is held in the UAE provided the government there approves, its secretary Mubashshir Usmani told PTI on Friday.

While announcing the dates of the IPL, its chairman Brijesh Patel had told PTI that the decision on letting in fans during the 19 September- 8 November event will be taken by the UAE government.

File image of the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Sportzpics

Having announced the dates, the BCCI too is awaiting the final approval from the Indian government to host the IPL in the UAE.

"Once we get the confirmation from the BCCI (on Indian government's approval), we will go to our government with the complete proposal and SOPs which will be prepared by us and the BCCI," said Usmani over phone.

"We will definitely want our people to experience this prestigious event but it is totally the government's decision. For most events here, the number ranges from thirty to 50 percent capacity, we are looking at a similar number.

"We are hopeful of getting our government's approval on that," he added.

The UAE has little over 6000 active cases of COVID-19 and the overall situation around the pandemic is under control.

However, the 2020 Dubai Rugby Sevens event, scheduled in November, has been cancelled for the first time sine 1970 due to the coronavirus threat.

Usmani allayed concerns over the safety of the IPL.

"The UAE government has been very efficient in bringing down the case numbers. We are almost living a normal life with certain rules and protocols to be followed.

"And with the IPL still some time way, we will be in an even better place than what it is right now."

The IPL Governing Council will meet on Sunday to finalise the logistics and SOP for the world's biggest T20 league.

Usmani said the UAE is ready to host the event and is only awaiting the Indian government's approval, "which should come through soon", going by what Patel said at the time of announcing the tournament dates.

"We are still waiting to hear from the BCCI on the Indian government's approval. Having said that, we are ready," Usmani said.

"We have plug and play facilities here and have informed them (officials at Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah stadiums) to be ready and they are fully aware of it."

Teams will be arriving in the UAE three-four weeks in advance for training.

Most players have not had proper training in India since the lockdown was enforced in March.

Asked if managing the training schedules of eight teams will be a challenge, Usmani said: "UAE is blessed with the support of private infrastructure. We are able to deliver such events and have delivered before. Last year, we hosted the T20 World Cup qualifier which had 14 teams."

The UAE had partially hosted the IPL in 2014 due to the general elections in India.

"Last time also, it contributed significantly to the UAE economy. With the full tournament taking place this time, it will be a much bigger boost," added Usmani.



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Shikhar Dhawan is among those batsmen who have been extremely active on social media through the lockdown.

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Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic were blessed with a baby boy on Thursday.

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The Indian men’s cricket team has had its fair share of brilliant captains who have led the team to victory, lifted players from their slump and carved an overall better side. Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan thinks the team's glory would have been more pronounced if batsman Gautam Gambhir had worn the captain’s hat more often.

Praising the former India batsman’s captaincy skills, Irfan said, “I think Gautam Gambhir should have led the Indian team a lot more as well than he did. He could have been a really good leader.”  During his interview with Cricket.com, the Gujarat-born cricketer also talked about other captains that India has had.

“As a winning captain, as a result-oriented captain and the guy who got the result, who had an excellent team, it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni. I have huge respect for Sourav Ganguly, I have great respect for the captaincy of Rahul Dravid [and] Anil Kumble,” Pathan added.

The fast bowler ended the topic by speaking of the present captain and vice-captain. “I really admire Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, but that doesn’t mean, I don’t admire the quality of Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” he said.

Aside from leading Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders through a very handsome couple of seasons, Gambhir has also led the national side a handful of times. What is even more interesting is that he has a 100 per cent winning rate.

The Delhi cricketer had captained Team India in a five-match One Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand held in India back in 2010. Gambhir's side had not only won the series by 5-0 but he was also adjudged the man of the series. A year later, he was once again given the captain's task where he led India to victory in the fifth ODI match against West Indies.

Later in the interview, when asked to pick the best captain for Team India, Irfan chose Sourav Ganguly. He “built the team when the India team was in a slump”, said the all rounder, mentioning how Ganguly had backed young cricketers Yuvraj SIngh, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan at the time.



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David Willey had "fallen out of love for the game" following his last-minute ouster from England's World Cup squad but after announcing his comeback with a maiden five-wicket haul against Ireland, he said his best is still to come.

The 30-year-old pacer, who has taken 57 wickets in 47 ODIs, was ignored for the World Cup last year with England preferring Jofra Archer over him. He was also left out of the limited-overs tours of New Zealand and South Africa last winter.

Willey said he was at his lowest during his stint at Abu Dhabi T10.

"I just didn't want to be there. I didn't want to go to the ground. When I was at the ground, I didn't want to be there, and I wanted to get back to the hotel. I'd fallen out of love with the game, I think," he was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

England's David Willey (third left) celebrates after taking the wicket of Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie during the First One Day International of the Royal London Series at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton. PA Photo. Issue date: Thursday July 30, 2020. See PA story CRICKET England. Photo credit should read: Mike Hewitt/NMC Pool/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only. No commercial use without prior written consent of the ECB. Still image use only. No moving images to emulate broadcast. No removing or obscuring of sponsor logos.

England's David Willey (third left) celebrates after taking the wicket of Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie during the First One Day International. AP

Willey said the coronavirus-forced break actually helped him as he made a successful return to guide England to a six-wicket win over Ireland in the first ODI on Thursday.

"It was just special to be out there playing for England again. I've gone away and worked quite hard to get back near my best. It's been a rollercoaster, but I was just out there enjoying my cricket today. I'm moving in the right direction and I feel like my best cricket is still to come," he said.

"Circumstances have given me this opportunity. I didn't get a look in over the winter, I missed out there. The extended break has been really good for me. The timing for all of this has worked out perfectly for me and it was the icing on the cake."

Willey said he tasted success for pitching the ball up.

"My success has come when I've pitched the ball up previously and really that was what I tried to do today. I kept the ball full which kept me in the game and I reaped the rewards of that."

Talking about the depth in England's white-ball team, he said: "It's an unbelievable squad. You look at the players that still aren't getting a look-in and the guys that went home from this camp: there are some brilliant cricketers sat on the sidelines that are still trying to find a way in."



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Sanju Samson's coach, Biju George, believes that a good showing in the IPL can help the Kerala star to book his place in India's squad for the T20 World Cup next year.

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Sachin Tendulkar shared a picture of carefree times when rain was one of the bigger issues.

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Christchurch: Setting aside initial concerns over travelling amid the COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner says he will take shelter in a corner of the airport lounge as he flies out into the Caribbean via mainland America.

He is excited at the prospect of playing in the upcoming Caribbean Premier League and IPL after the long coronavirus-enforced break.

The 28-year-old, who last played in an ODI series against Australia in March before the pandemic brought all sporting activities to a grinding halt, will turn up for Barbados Tridents when the CPL begins on 18 August.

"t's an interesting one. I'm going through America and I'll park up in the (airport) lounge in the corner somewhere. It's one of the risks we've got to think about,"Santner, who was scheduled to fly out on Thursday night, told stuff.co.nz.

"Tey've put an extensive booklet together about what happens in each circumstance which has been good, and a bit of clarity around where we're staying. It seems like they've got it under control.

"At this stage, we'll just fly straight across (from the Caribbean). I'm not sure what quarantine looks like yet, but there are some other big dogs like Dwayne Bravo and Brendon McCullum I can tag along with."

Santner, who has taken 52 wickets in 44 T20Is, will join his New Zealand colleagues Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Jimmy Neesham in UAE for the IPL, which gets underway on 19 September, nine days after the end of CPL.

After CPL, Mitchell Santner would feature for Chennai Super Kings in IPL. Image: Sportzpics

Santner is looking forward to some competition after a long hiatus due to the pandemic.

"I'm used to bowling in the nets to them and they've been running down at every ball so it'd be nice to play some of these guys on some spinning wickets and see if they want to try that again," said the left-handed spinner, who was bought by Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 IPL auction.

"It'll be exciting to play some cricket again. It's been a slow winter but good to be at home for a bit and train and do all the fitness work. Chris put us through the wringer the last six weeks so it's nice to go away and not see him for a few months.'



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David Willey's maiden five-wicket haul in international cricket helped England register a six-wicket win over Ireland in the first ODI.

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India's formidable pace attack will not be as effective as New Zealand speedster Neil Wagner in bowling bouncers during their upcoming tour of Australia, feels wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.

Wagner bowling a barrage of bouncers and dismissing Australia's three leading batsmen Steve Smith, David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne a combined 10 times was one of the rare positives for New Zealand in an otherwise one-sided Test series last season.

India are now preparing for a four-Test tour of Australia this summer.

"Teams may try it but I don't think it will be as successful," Wade told cricket.com.au.

File image of Mohammed Shami. AP

"I don't think anyone in the game has bowled bouncers the way he bowled and been so consistent, and not gotten scored off while also picking up wickets.

"I think we'll see it a bit (from India) but I don't think it will be as effective as Wagner. He's done it for a long time now to be honest I've never faced a bowler who is so accurate at bowling bouncers."

Wade said the series against Virat Kohli's men is going to be one of the toughest challenges for Tim Paine's side since they got together as a group.

"Everyone, although they might not admit it, is looking towards that Indian series. It's going to be hard work. They (India) are a fierce team. They're as hard a team as I've ever played in terms of the way they compete.

"Led by Virat, you can see the way he goes about it on the field, you can see what it means to him and he drives all those guys, they jump on the back of him. It's going to be as big a challenge as this team has faced for the 12 months we've been together."

Though they achieved their maiden Test series win Down Under in 2018-19, India will be facing a sterner challenge when they return to face an Australian side bolstered by the presence of Smith and Warner alongside an in-form Labuschagne.

Australia have since then won the Ashes after a drawn series in England and crushed New Zealand 3-0 at home earlier this year.

Both Warner and Smith were serving their one-year ban for ball-tampering during India's last tour of Australia.



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Left-arm paceman David Willey took a career-best 5-30 while Sam Billings made 67 not out as England beat Ireland by 6 wickets in a match that marked the return of white-ball cricket from the coronavirus lockdown.

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Toggle between the tabs above to switch between quick scorecard, full scorecard and live commentary

Preview: England won the toss and opted to field in the first ODI against Ireland, with the series marking the return of white-ball cricket after the three-month shutdown of the sport due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To maintain bio-security precautions, England is operating separate test and ODI teams, so World Cup winners Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler were not available after playing in the test series win over the West Indies.

After the three Test matches against the West Indies, in which Joe Root's men overcame the defeat in the first Test at Southampton to win the next two and lift the Wisden Trophy, England host Ireland in a three-match one-day international series with the matches being the first limited-overs international fixtures to take place after the coronavirus lockdown. All matches will take place at Southampton's Ageas Bowl, which is also scheduled to host matches during Pakistan's tour of England.

Players take the knee at the start of the first ODI between England and Ireland at Southampton. Image credit: Twitter/@Irelandcricket

Players take the knee at the start of the first ODI between England and Ireland at Southampton. Image credit: Twitter/@Irelandcricket

Ireland, on the other hand, haven't had much success in the year so far. While tying the three-match T20I series against the West Indies in the Caribbean can be seen as something of a positive, they suffered a 3-0 hiding in the one-dayers in the same tour, as well as a 2-0 loss against Afghanistan in a limited-overs series played in Greater Noida, India.

England's squad still featured eight World Cup winners, including captain Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, James Vince and Adil Rashid.

Morgan said Joe Denly was injured in training on Wednesday and unavailable.

The pandemic has cost Ireland fixtures against Zimbabwe, New Zealand and Pakistan. Its first international of the year featured debuts for middle-order batsman Harry Tector and bowling allrounder Curtis Campher.

Lineups:

England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, James Vince, Eoin Morgan (captain), Sam Billings, Tom Banton, Moeen Ali, David Willey, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood.

Ireland: Paul Stirling, Gareth Delany, Andy Balbirnie (captain), Harry Tector, Kevin O’Brien, Lorcan Tucker, Simi Singh, Curtis Campher, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young.

With inputs from AP



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The MPCA on Thursday said it is a mystery why the cricket committee is questioning Chandrakant Pandit's appointment as Ranji coach despite being an active participant in his selection.

The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) cricket committee comprising Yogesh Golwalkar, Prashant Dwivedi and Murtaza Ali had on Wednesday claimed that it was kept in the dark about Pandit's appointment.

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"It is asserted that the Cricket Committee had itself proposed the name of Chandrakant Pandit. Members of the Cricket Committee had interacted with Pandit before his appointment," MPCA secretary Sanjeev Rao said in a media release.

"The statement (of the Cricket Committee) is completely devoid of facts and is hence causing a deep dent to the reputation of Chandrakant Pandit, as also MPCA.

"Hence, after such elaborate consultation before the appointment of Pandit, it is a mystery as to why the Cricket Committee has only recently started withdrawing from their committed stance," the secretary said.

The secretary also lashed out at the Cricket Committee members saying, "repeated efforts are being made to suggest that the office bearers of MPCA are encroaching onto the functions of the Cricket Committee, which is not only baseless but also mischievous and aimed at vitiating the atmosphere."

"While the MPCA is working to improve cricket, the working conditions of coaches, assistant coaches and others, some vested interests with nefarious designs are trying to play dirty politics with an aim to harm cricket in MP. MPCA will not allow this at any cost," they said.

Pandit is one of the most successful domestic coaches in India.



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New Delhi: Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria, who has been trying get his life ban for spot-fixing lifted, on Thursday said PCB's decision to reduce Umar Akmal's suspension for failing to report corrupt approaches smacks of double standards.

The likes of Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, who too were found guilty of spot-fixing like Kaneria, have been allowed back into the PCB fold. In fact, Amir is a regular member of the national team.

"You call it zero tolerance policy for corruption. Umar was proved guilty but still his ban has been halved. They showed compassion in his case. Amir, Asif, Salman too were allowed to come back, why leave me out?" he asked while talking to PTI.

"Why don't they show the same compassion in my case? They say I talk about my religion (he is a Hindu) but what do I say when the discrimination is crystal clear. I am just going by simple logic," he said from Karachi.

Independent adjudicator Faqir Mohammad Khokhar stated in his order on Tuesday that the case against Akmal was proved to the hilt but he reduced the sentence from three years to 18 months out of compassion.

"Umar has been involved in controversy for the major part of his career due to disciplinary issues. If there is sympathy for him, where is the same sympathy for me? Did he bribe someone to get this done?" asked Kaneria, who was banned by the ECB in 2012.

"They say I play the religion card. You tell me which Hindu player has played for Pakistan after me. No one. All these years they did not find one Hindu who was good enough. I find that hard to believe," said the 39-year-old, who is only the second Hindu to play for Pakistan.

Kaneria took 261 wickets in 61 Tests, the most by a spinner in Pakistan's cricket history.

In June, he had appealed to the PCB to lift the life ban imposed on him in 2013. However, the PCB responded by asking him to approach the ECB to get his ban revoked.

"Article 6.8 of the ECB Anti-Corruption Code, which is applicable in this case, clearly states only the chair of the anti-corruption tribunal, which has imposed a period of ineligibility on a player, had the discretion to permit the player to participate (in club or domestic cricket)," the PCB said earlier this month.

"As such, you are advised to approach the ECB as per Article 6.8 of the ECB Anti-Corruption Code," it said.

The PCB imposed the punishment on Kaneria after he lost an appeal on the life ban slapped by the ECB in 2012.

The leg-spinner was found guilty of spot-fixing alongside Mervyn Westfield while playing for English county Essex against Durham in 2009.



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Rajendra Singh Dhami previously earned a living from prize money and sponsorship, supplemented by income from working as a coach, despite wheelchair cricket not being a professional game in India.

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Toggle between the tabs above to switch between quick scorecard, full scorecard and live commentary

Preview: England won the toss and opted to field in the first ODI against Ireland, with the series marking the return of white-ball cricket after the three-month shutdown of the sport due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To maintain bio-security precautions, England is operating separate test and ODI teams, so World Cup winners Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler were not available after playing in the test series win over the West Indies.

After the three Test matches against the West Indies, in which Joe Root's men overcame the defeat in the first Test at Southampton to win the next two and lift the Wisden Trophy, England host Ireland in a three-match one-day international series with the matches being the first limited-overs international fixtures to take place after the coronavirus lockdown. All matches will take place at Southampton's Ageas Bowl, which is also scheduled to host matches during Pakistan's tour of England.

Players take the knee at the start of the first ODI between England and Ireland at Southampton. Image credit: Twitter/@Irelandcricket

Ireland, on the other hand, haven't had much success in the year so far. While tying the three-match T20I series against the West Indies in the Caribbean can be seen as something of a positive, they suffered a 3-0 hiding in the one-dayers in the same tour, as well as a 2-0 loss against Afghanistan in a limited-overs series played in Greater Noida, India.

England's squad still featured eight World Cup winners, including captain Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, James Vince and Adil Rashid.

Morgan said Joe Denly was injured in training on Wednesday and unavailable.

The pandemic has cost Ireland fixtures against Zimbabwe, New Zealand and Pakistan. Its first international of the year featured debuts for middle-order batsman Harry Tector and bowling allrounder Curtis Campher.

Lineups:

England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, James Vince, Eoin Morgan (captain), Sam Billings, Tom Banton, Moeen Ali, David Willey, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood.

Ireland: Paul Stirling, Gareth Delany, Andy Balbirnie (captain), Harry Tector, Kevin O’Brien, Lorcan Tucker, Simi Singh, Curtis Campher, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young.

With inputs from AP



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The Australian cricket team is currently gearing up for their upcoming tour of England and pacer Josh Hazlewood is going to be a key player in the touring party. This tour will be followed by a big series against India later this year and the fast bowler had a lot to talk about that recently.

Speaking to WION, Hazlewood selected players from both the Australian and Indian teams to create his combined Test XI.

Among pacers, the speedster picked himself, Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah.

Keeping his options open for different grounds, he went for Nathan Lyon for Australian soil and Ravichandran Ashwin for Indian conditions in the spinners department.

Hazlewood then made his way into the opening lineup. “Openers would be Mayank Agarwal – taking future in consideration – and David Warner,” he said.

Interestingly, Steve Smith was at the one-down spot, to be followed by Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. At number six, he chose Marnus Labuschagne or Rohit Sharma, with the final pick dependent on their “ability to change the game”.

He also spoke about the importance of the series, even comparing it with the Ashes. Hazlewood said, “India’s bowling attack got us last time and that is what we don’t like to happen on our home soil.” He called it a huge series for both teams.

The India tour of Australia, starting in October later this year, might be the first international game the Men in Blue play after the coronavirus outbreak had halted all sporting events across the country.

The long series will see four Test matches being played between the sides from December till January, 2021. Other than those, three One Day International (ODI) matches and three T20s will be held till 17 January, 2021.



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Kuldeep Yadav recalled how then India coach Anil Kumble's words motivated him ahead of his Test debut against Australia.

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Hardik Pandya posted a picture of his son on social media as he announced the arrival of the baby.

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Five Rafale fighter jets landed at Ambala on Wednesday after completing their flight from France.

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Shikhar Dhawan has shared many pictures and videos on social media of him with son Zoraver, who keeps him busy through the lockdown period.

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Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi has chosen MS Dhoni over Ricky Ponting as a better captain. In a Twitter QandA, the all-rounder revealed why he picked the former India skipper as the better captain.

Afridi held the interactive session on Wednesday, where one user asked him to decide between the two legendary captains.

“Better captain Dhoni or Ponting? Lala choice,” a Twitter user asked to which Afridi responded, “I rate Dhoni a bit higher than Ponting as he developed a new team full of youngsters.”

Dhoni captained the Indian team without most of their established players to win the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, before going on to win the 2011 World Cup. Two years later, he led India to the 2013 Champions Trophy victory as well.

Ponting, on the other hand, was at the forefront of Australia’s two successive ODI World Cup titles in 2003 and 2007.

Dhoni has led India in 332 matches across all formats of the game, out of which the team won 178. His win percentage is 53.61. The former skipper is all set to be back in action when the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins in a few months.

Ponting was the Australian skipper in 324 matches. They won 220 of the 324 matches, giving him the best win percentage among all captains in world cricket.

During the course of the interaction, Afridi also revealed that the best batsmen he bowled to were Brian Lara and AB de Villiers.

When asked about his favourite footballer, Afridi picked Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mesut Ozil.

Earlier this month, the former cricketer had tested negative for COVID-19 along with his wife and daughters after initially testing positive for the virus.



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West Indies' batsmen failed to score runs against the English bowling attack in the second and third Test matches of the Wisden Trophy.

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England's limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has revealed that his teammates' participation in the 2019 IPL, which was part of a well thought out plan, played a key role in helping the side claim its maiden World Cup title.

Morgan said he pushed chairman of England and Wales Cricket Board's Cricket Committee, Andrew Strauss to take the decision because he felt the pressure associated with a world event can only be matched by the cash-rich IPL.

Eoin Morgan with the ODI World Cup trophy. Reuters

"Playing in IPL was part of Strauss's plan. I pushed him to make that call because in international bilateral series, it's so difficult to replicate the pressure that's there in Champions Trophy or the World Cup," Morgan told Harsha Bhogle on 'Cricbuzz in Conversation'.

"He asked me what's different? One, you play as an overseas player so there's huge expectations. If you play in IPL, there's different pressure and different expectation. Sometimes you can't get away with it and you have to find a way to deal with it."

England won their maiden World Cup title at home turf last year, beating New Zealand on boundary count rule in a dramatic final at the iconic Lord's.

Morgan said IPL helps players come out of their comfort zone.

"It takes you out of your comfort zone. It is completely beneficial to play in IPL. That was a big mindset shift for us. And I hope Indian cricket is alright with us because we are using it as a vehicle to try and grow players," he said.



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Shahid Afridi thinks MS Dhoni is ahead of Ricky Ponting as he had an added challenge during his captaincy.

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England's group contains eight players who were members of the World Cup squad, with captain Eoin Morgan joined by experienced white-ball campaigners Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy and Adil Rashid.

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Yuvraj Singh urged fans to join him in congratulating Stuart Broad for claiming 500 Test wickets.

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In charge of dope control at the IPL for the very first time, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) might have to outsource the task of sample collection given the high cost of handling the exercise when the event is held in the UAE.

The next best option for NADA will be using the services of UAE's National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) or contact Sweden's International Dope Test and Management (IDTM) which has done sample collection and testing for the last 12 seasons of the IPL.

The BCCI came under NADA's ambit from the third quarter of 2019, making this year the first time that the agency will handle sample collection during the IPL, to be held from 19 September to 8 November.

Representational image.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the BCCI to shift the tournament to the UAE, provided it gets the final approval from the Home Ministry.

"It is expected that the approved schedule will be out next week and once we send it to NADA, they can take a call. It's completely their call as they will have to bear the cost of sample collection and transportation," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

When PTI approached NADA DG Navin Agarwal on the issue, he didn't divulge much apart from "we will let you know once we decide on the issue".

Till the 2019 IPL, BCCI bore the cost of sample collection and testing with the World Anti-Doping Agency-approved IDTM in charge.

There are a few options that NADA has according to those who are well abreast with the workings of the agency:

Outsourcing sample collection to UAE NADO

This is the most cost-effective measure where NADO will collect the sample and transport it to the WADA-accredited laboratory in Doha. NADA has been sending collected samples to this lab ever since the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) was suspended by WADA.

"This is the most convenient option in terms of checking the cost and sample transportation. NADA foots the bill which will be much lower," a source privy to the developments said.

In any case, the Dope Control Officers (DCOs) employed by NADA are not organisation's staff and are hired on a contractual basis.

NADA sends DCOs to UAE

Another option is that NADA sends at least 3 to 4 DCOs to the UAE at its own cost for sample collection. It is expected that these DCOs will stay at the bio-secure facility created by the BCCI, which will be different from the ones created by the franchises for their players. The tab has to be picked by NADA as the cost will run into lakhs.

With the agency already short of target-testing during an Olympic year due to the pandemic-forced lockdown and working on a specific budget, spending a huge amount on testing players at the IPL may not be a wise idea, according to experts.

"When Indian athletes train in Europe or the USA, does NADA send DCOs for sample collection in those countries?" asked one of them.



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Stuart Broad progressed seven places to grab the third position among bowlers in the latest ICC Player Rankings after a stellar show in the final Test against the West Indies. England won the third and final game by 269 runs to clinch the series 2-1.

The formerly top-ranked bowler, who finished with a match haul of 10 for 67 during which he touched the milestone of 500 Test wickets, has reached his best position since August 2016 when he was third.

The 34-year-old has also gained seven places with the bat after his quick-fire 62 off 45 balls in the first innings, the joint-third fastest for England in Test history, and risen three places among all-rounders to 11th. Indian cricketers, who have not taken the field since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, retained their positions in the top-10 of batsmen rankings.

Skipper Virat Kohli remains second in the batsmen standings behind Steve Smith while Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane remain seventh and ninth respectively. In the list of all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin continue to occupy the third and fifth spot respectively.

However, with Broad moving seven places to break in to the top 10, India’s Jasprit Bumrah was pushed down a spot to be placed eighth in the bowlers list. Another England bowler to advance in the rankings was Chris Woakes, whose five-wicket haul in the second innings lifted him to 20th position and a career-best rating points tally of 654.

Stuart Broad has reached his best position in ICC rankings since August 2016 when he was third. AP

England opener Rory Burns gained 13 spots to reach 17th position after scores of 57 and 90 at Old Trafford, the first time the 29-year-old left-hander has moved into the top 20.

Ollie Pope reached a career-best 46th position, gaining 24 slots on the back of his 91 in his only innings of the match, while wicketkeeper Jos Buttler’s knock of 67 lifted him from 50th to 44th.

For the West Indies, Shai Hope has gained two slots to reach 68th position while pacer Kemar Roach has moved a place to reach 15th place after grabbing four wickets in England’s first innings.



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Suresh Raina feels Rohit Sharma is the closest to MS Dhoni in terms of attitude, the southpaw also rates both players as 'wonderful captains'.

MS Dhoni is among India's most successful limited-overs captains and his contributions towards the Indian cricket are unparalleled. Recently, Suresh Raina opined that Rohit Sharma is closest to Dhoni in terms of attitude.

On The Super Over Podcast, Raina said that he believes Rohit has amazing credentials as captain. Raina, who was part of the Indian squad led by Dhoni and played under his captaincy for the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK), called Rohit Sharma the “next MS Dhoni”.

Raina further said that Rohit is calm, likes to listen and likes to give confidence to the players.

"On top of that, he likes to lead from the front. When the captain leads from the front and at the same time, he gives respect to the dressing room atmosphere, you know you have it all," he said.

Raina has played under Rohit's captaincy in the Asia Cup 2018 and the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka. Raina said both Dhoni and Rohit Sharma are "wonderful" captains in his book.

Raina said that Rohit thinks everyone is a captain. "I have seen him; I have played under him when we won the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. I have seen how he gives confidence to young players like Shardul (Thakur), Washington Sundar and (Yuzvendra) Chahal of course,” he added.

Rohit overtook Dhoni to become the most successful captain in the IPL when he led Mumbai Indians to their 4th league title in 2019.

Rohit has led the Indian team in absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli. He has had the experience of leading the team in 10 ODIs, winning eight of them and in 20 T20Is, of which the team has won 16.



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New Delhi: India's flamboyant former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh on Wednesday doffed his hat to Stuart Broad, 13 years after nearly bringing about a premature end to the England pacer's career with six sixes in an over.

On Tuesday, Broad became only the seventh bowler and fourth speedster to take 500 wickets in Test cricket.

The 34-year-old Broad reached the milestone when he dismissed West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite on the fifth day of the deciding third Test in Manchester.

Yuvraj took to Twitter to ask his fans to applaud the Englishman's hard work and achievement.

"I'm sure every time I write something about @StuartBroad8, people relate to him getting hit for 6 sixes! Today I request all my fans to applaud what he has achieved! 500 test wickets is no joke - it takes hard work, dedication & determination. Broady you're a legend! Hats off," Yuvraj tweeted.

Broad was only in his second year in international cricket when Yuvraj famously took him apart in a World T20 match in Durban in September 2007.

Broad was dispatched for six sixes in the 19th over of India's innings as Yuvraj raced to his fifty off just 12 balls, which still remains as the fastest half century in the T20 format.

Since that forgettable night at the Kingsmead, Broad has gone on to play 140 Tests, 121 ODIs and 56 T20Is for England, bagging 744 international wickets across formats.

The two share a cordial relationship.

When Yuvraj called time on his international career, Broad posted a picture of the two with the caption, "Enjoy retirement Legend @yuvisofficial."

View this post on Instagram

Enjoy retirement Legend @yuvisofficial 🙌🏻 🏏

A post shared by Stuart Broad (@stuartbroad8) on

With 589 wickets, Broad's longtime pace colleague James Anderson leads the fast bowlers' pack followed by Glenn McGrath (563), Courtney Walsh (519) and Broad (501).

Spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan heads the overall tally with 800 Test wickets, ahead of Shane Warne (708) and Anil Kumble (619).



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Stuart Broad said he tries to challenge the stumps and make batsmen play the ball as much as possible.

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Umar Akmal pleaded guilty in April to a charge of failing to report two match-fixing approaches and received a three-year ban for each offence, to run concurrently from February 20.

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Rajat Bhatia during his domestic career played 112 first-class games scoring 6,482 runs and took 137 wickets as well.

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Virat Kohli said that after winning the 2011 World Cup, the team's feeling was centered around Sachin Tendulkar due to all that he had contributed to the Indian Cricket Team.

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An independent adjudicator has halved batsman Umar Akmal's ban to 18 months for failing to report corrupt approaches before this year’s Pakistan Super League.

Adjudicator Faqir Mohammad Khokhar, a retired supreme court judge, announced the judgement on Wednesday after Akmal had appealed the duration of the original three-year ban.

“I am not happy with the year-and-a-half suspension and I will appeal after consulting my lawyers,” Akmal told reporters in Lahore soon after Khokhar announced the judgement.

The 30-year-old Akmal was banned after the Pakistan Cricket Board’s disciplinary committee found him guilty of two charges of violating the anti-corruption code just before the start of Pakistan’s premier domestic Twenty20 league. Akmal's ban is now set to 19 August 2021.

Pakistani cricketer Umar Akmal, center, arrives with his lawyers at the Pakistan Cricket Board office in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, July 29, 2020. An independent adjudicator has halved batsman Akmal's ban to 18 months for failing to report corrupt approaches before this year’s Pakistan Super League. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudhry)

Umar Akmal, center, arrives with his lawyers at the PCB office in Lahore. AP

Earlier this month, Khokhar had reserved his judgment after listening to arguments from both the Pakistan Cricket Board and Akmal during a three-hour hearing in Lahore.

The chairman of the disciplinary committee, retired Justice Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, said in his ruling that it appeared Akmal showed no remorse and had “tried to take refuge under the pretext that in the past whenever any such approaches were made, the matter was reported by him.”



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Pacer Chris Woakes is England’s “unsung hero” who just goes quietly about his business while the likes of Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Jofra Archer steal the spotlight, feels former skipper Alec Stewart.

Woakes grabbed five wickets to help England bowl out West Indies for 129 in the second innings of the final Test as the hosts claimed the Wisden Trophy with a 2-1 series victory.

Stewart said Woakes, who has been a consistent performer, claiming 106 wickets from 35 Tests, is often deprived of the recognition he deserves.

“He’s almost the unsung hero of the England set-up because we talk about Broad and Anderson then the pace of Archer and Wood, where as Woakes just goes quietly about his business,” Stewart said on ‘Sky Sports’.

“I’m pleased he finished with a five-for because a lot of the time his performances go under the radar compared to these perceived bigger players,” he added.

Stewart said the the 31-year-old all-rounder has been outstanding in England, and the fact that he was picked in the playing XI for the series decider against West Indies speaks for itself.

“I’m a massive fan of Woakes, especially in England. His record in England is outstanding. It’s a real feather in his cap that he got the nod when Chris Silverwood said ‘we are picking our very best bowling attack for this Test match we have to win,” he said .

The former wicketkeeper, who featured in 133 Tests and 170 ODIs between 1989 to 2003 for England, reckons it will be a difficult feat for young Sam Curran to chase Woakes’ spot in the Test side.

“Sam Curran played one Test match and got three wickets, he wants to chase down Chris Woakes’ slot but, at the moment, while Woakes is in this form it is going to be very tough for Sam Curran to get in,” he said.



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Mumbai: Former India opener Gautam Gambhir believes that the Virat Kohli-led side has the bowling attack to rattle the Australian batting line up including Steve Smith and David Warner, who were serving ball-tampering bans in the previous series Down Under.

India are slated to tour Australia in November for a gruelling four-Test series.

"Because India has got the bowling attack to rattle the Australian batting line-up even with David Warner and Steve Smith, but yeah, it’s going to be a different challenge than what it was last time around," Gambhir said on Star Sports show 'Cricket Connected'.

"So, you would want Virat Kohli to fire plus the bowlers as well because it’s the bowlers that will win you the Test matches," added the southpaw.

Last time in 2018-19, India registered their first ever Test series in Australia but Australia missed the services of Smith and Warner.

India's pace bowling attack, from left to right, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and captain Virat Kohli. AP

Gambhir, who was part of the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup winning teams, said this time it will be a different challenge for the visitors.

"Whether it was his (Kohli's) first tour, whether it was second tour, this time around, obviously, he (Kohli) would be gearing up for it because it’s going to be a different challenge with David Warner and Steve Smith coming back into the Australian Test line-up," he said.



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West Indies captain Jason Holder talked about the financial problems that are being faced by smaller countries in cricket in a world scarred by the coronavirus pandemic.

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Sachin Tendulkar along with many other cricketers took to Twitter to congratulate Stuart Broad on taking 500 wickets in Test cricket.

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Skipper Joe Root says his teammates "should feel lucky" sharing the dressing room with James Anderson and Stuart Broad, adding that there is no better place for a youngsters to learn the tricks of the trade than watching the veteran pace duo operate.

Broad followed the footsteps of Anderson to join the elite 500 Test wicket club, a landmark achieved by only by six others in cricket history.

The duo has been leading England's bowling attack for years and is considered as one of the most successful fast bowling pairs in world cricket.

England’s James Anderson, left, passes the ball to teammate Stuart Broad during the fifth day of the third cricket Test match between England and West Indies at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Tuesday, July 28, 2020. (Michael Steele/Pool via AP)

"We're looking at two of England's best bowlers of all time. To be playing in the same team as both of them - we've got to understand how lucky we are to be watching them go about their business," Root was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

"Playing alongside them, seeing them operate day in, day out - it couldn't be a better place for a young fast bowler to come in and learn their trade."

Earlier, Root had urged naysayers to write off Anderson and Broad individually at their own peril even though he dropped hints that their days as a pair may be over.

"It's a real privilege to play alongside both Jimmy and Stuart and hopefully that's going to happen for a lot longer as well," Root added.

Broad, who was dropped from the opening Test in Southampton, silenced his critics by putting up scintillating performances in the remaining two Tests, to help England clinch a series victory against West Indies.

In the series deciding third Test, Broad claimed his international career's third 10-wicket haul, ending with match figures of 10-67. He was also adjudged player of the series alongside West Indies' Roston Chase.

"For him to come back into the team and have such an impact is testament to how good a player he's been for England over such a long period of time," Root said.

"It sums Stuart up, he seems to get on those hot streaks and have a real impact in games and I'm really pleased for him to get to that milestone - 500 Test wickets is a phenomenal achievement.

"He's the sort of guy that really grabs a game and wrestles it in your favour. He wants to be part of those big occasions and he wants to take the ball when you're up against it. There are so many different occasions he's done that," Root added.



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We don’t yet know when normal service will resume in life, but at least we know that this adjusted reality we’re forced to live in will include our dear sport.

England completed a perfect turnaround to clinch the last edition of the Wisden Trophy with a 2-1 scoreline – in the process becoming the first team to successfully overturn a deficit in two consecutive Test series – but that’s not the first memory that history books will keep of this contest.

For cricket will remember that its pandemic-enforced slumber, a lockdown of 117 days – the longest gap without international cricket since 1970 – wouldn’t have lifted had a bunch of players from the Caribbean agreed to travel, from a largely COVID-safe part of the world to England, a country which was one of the worst-hit by the deadly virus at the time of team's departure. All this, while having had to deal with severe pay-cuts along with the unknown future that hovered beyond their tour.

On the field, they showed up spectacularly at Southampton, and although their fight fizzled once the bubble moved to Manchester, West Indies played their due part in a series that engaged audiences more often than it didn’t.

Let’s take a look back at how cricket’s return played out.

500-star Broad is nowhere close to done

“To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement… I’ve been frustrated, angry and gutted.”

This was Stuart Broad’s first contribution to this series; a visibly distraught interaction with host broadcaster Sky Sports midway through the opening game – the first time he failed to make an English playing XI in a home Test for eight years.

Stuart Broad applauded by his teammates as he raises the ball after becoming only the 7th bowler in Test history to bag 500 wickets. AP

He finished the series with five more wickets than any bowler: 16 wickets at 10.93, a breakthrough every 22 balls. And that wasn’t even the headline stat.

He became only the seventh bowler, and the fourth pacer, to cross 500 Test wickets; he did so in a Test where he picked up his first 10-wicket haul since 2013; he ended his milestone game seeing his average drop under 28 for the first time in his career.

Oh, and, there was also the joint-fastest 50 by an Englishman since 1986 to start the Test – his first in 44 innings, a period where he had averaged 9.70 and been dismissed for a duck on 11 occasions.

Three weeks ago, there was distinct chatter about this potentially being the beginning of the end for Broad’s time. It was a bit of a stretch even then, and most certainly is so now: Broad has 102 wickets in his last 26 games since the end of a miserable Ashes Down Under in 2017/18 – that’s more strikes than anyone else in Test cricket in this period.

Team ‘Branderson’ is here to stay. At least for a bit more.

Dreamy depth furthers England’s pace potency

The English pace attack accounted for 50 of the 56 West Indian wickets to fall in the series– their best outing in any series since 1912. They did so while averaging 21.34 and striking once every 44 deliveries, thoroughly outdoing a Windies pace attack, which was quite potent in its own right (32 wickets at 35.31, a wicket every 72 balls).

The difference lay in the depth. While West Indies were able to deploy only the same quartet of quicks – Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph – England featured six out-and-out pacers, plus one Ben Stokes.

Heck, they were even able to field an entirely different pace attack from the first Test to the second (even if not entirely by choice); with the exception of Mark Wood, each member of this pool struck telling blows through the series.

Broad, as mentioned, was in a league of his own, but so was Chris Woakes: 11 wickets at 16.63, breaking through once every six overs – since 1965, no English pacer with 75+ wickets at home can boast of a better average or strike rate than him.

James Anderson continues to be more than a menace for most, and even in a series where he didn’t find too many wickets, he remained the bowler most difficult to score off on either side (economy 2.34).

Jofra Archer’s numbers don’t reflect a great haul (four wickets at 50.50), but having seen him over the past year, it’s easy to tell that this isn’t going to be a bowler defined by bare numbers.

Add Sam Curran’s left-arm angle into the mix, and that guy called Ben, and this is about as formidable a pace battery as one can dream of having in for English conditions.

The challenge in the year ahead will be to replicate some of that firepower on the more unrelenting surfaces in India and Australia.

England have Test openers again!

England’s next Test – against Pakistan, starting on 5 August – will be their 100th since Andrew Strauss’ retirement in 2012. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say it might be one of the first ones where both their openers will confidently take their place.

In these 99 Tests post-Strauss, England have fielded 18 openers in 18 combinations; with the exception of Alastair Cook (78 Tests), no one has featured in 20 games.

Has England's long search for a solid opening pair come to an end? AP

Yet Rory Burns and Dom Sibley showcased in this series an appetite to do the hard yards so necessary to survive as an opening batsman in English conditions. Burns averaged 46.80, Sibley 45.20 – no English batsman not called Ben Stokes fared better in the series. Burns reached 30 or more in all but one innings; Sibley had two ducks, but made up with a marathon century in the second Test and half-centuries in both his remaining innings.

The duo’s 114-run stand in the second innings as England piled on a giant lead in the third Test, believe it or not, was the first century stand for an English opening pair at home in four years; it was also only their second such stand anywhere post-Cook.

The lasting impact of the Burns-Sibley combine is best reflected, though, in this: West Indies bowled 529 overs in the series, and 202 of those were faced by the English openers.

Hope headlines listless Windies batting

Burns, Sibley and Stokes provided England with three batsmen who faced more than 500 balls through the three Tests, two of whom faced deliveries in excess of 600. However, none of the West Indian batsmen surpassed 500 balls for the series, Shamarh Brooks having dealt with 402 deliveries was the highest.

And it wasn’t just batting time that they failed to do, West Indies didn’t show up with the bat at all – their eight ‘proper’ batting picks averaged 25.39 between them; the corresponding number for England was 43.19.

The lowlight was Shai Hope, whose Headingley heroics now feel generations away. Hope’s dismal record since the start of 2018 is the stuff of nightmares: 607 runs in 17 matches at 19.58, with only two half-centuries. For perspective, Kemar Roach averages 17.64 in the same period.

It’s not like the others covered themselves in great glory, with the exception of Jermaine Blackwood perhaps – the match-winner at Southampton finished as West Indies’ top-scorer, with 211 runs, and was their only batsman to touch an average of 35.

No evidence could be more damning, arguably, than the fact that the West Indian top-three (Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell and Hope) together scored only two more runs in the series than Ben Stokes did in five innings.

Stokes lords over top-billing battle of all-rounders

The battle-within-the-battle as cricket returned was the duel between Ben Stokes and Jason Holder – the two highest-ranked all-rounders in the format, with the added impetus of a captaincy showdown for the series opener.

The first Test did give us a cracker of a contest: Holder took a game-defining six-for in the first innings, dismissed Stokes on both occasions, and was at the crease as the visitors reached their target on the final day; Stokes, for his part, made 40s in both the innings and was also his side’s leading wicket-taker with six strikes in the game.

But the sizzle turned to fizzle as the teams made the journey from Southampton to Manchester.

In one outing (the second Test), Stokes had the sort of impact most players worth their salt realistically aim at having through an entire series. He went from making his slowest Test hundred, and batting out his longest Test innings, to hitting the fastest Test 50 by an English opener; he bowled more bouncers than any English pacer had in the last five years, accounting for the most vital wicket, arguably, in both innings; on the final day of the game, he had enough energy to run and save a boundary off his own bowling and then deliver one of those game-changing wicket-taking bouncers.

Unfortunately, the game coincided with a dip in Holder’s form and fortune. Having taken seven wickets in the first Test, the Windies skipper was only able to add three more wickets in the two remaining games. His series returns with the bat, too, were well below par: 114 runs at 22.80, 62 less than Stokes’ tally from just the first innings of the second Test.

Perhaps the more telling mistake from Holder, though, was the decision at the toss on both instances at Manchester. Since 1884, captains had opted to bowl only eight times at Old Trafford, winning none of those games. Holder did so twice in as many Tests, and paid the price both times.



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West Indies captain Jason Holder feels "relevant" authorities need to ensure that smaller teams get to play regular international cricket as in a world scarred by COVID-19, only India, Australia and England have the resources to stage games in bio-secure bubbles.

The cricketing fraternity has lauded the West Indies' decision to tour England amid the pandemic. The three Test-series, which England won 2-1 on Tuesday, marked resumption of international cricket.

The series was played in a bio-secure environment increasing organisational costs significantly and Holder said teams like the West Indies are likely to struggle to create a similar environment.

"If something doesn't happen soon we'll see less international cricket being played by smaller countries because we simply can't afford it. We've gone from having four, five-match series, down to two and three," Holder said after the conclusion of the third Test.

"And it's very difficult to host any more than that for us, particularly the Caribbean. So yeah, it is a serious dilemma that we're faced with. I think the relevant personnel really need to sit down and have a look at it," he added.

The West Indies were confined to just two venues - Manchester and Southampton - during the eight-week tour. Both teams stayed on site.

Holder hopes that England too will reciprocate their gesture and tour the Caribbean soon.

"We only really make money from England, and I think India. We break even with Pakistan and Australia, and all the rest of the series we play are losses. But in these trying times only England, Australia and India can probably host cricket," he said.

"Outside of that, the smaller territories are struggling financially to get cricket on...if there's an opportunity for England to come over to the Caribbean before the end of the year, I'm sure that would help significantly for Cricket West Indies' financial records."

The West Indies players and staff have had to take pay cuts due to the financial impact of COVID-19 on their board.

"It's been a tough couple of years in West Indies cricket financially. We've pretty much had to take a pay cut, so if it's possible to host a tour before the end of 2020, it would probably keep us afloat as an organisation," Holder said when asked about the current situation.

Despite the challenges posed by this tour, Holder said it was enjoyable.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It''s the first time I've had the opportunity to mingle with, more or less, the A-team players, because I haven't played much first-class cricket in the last couple of years.

"I'm not sure right now if Cricket West Indies could afford to have an academy, or something similar to Loughborough here in England, but that is definitely something that would help CWI," he added.



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