Month: April 2017

Headingley’s new stand is all systems go Clint Hughes / © PA Photos Headingley’s future as an international venue has been secured after Leeds City Council formally approved an emergency deal to ensure a major £35m refit could go ahead. Mounting dismay that the ground’s future was under threat has hurried the council into brokering an agreement with a private financial services firm which will provide most of the funding…

Rene Farrell remains available for selection in the Test and T20I formats © Getty Images Fast bowler Rene Farrell has announced her retirement from ODIs. She will, however, remain available for Australia’s Test and T20I teams and will continue playing domestic cricket for the NSW Breakers, the Sydney Thunder and the Surrey Stars. Farrell, who made her international debut in 2007, played 44 ODIs, taking 42 wickets at an average…

Shafiul Islam last played an ODI in October 2016, against England © Getty Images Bangladesh have recalled Shafiul Islam to their 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy. There was no place for wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan, pace bowler Subashis Roy and allrounder Shuvagata Hom, who were all part of Bangladesh’s most recent ODI series in Sri Lanka. Nurul and Subashis, however, have been included in the preliminary squad that will undergo…

With James Pattinson joining Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, Australia will have a wealth of genuine pace options at the Champions Trophy © Getty Images The return of the fast bowler James Pattinson and the inclusion of Moises Henriques ahead of James Faulkner among the allrounders are the two major talking points to emerge from the announcement of Australia’s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy. Steven Smith, who…

Tim May believes Cricket Australia must provide better justification for breaking up the fixed revenue percentage model © Getty Images Tim May, one of the architects of the first collective bargaining agreement between Cricket Australia and Australia’s cricketers, has challenged the board to provide better justification for its desire to end the fixed revenue percentage model that has remained in place over the past 20 years. In an exclusive ESPNcricinfo…

Tim Southee has signed up to appear for Middlesex in the NatWest T20 Blast © AFP Tim Southee, the New Zealand fast bowler, has signed for Middlesex as their second overseas player for the NatWest T20 Blast. His arrival to play under the captain and coach combination of Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori – both former New Zealand team-mates of Southee – gives a strong Black Caps feel to Middlesex…