3:00 AM ET Big Picture Johannesburg is closer to Harare than it is to Cape Town, but it’s been eight years since Zimbabwe last played an ODI in South Africa. The cricketing gap is far wider than the geographical one between these two teams, and the financial realities of modern cricket add a further constraint. A series against Zimbabwe doesn’t make much money or fill grounds, and so the limited-overs…
3:00 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff West Indies women 102 for 1 (Natasha McLean 42*, Stafanie Taylor 35*) beat South Africa women 101 for 8 (Dane Vane Niekerk 36, Mignon du Preez 27, Anisa Mohammed 5 for 24) by 9 wickets Anisa Mohammed broke open the game for West Indies Getty Images Late strikes including a last-over hat-trick from Anisa Mohammed and a 72-run second-wicket stand between Natasha McLean and captain Stafanie…
1:52 AM ET Rohit Sharma, India’s victorious stand-in captain, wants those auditioning for the Nos. 4 and 6 spots in the ODI XI to get more opportunities in the next few months, even if team dynamics change when Virat Kohli takes over the leadership. “The guys who were here had the ability to win matches for the team,” Rohit said. “They’ve won matches for their state or IPL teams. No…
Our boys should feel proud – Mashrafe Mortaza (0:46) The Bangladesh captain says he was happy with his bowlers’ performance in the Asia Cup (0:46) 12:24 AM ET Success in defending runs in the final overs at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) influenced Mashrafe Mortaza‘s decision to hand Mahmudullah the ball with India needing six runs off six balls in the Asia Cup final. Mashrafe had earlier considered throwing the…
11:25 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Simon Kerrigan, the left-arm spinner who played one Test for England during the 2013 Ashes, has been released by Lancashire. Kerrigan made the decision earlier this year to put his playing career on hold and help out with coaching at the club. He did not play at all during the 2018 season and has now been allowed to leave Lancashire at the end of his…
11:01 AM ET Andrew Fidel Fernando The rift that presently exists between Angelo Mathews and coach Chandika Hathurusingha must be repaired as soon as possible, so that Mathews can return to the ODI side quickly, the former Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara has said. Sangakkara, who has been a long-time advocate of Mathews and Hathurusingha alike, made these comments ahead of announcements about the UAE T20x tournament, in which he…
10:39 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Sarah Taylor, the England wicketkeeper, will miss the Women’s World T20 in the Caribbean in November after suffering a relapse of the anxiety issue that has caused her to take regular time away from the game in recent seasons. Taylor, who played a key role in England’s World Cup victory in 2017, was in prime form with the bat and behind the stumps this season….
Lalchand Rajput speaks to the media © Getty Images Zimbabwe’s coach Lalchand Rajput oozed optimism ahead of the first ODI in Kimberley on Sunday. It’s one trait by which his short tenure – he took over the position full-time in August after filling on an interim basis against Australia and Pakistan in July – has been characterised. “South Africa has to be aware that this is not the Zimbabwe team…
9:01 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Leicestershire have signed Mohammad Abbas for a second summer as their overseas player, after the Pakistan seamer enjoyed a prolific debut season in county cricket. Abbas claimed 50 wickets at 17.72 in Division Two of the Championship, including a haul of 10 for 52 in his final game, against Durham. Leicestershire finished a respectable fifth in the table – their highest position since 2010 –…
Perfect time for Finch’s Test debut – Tim Paine (0:48) Australia captain Tim Paine looks ahead to their upcoming tour of Pakistan, where Aaron Finch is set for a Test debut (0:48) 8:08 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Australia have pencilled in Aaron Finch and Travis Head for Test debuts against Pakistan next month, with Michael Neser also making a strong case for inclusion, according to captain Tim Paine. All three…