Month: January 2020

10:06 AM GMT Four cities across Pakistan have been identified as hosts for the 34 matches of the upcoming PSL, the PCB has announced. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will stage 14 matches, including the final on March 22, while Karachi will host nine games, including the tournament opener between Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United on February 20. Rawalpindi (eight matches) and Multan (three matches) are the two other venues. The return…

9:36 AM GMT Naseem Shah has been withdrawn from Pakistan’s squad for the Under-19 World Cup. Mohammad Wasim, the 18-year-old fast bowler who has been an Under-19 regular in recent months, has replaced him. Naseem, the 16-year-old fast bowler who has played three Test matches since making his senior international debut in November, was named in the original Under-19 squad last month. Pakistan head-coach-cum-selector Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis,…

8:33 AM GMT Disquiet at the bottom Reports have emerged of the Rangpur sponsors meddling in pre-match selection and captaincy talks. BCB director Enayet Hossain Siraj, who shifted from Rajshahi Royals to the Rangpur side after his company, Incepta Pharmaceuticals, became Rangpur’s sponsors, has admitted that he has taken charge of team affairs. Whispers of Siraj disregarding coach Mark O’Donnell’s suggestions for the playing XI are also gathering strength. Rangpur…

7:26 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Since his debut in the second half of 2018, Deepak Chahar has made rapid strides to be among the near-certainties in India’s T20I squad, while staking his claim to a regular spot in the ODI squad as well. Chahar enjoyed a particularly productive 2019 in the shortest format, for India as well as Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. That included a world-record haul of…

6:01 AM GMT Tim Paine has been backed to captain Australia until at least a possible World Test Championship final appearance in 2021 after leading the team from the fallout of the Newlands ball-tampering scandal to the brink of a clean sweep of this season’s Tests following the retention of the Ashes last year. Paine produced one of his most influence performances in Melbourne, scoring a momentum-seizing 79 in Australia’s…

4:14 AM GMT Will Somerville has recalled being in tears in the SCG car park when he was awarded a New South Wales contract in 2014 as he prepares for the chance of making a Test appearance on the ground six years later. Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls sat out New Zealand’s training on New Year’s Day after reporting flu-like symptoms but it is not thought that they will be…

Jan 1, 2019 Varun Shetty January 1: Brisbane Heat v Perth Scorchers in Carrara Our XI: Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Marsh, Chris Lynn, Josh Inglis, Ashton Turner, Chris Jordan, Mitchell Swepson, Jhye Richardson, Liam Livingstone, Sam Heazlett, Ben Cutting NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant updates) Captain: Chris Lynn Lynn went berserk against the Sydney Sixers in the Heat’s last…

2:07 AM GMT Matt Roller Close Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets at @mroller98 Picking XIs for a decade can feel a bit like trying to form Powerplay rules – introducing artificial restrictions to drum up some excitement – because cricket careers and schedules don’t naturally lend themselves to decade-style reviews. But ESPNcricinfo’s staff were not going to pass up an opportunity to make use of…