Month: June 2021

News Buttler injury opens door to extended run in ODI squad after luckless tour of India At the start of March, Sam Billings was full of positivity about an upcoming three-match period that could have locked him into England’s T20 World Cup squad: he had not been given an opportunity in their T20I series in India, but had expected to play all three of the ODIs that followed before trying…

News India, meanwhile, are unlikely to get warm-up matches against English county sides. They will instead play two intra-squad games Ishant Sharma required multiple stitches on his bowling hand after sustaining an injury on the last day of the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, but the pacer is expected to be fit in time for India’s five-match Test series against England that starts on August 4. Sharma tried…

Preview Onus on visitors’ batting to find an extra gear after flat displays in first two T20Is Sri Lanka’s sluggish batting has undermined their bowlers’ efforts to stay in the contests   Big picture Three days on from the World Test Championship final, the Ageas Bowl (as it is once again allowed to be known) plays host to a final of a rather less epochal variety. The final T20I between…

News Head coach Warne confirms replacement as player unavailability dogs new competition Glenn Maxwell has become the latest overseas player to pull out of the inaugural season of the men’s Hundred following the withdrawals of David Warner, Marcus Stoinis and Kagiso Rabada. Maxwell was due to play for London Spirit on a £100,000 contract but has withdrawn from the tournament, having already pulled out of Australia’s upcoming white-ball tours to…

News Dawid Malan added to ODI squad after MRI scans reveal small calf tear Jos Buttler has been ruled out of the rest of England’s white-ball series with Sri Lanka. Buttler sustained a calf tear in Wednesday’s first T20I and will now return home to commence his rehabilitation. Buttler, England’s vice-captain and wicketkeeper, scored an unbeaten 68 opening the batting in the first T20I. According to the ECB, he “felt…

News Sri Lanka’s head coach said he wants the batsmen to be more proactive against a world-class England attack ‘I thought England were world-class with the lengths they hit.’ – Mickey Arthur   Mickey Arthur has urged his Sri Lanka side to stay patient after they slipped to a second defeat in as many nights in Cardiff, leaving them on a run of 11 defeats in their last 12 completed…

News Low-key but impressive performances in first two T20Is enhance his claims to squad berth Liam Livingstone has enhanced his World Cup claims with two important displays   Teams can take a squad of 33 players to cover 15 starting positions in rugby’s next World Cup, and 23 for 11 spots in football’s, but cricket diverges from the norm. England will take a 15-man squad to the T20 World Cup…

News The Australia captain said that performances on the upcoming tours will count for a lot in final selection Australia’s planning for the 2021 T20 World Cup has been significantly disrupted by tour pullouts but captain Aaron Finch is maintaining his focus – in more ways than one. Finch underwent surgery on his left eye after the tour of New Zealand in March – which was the last time he…