Pakistan’s team masseur Malang Ali has tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival in Colombo. He will have to undergo a five-day isolation period and will be able to join the team, subject to a negative Rapid Antigen Test on day five. In the past, Pakistan haven’t had a masseur replaced on their away tours. In case Malang isn’t able to recover in the time for the opening Test starting July…
Saturday’s T20I between England and India at Edgbaston will be monitored by “undercover football crowd-style spotters”, after Warwickshire unveiled a series of new measures to combat the instances of racist abuse that marred last week’s delayed fifth Test between the same teams. England won the Test and squared the series in thrilling style, chasing down 378 before lunch on the final day, of which 259 were scored on the fourth…
Don’t panic. Keep things simple. And you don’t necessarily have to sweep (if you don’t want to). This, Dimuth Karunaratne said, was his advice to Sri Lanka’s batters ahead of the second Test in Galle. They had stumbled to 212 and 113 in the first Test, while Australia made 321 in their first innings. With a slightly better batting pitch expected for the second match, Karunaratne hoped his batters could…
Michael Hogan, the 41-year-old Australian-born seamer, will play in the Hundred this year after he was signed by defending men’s champions Southern Brave as a wildcard on Thursday morning. Hogan announced in December that this would be his final season as a professional cricketer before his retirement but has impressed in the Blast for Glamorgan this season, taking 20 wickets in 11 appearances while bowling in the powerplay and at…
Until now on their tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Australia have not felt the need to go out of the box with their selections, although both trips have included plenty of talk of the potential to do so. The second Test in Galle may see that change, however, with Glenn Maxwell a chance to replace Mitchell Starc at No. 8. It would mean Cummins being the lone frontline quick…
Big Picture There has been plenty of Test cricket recently that you don’t want to take your eyes off. England are changing the way people think of the game by charging their way to fourth-innings targets as though it was the most normal thing ever; while in Galle, the first match of the series was over in less than two days’ playing time as Australia adapted to conditions far better…
Sri Lanka Women won the toss and chose to bowl first vs India Women Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl in the third ODI against India in Pallekele. India announced an unchanged XI for this final ODI. Sri Lanka made one change, with legspinner Rashmi Silva replacing medium pacer Achini Kulasuriya. India lead the series 2-0 after comprehensively winning the second ODI by ten wickets. Smriti Mandhana…
It is understood that the trio had all reported feeling unwell which led to the entire Sri Lanka squad being tested, with the positive results coming back on Wednesday. It brings the number of Covid-19 cases in the Sri Lanka camp to five, following Angelo Mathews – who was the first and had to be subbed out on the third day of the first Test – and then left-arm spinner…
England’s remarkable performances against New Zealand and India have certainly been noted around the cricket world, so much so that “Bazball” made an appearance at Australia’s net session in Galle on Wednesday. Steven Smith, who is among the Australians to have kept an eye on the matches in England, was heard shouting the term after playing a straight and later joked that Australia coach Andrew McDonald had already heard enough…
It’s not just about sweeping, surely? There’s more to batting on turning surfaces than that. Sweeping is how Australia got to their last victory. And perhaps how Joe Root did it against Sri Lanka in Galle last year. Sure. But there’s more to life on turning pitches than that. Especially when you have a world beating spinner in the opposition. Ninety-nine Galle outings between them. And yet, a top seven…