Month: September 2023

While the rest of the world turns its attention to the 2023 World Cup in India next month, Ireland’s focus has already shifted to the 2027 campaign, according to their head coach, Heinrich Malan, as the squad prepares for this week’s three-match ODI series against England – their first 50-over outings since failing to qualify for this year’s tournament. Cricket Ireland has yet to conduct its official review into the…

For the third ODI, though, India have picked the same squad that they will play with at the World Cup, plus Ashwin and Washington. The three-match series against Australia is India’s last ODI assignment before the World Cup and it presents a chance for highly-rated middle-order batter Tilak Varma to push his case at the highest level. He has been picked for the first two games along with Ruturaj Gaikwad,…

Rishabh Pant won’t be fit to play the upcoming World Cup but former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist is still fascinated by the impact he has had in his six years with the Indian team. Pant, 25, made his international debut in February 2017 and has risen to be one of the first names down on the team sheet, especially in Test cricket. A strike rate of 73 in the longest…

Sussex have been docked 12 points in the County Championship and will be without their captain, Cheteshwar Pujara, for this week’s match against Derbyshire. Pujara received an automatic suspension after the club reached the threshold of four fixed penalties in the same season. Sussex have also made the decision to stand down three players – Jack Carson, Tom Haines and Ari Karvelas – for behaviour that in the words of…

It’s been one of the toughest selection calls imaginable, but England have opted to axe Jason Roy from their final World Cup squad, after a protracted saga that has dominated the back-end of the international season. Here’s how the timeline unfolded. August 13Matthew Mott, England’s white-ball coach, tells the Mail on Sunday that he hopes to convince Ben Stokes out of ODI retirement: “Jos [Buttler] will probably lead the way…

It was Jos Buttler who rang Jason Roy to let him know that he had been left out of England’s final World Cup squad – just as it was for last year’s T20 World Cup. Buttler considers Roy a close friend and the pair have been international team-mates for nearly a decade, but twice in 13 months he has delivered a clinical, cruel blow. His omission could mark the end…

Tim Murtagh, the former Ireland seamer and stalwart of county cricket for 23 years, has announced he will retire from professional cricket at the end of the season. Murtagh, 42, has been named in Middlesex’s squad to face Warwickshire at Lord’s this week, where the club will continue their fight to stay in Division One of the County Championship, with one final match of the season to come against Nottinghamshire…

Joe Root has been added to England’s squad for their first ODI against Ireland at Headingley on Wednesday at his own request, as he bids to rediscover his 50-over form ahead of next month’s World Cup. England’s initial 13-man squad to play Ireland did not feature any of their provisional 15-man World Cup squad. But Harry Brook was added to the finalised World Cup squad on Sunday, replacing Jason Roy,…

“Arre! World Cup jeetne ke baad phodo, yaar.” (“Burst these firecrackers after winning the World Cup!”) The sound of firecrackers boomed through the walls as Rohit Sharma sat patiently for his post-match press conference, wearing a smile that seldom left his face for much of Sunday’s short Asia Cup final that culminated in India winning their first multi-nation tournament since September 2018. That tournament happened to be the Asia Cup,…

Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala will undergo fitness tests this week to determine their availability for the ODI World Cup. They were named in South Africa’s initial 15-member squad for the tournament, but played only one fixture each of the five-match ODI series against Australia, before sustaining lower-back and left-knee injuries respectively. A final call on their inclusion will be taken before South Africa leave for India on September 23…