The beats that bring out the best in players at this World Cup include Lady Gaga’s Just Dance, which was the tonic that turned West Indies around after their opening defeat and inspired two big wins, Punjabi music in the Pakistan camp that even has the injured Diana Baig dancing and a proverbial mix-tape of Afrikaans music and Amapiano – a mix of house, electronic, jazz and soul – that…
India will go into the home Test series against New Zealand with pretty much the same squad that took on Bangladesh in September – that means Mohammed Shami hasn’t recovered in time for what will be India’s last red-ball action ahead of the five-Test series in Australia to close out this year. Yash Dayal, who had received his maiden Test call-up for the Bangladesh Test series, also missed out. Jasprit…
The Indian team is trying to “push the limits” of what they can do. According to assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, they are doing this in order to be well-prepared for the challenges in the next 18 months: the Champions Trophy, Asia Cup and T20 World Cup. With Rohit Sharma as captain and Rahul Dravid as coach, India had shed their safety-first approach with bat in limited-overs cricket. It paid…
Vlaeminck was attempting to stop a boundary off Muneeba Ali’s fine edge on just the fourth ball of the match in Dubai on Friday. Running back from short third, Vlaeminck slid but her knee got stuck in the turf as she reached for the ball and flicked it back before tumbling over the rope, crying out and clutching at her shoulder as she did so. Lying on the boundary’s edge…
Toss Australia opt to field vs Pakistan Excited by their first and only visit in the group stage to Dubai, Australia captain Alyssa Healy chose to bowl against Pakistan. Australia included extra firepower in the seam bowling department. Tayla Vlaeminck was included in the XI and will play her first T20 World Cup match since the 2018 tournament, and only the second of her career. Grace Harris was left out…
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Sharjah, 2pm local time New Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Isabella Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu Sri Lanka squad: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilshari, Nilakshika Silva, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Achini Kulasuriya,…
Rohit Sharma‘s participation in the early Tests in India’s tour of Australia is in doubt owing to personal reasons. With that update, the selection of India’s new Test vice-captain has acquired significance. Rohit might not play the first Test – in Perth, from November 22 – and though India played the recent Test series against Bangladesh at home without a designated vice-captain, the selectors are keen on appointing one not…
Jaydev Unadkat will continue his association with Sussex after extending his contract with them for the 2025 and 2026 County Championship seasons. He will be available for the final run-in in both seasons. “When I came to Hove last year, I wasn’t sure what was on offer in the County Championship and how would I adapt to it. But after a few games now, I can definitely say Hove is…
Shan Masood drew a sharp line between his side’s batters and bowlers after their innings defeat against England in Multan – he defended the batters and criticised the bowlers for failing to do their job. Speaking after the match, Masood lamented their inability to take 20 wickets, largely dismissing the pitch as a mitigating factor for their struggles. “What England showed us is you can find a way. They took…
England are bracing to play on “result wickets” for the remaining two Tests of their tour to Pakistan after winning by an innings on a lifeless pitch. The groundstaff in Multan, which will also stage the second Test of the series, were watering a fresh strip barely an hour after England completed their win on Friday, which will be prepared over the next three days. Shan Masood has spoken repeatedly…