That meant the remaining middle-order batsmen for India - both Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer - made it to the playing eleven in the ODIs against West Indies. Unfortunately, only Iyer could make a mark; but fortunately, that at least brought its share of smiles on the team management's faces.
Read moreFollowing a raft of retirements since 2018, South Africa's Test squad for the India tour this year includes multiple uncapped names. All of spin-bowling all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy, fast bowler Anrich Nortje and wicketkeeper-batsman Rudi Second have been rewarded for consistent domestic performances, with the selectors not shying away from giving the T20 captaincy to Quinton de Kock for the tour.
Read moreUncapped spin-bowling all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall has been named in the West Indies squad for the two-match Test series against at home. The thirteen-man squad lacks fast bowler Alzarri Joseph - who is still recovering from injury sustained during the IPL this year - and Chris Gayle, who had expressed his desire to play a Test match, the last of which was in 2014.
Read moreAfter failing to deliver on a helpful track on days three and four of the Edgbaston Test, Moeen Ali has been dropped for the second Test against Australia at Lord's. Left-arm spinner Jack Leach is certain to take his place in the eleven after being named as the only spinner in the squad of twelve.
Read moreSouth Africa veteran Hashim Amla has announced his immediate retirement from international cricket a month after his side exited early in the World Cup. Amla played 124 Tests, 181 ODIs and 24 T20s for his country in a career that started in 2004.
Read moreAfter looking comfortable at 282 for 4 just two behind Australia's first innings total England suffered a mini collapse of 4 for 18. Ben Stokes edged behind after a fifty, Rory Burns' maiden Test hundred also ended with an outside edge and Moeen Ali's dreadful misjudgement of one from Nathan Lyon which straightened rattled his off-stump.
Read moreNew Zealand have picked as many as four frontline spinners - Todd Astle, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel and Will Somerville - in a squad of fifteen for the two Tests in Sri Lanka starting on August 14. That meant space could be found for only three fast bowlers in Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner, with all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme providing the fourth seam-bowling option. The batting unit remains as expected, with an additional wicketkeeper in Tom Blundell being included as back-up to the regular BJ Watling.
Read moreSteven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were named in Australia's Test squad for the upcoming Ashes in England, the first time since being banned for ball tampering in Cape Town in March 2018. The seventeen-member squad also features comebacks by wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade and all-rounder Mitchell March, among those by fast bowler James Pattinson, who last played for Australia in 2016.
Read moreIn order to celebrate the hundredth birth anniversary of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has scheduled two T20s between an Asia XI and a World XI side in March 2020. While an annual celebration of his birth anniversary has always been held in the country - a national holiday has been one of the ways to honour him - the birth centenary next year makes the occasion further special.
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