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The MCC introduced a rule last year confirming that substitute fielders will be allowed to keep should the original wicketkeeper suffer an injury during play

Osman Samiuddin in Abu Dhabi16-Oct-2018Rules introduced last year will allow Pakistan to look into the option of calling up a substitute wicketkeeper in case captain Sarfraz Ahmed is unable to take the gloves on the second day of the second Test against Australia in Abu Dhabi.Sarfraz was hit on his left forearm by a Mitchell Starc short ball when he was on 90, in the 70th over of Pakistan’s innings. After getting some treatment, he batted on for a couple of overs before holing out off Marnus Labuschange for 94.He then kept wicket for the seven overs Australia batted, not looking comfortable, but still taking an excellent, diving leg-side catch to dismiss Usman Khawaja.When he turned up at the end of the day to speak to media, it was with an icepack strapped to his left forearm.”The arm is not moving properly,” he said. “It’s a bruise, but I think it will have swelling later. I think Mickey [Arthur] was talking to the umpires about a reserve wicketkeeper tomorrow. That time when I was hit, I felt pain, but I hung on because I was approaching my century.”I think had it been more forceful, then I would not have been able to bat properly after that, but I hope that with icing, it will get better.”The MCC, guardians of the Laws of Cricket, last year introduced a rule confirming that substitute fielders will be allowed to keep wicket should the original wicketkeeper suffer an injury during play. The umpires have to okay the change, and it is understood that match officials will allow another wicketkeeper should Sarfraz not be able to come out.That will be Mohammad Rizwan, who was part of the original 18-man Pakistan squad for this Test series. Rizwan was released before the second Test and allowed to join the Pakistan ‘A’ side, also in the UAE, to take on New Zealand ‘A’. That, however, is believed to not be an issue in allowing Rizwan to take over.In the ICC’s Test match playing conditions, clause 1.2.1 states that each captain can nominate up to six substitute fielders on the team sheet handed to the match referee before the toss.Whether or not Rizwan’s name was on that team sheet – as he had been released – is a point made moot by clause 1.2.2, which says: “Only those nominated as substitute fielders shall be entitled to act as substitute fielders during the match, unless the ICC Match Referee, in exceptional circumstances, allows subsequent additions.”Pakistan are fortunate in having Rizwan, who has played one Test, available in the first place. The usual practice, under Sarfraz’s captaincy, has been to not pick a back-up wicketkeeper in their squads. But a lack of form and concern over Sarfraz’s excessive workload meant Rizwan was selected.In the event that Sarfraz doesn’t show up, Asad Shafiq will lead Pakistan on the field.

Nagraj Gollapudi05-Nov-2018Gautam Gambhir has criticised the Cricket Association of Bengal’s decision to invite former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin to ring the bell at Eden Gardens before the start of the first T20I between India and West Indies on Sunday. Azharuddin was banned for life by BCCI in 2000 for his role in the match-fixing scandal and soon after that Sourav Ganguly, now the CAB president, was made India captain.Azharuddin, who played 99 Test matches, has always insisted he was innocent and, in 2012, a division bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court called the BCCI life ban illegal. He attempted last year to contest elections to the Hyderabad Cricket Association, but his nomination was rejected on technical grounds.Regardless of the controversy around him, Azharuddin has retained a place in India’s cricketing fraternity and has even conducted camps for youngsters around the country. Before ringing the bell on Sunday, he was part of the Jagmohan Dalmiya Conclave, a series of programmes conducted by the CAB in memory of the former BCCI president.Gambhir became the first player to voice opposition against Azharuddin being brought back into cricketing activities.”India may have won today at Eden but I am sorry @bcci, CoA &CAB lost,” Gambhir tweeted on Sunday night. “Looks like the No Tolerance Policy against Corrupt takes a leave on Sundays! I know he was allowed to contest HCA polls but then this is shocking….The bell is ringing, hope the powers that be are listening,”Commentator and former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar also made an indirect reference to the issue, referring to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report on the fixing case. “Guess the time has come for all of us to reacquaint ourselves with one of the most crucial documents on Indian cricket,” Manjrekar tweeted, along with a link to the report.Azharuddin rang the Eden Gardens bell a week after Ganguly revealed his “deep sense of fear and worry” at how Indian cricket was being run by the current administration led by the Committee of Administrators (CoA). Ganguly was part of a core group of players also including Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman that is widely seen to have helped repair Indian cricket after the fixing scandal hit it with full force in 2000. Ganguly is now seen as a future BCCI president.Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman at the launch of Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography

Several big names were implicated in the 2000 fixing scandal, including former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje. The case was handled by India’s CBI, which concluded that Azharuddin was involved in match-fixing.In its report, the CBI said: “The evidence against Azharuddin … clearly establishes the fact that he took money from bookies/punters to fix cricket matches and also the fact that the ‘underworld’ had approached him to fix matches for them.”Azharuddin, in his statement to the CBI, had admitted to receiving money from the bookie Mukesh Gupta to fix some matches, but has stated that he “did” only two matches for him – an admission the CBI called “a dilution of the actual facts”.The government then forwarded those findings to the BCCI, which appointed former CBI joint director K Madhavan as the inquiry commissioner. Madhavan’s inquiry found Azharuddin guilty and the BCCI banned him for life. The BCCI also imposed life bans on former Delhi and India batsman Ajay Sharma and Indian team physiotherapist Ali Irani, and five-year bans on batsman Ajay Jadeja and allrounder Manoj Prabhakar.In his appeal to the High Court, Azharuddin challenged Madhavan’s appointment, saying the BCCI rules did not have any provision for an inquiry commissioner and so any conclusion reached by the commissioner should be invalid. In 2012, the Court upheld Azharuddin’s appeal on the technicality relating to the appointment of inquiry commissioner.Azharuddin then approached the BCCI for a revocation of the life ban, but the ban has never been formally revoked. ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCCI was on the verge of challenging the court’s order, but turned its focus towards the IPL corruption scandal that broke in 2013, and has since not pursued the case. The matter came before the CoA last year, but it left the decision to the BCCI’s general body.No one at CAB, neither Ganguly or the secretary Avishek Dalmiya, were available for comment in response to Gambhir’s tweet. It is also understood that the CoA will not interfere in the matter, as it was the CAB that had invited Azharuddin.

Ben Curran showed up well as Northants ended a wretched season on a high note

ECB Reporters Network17-Aug-2018
ScorecardA wretched season for the Northamptonshire Steelbacks in the Vitality Blast at least ended on a high note as they avenged their morale-sapping opening-day defeat at the hands of the Leicestershire with a comprehensive win at the Fischer County Ground.Chasing 149 to win, the Steelbacks got home with nine balls to spare. Ben Duckett made 33 off 24 balls, including an audacious scoop for six off pace bowler Zak Chappell, after Ben Curran – the middle one of the three Curran brothers – had caught the eye.Curran celebrated the contract he was awarded at Wantage Road earlier this week with a bright 29 off just 18 balls, taking four boundaries in an over off Chappell. His striking in a 50-run partnership with Ben Duckett was key in the Steelbacks racing to 63-1 in the powerplay, giving themselves a platform they did not waste.Josh Cobb made a run-a-ball 30 and, after a wobble in which four wickets fell in three overs as Dieter Klein dismissed both Wakely and Cobb in the space of six ball without conceding a run, Graeme White finished the job with 21 off nine deliveries, winning the match by clubbing Colin Ackermann’s off-spin for six over deep midwicket as off-spinner Tom Sole kept his nerve on his T20 debut at the other end.It was only their second win in the Blast and makes no difference to their finishing position at the bottom of the North Group but provided some satisfaction after the Foxes denied them in a remarkable game at Wantage Road at the start of the competition, when the Steelbacks failed to defend 213-3.Having put the Foxes in, the Steelbacks made a fine start with the ball, reducing the home side to 35-3 in the powerplay despite being forced to change their plans in the second over when a distraught Gareth Wade had to be removed from the attack on his T20 debut after two of his first three deliveries slipped out as beamers.The right-arm seamer, called into a Northamptonshire side who, like the Foxes, had chosen to rest a number of players with nothing on this game, was trusted with the second over of the innings but was no-balled for a high full toss with his first delivery and, after Ned Eckersley had crashed the free hit away for four, immediately sent down another full toss above waist height, which gave the umpires no option other than to call no ball again and direct skipper Wakely to withdraw Wade.Wade is 27 and has three or four seasons’ experience Minor Counties and Second XI cricket but only two senior appearances. Nerves seemed the only explanation for such an unfortunate start.Cobb had to bowl the five balls remaining in the over yet it was the Foxes who soon in disarray, losing Eckersley, Harry Swindells and Ackermann inside the first six overs, Wade making himself feel a little better by taking a catch at mid-off when Swindells hit Luke Procter over his head.A smart piece of work by Duckett behind the stumps to take advantage as Chappell stumbled as he swung at a wide delivery as Wakely introduced Graeme White’s left-arm spin left the Foxes 37-4 in the seventh.It came down to 21-year-old Harry Dearden to rescue the Foxes’ innings, at least in part, sharing a stand of 62 with Ateeq Javid for the fifth wicket on the way to a 40-ball 61 that included a couple of sixes and five fours.Dearden, who has plenty of first-class experience but was making his debut in this format, might have added a few more but for bowler Richard Gleeson’s quick thinking, the bowler running him out in his follow-through as he tried to steal a single from a miscued shot by Lewis Hall that landed halfway down the pitch.

She will replace former England allrounder David Capel, who has been in the job since October 2016

Shashank Kishore05-May-2018Former India women wicketkeeper Anju Jain is set to take over as head coach of the Bangladesh women team. She will replace former England allrounder David Capel, whose 18-month contract hasn’t been extended.Capel will step down after the ongoing South Africa tour consisting of five ODIs and three T20Is, that serve as preparation as Bangladesh seek to qualify for the Women’s World T20 to be played in the West Indies in November.While the finer details of Jain’s deal are yet to be worked out, it is understood that she will join the national team on a six-month contract and take over as soon as they return from South Africa on May 21. She will be joined by her former India colleague Devika Palshikar and Anuja Dalvi, who are already onboard as assistant coach and physiotherapist respectively.”An opportunity to coach a national team at this stage is quite exciting,” Jain told ESPNcricinfo. “At this moment, the biggest challenge is to help the team qualify for the Women’s World T20 in West Indies. There is talent, but you need to give them games. Our primary responsibility as a coaching group will be to ensure they develop the finer skill sets, and that will come with experience.”The BCB has penciled in a 10-day tour of Ireland in preparation for the eight-team Women’s World T20 Qualifiers to be held in Netherlands in July. Bangladesh, who lost all their four matches at the previous edition in 2016, are the top-ranked side in the group that consists of Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Netherlands, Uganda, Thailand and United Arab Emirates. Two teams from the qualifiers will join the top eight at the World T20.Jain is a Level-B certified BCCI coach and has extensively taken part in exchange programmes with Cricket Australia. Her involvement with Bangladesh will mean she will step down as head coach of Vidarbha women’s team. She previously coached India at the 2012 Women’s World T20 and the 2013 World Cup.Jain is the second India woman cricketer to land the Bangladesh job. Former captain Mamta Maben was previously in-charge of Bangladesh across two stints in 2011 and 2013.

After Pandey’s hundred and Gill’s fifty carried India A to 295 for 6, Krunal tore up West Indies A’s chase with 5 for 25

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jul-2019
Three days before the selectors meet to pick India’s senior squad for the Caribbean tour, Manish Pandey, the A team captain, made a statement with an 86-ball century that fashioned a 148-run victory. Opener Shubman Gill also staked his claim for higher honours with his second successive half-century in the West Indies to follow up an unbeaten 109 against Sri Lanka A at home last month. After the two batsmen carried India A to 295 for 6, Krunal Pandya wrecked West Indies A’s chase with 5 for 25 in seven overs. The 148-run win meant India wrapped up the five one-day series with two games remaining.ALSO READ: India’s selectors to meet on July 19After opting to bat, India A lost Anmolpreet Singh for a duck in the third over, but Gill and No.3 Shreyas Iyer forged a 109-run stand to give the innings direction. Iyer, who made a brisk 77 in the tour opener, was more sedate on Tuesday, scoring 47 off 69 balls. The stand ended when Iyer was dismissed by offspin-bowling allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall in the 27th over. Pandey and Gill then took charge of the innings, putting on a 110-run stand to take the team towards 250.While Gill fell 23 short of a hundred, Pandey reached the landmark off 86 balls, in the last over of the innings. Seamer Romario Shepherd then pinned him lbw with an inswinging yorker off his next ball to keep the visitors to under 300.With West Indies selector Robert Haynes in attendance, John Campbell and Sunil Ambris have the A team a positive start by adding 51 for the first wicket. Ambris was the more aggressive opener, making 30 off 32 balls before he was trapped lbw by Avesh Khan. However, fingerspinners Krunal, Washington Sundar, and Hanuma Vihari tore up the middle and lower order as West Indies A went from 51 for 0 to 117 for 9.With No.11 Akeem Jordan for company, Keemo Paul launched some big blows and top-scored with 34 off 16 balls, dragging his side to 147. It was Vihari who sealed the victory when he had Paul holing out in the 35th over. Ambris and Paul were the only West Indies A batsmen to pass 25 in the chase.

Warwickshire win with three balls to spare after Jake Lintott’s quickfire 50 and contributions from Kai Smith, Rob Yates, Zen Malik and Hamza Shaikh

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Aug-2025Warwickshire 310 for 7 (Lintott 50, Yates 47) beat Somerset 309 for 8 (Lammonby 100, Rew 81) by three wicketsTom Lammonby’s maiden List A century was not enough to save Somerset from a three-wicket Metro Bank One-Day Cup defeat by Warwickshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The hosts posted 309 for 8 after losing the toss, opener Lammonby scoring 100 from 111 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. James Rew contributed 81, while younger brother Thomas made a rapid 41.In reply, Warwickshire reached 310 for 7 with three balls to spare, Taunton-born Jake Lintott ensuring victory with a quickfire 50 after important contributions from Kai Smith (45 not out), Rob Yates, Zen Malik and Hamza Shaikh.Somerset, who created a party atmosphere by arranging several events to mark their 150th anniversary season, made a solid start to their innings, Lammonby and Archie Vaughan taking the score to 42 in the 11th over before the latter was bowled for 20 attempting to drive a ball from Michael Booth.It was 69 for 2 when Lewis Goldsworthy was also bowled trying to slog-sweep Taz Ali in the young leg-spinner’s first over. But Lammonby was already looking in dangerous form as he moved confidently to a half-century off 65 balls.At the halfway stage of their innings, Somerset were 102 for 2. It was then that Lammonby and James Rew began to cut loose, the two left-handers delighting home supporters with some glorious stroke-play on both sides of the wicket in a partnership of 143 in 21.2 overs. Both cleared the ropes in the same over from off-spinner Yates.Skipper Rew cruised to a 46-ball fifty, with five fours and two sixes before Lammonby reached three figures with a single to the leg side off Oliver Hannon-Dalby. It was an innings of numerous sweetly-timed cover drives and very few errors.The scoreboard read 212 for 3 in the 38th over. Without a run added Lammonby top-edged a pull shot off a slower-ball bouncer from Ed Barnard to be caught at short fine leg. Rew quickly followed, bowled aiming across the line to a ball from Booth having faced 69 deliveries, and Somerset’s hopes of reaching 300 looked in jeopardy.They got there thanks to some quality hitting from Thomas Rew, including two reverse-swept sixes in the same Ali over, and a career-best 30 not out from Alfie Ogborne off just 16 balls. Josh Thomas, Ben Green and Jack Leach fell cheaply, but JT Langridge cracked 11 off four balls to end the innings with a flourish.Warwickshire’s reply had reached 36 when Ogborne struck with the last ball of the sixth over, Barnard pinned lbw on the back foot for 14.Batting was looking straightforward in the bright sunshine as Yates and Malik brought the hundred up in the 17th over. Yates had moved comfortably to 47 off 52 balls when caught behind looking to drive Green, who struck again soon afterwards when Malik offered a low return catch, having hit six fours and a six in moving smoothly to 44.It continued to be Lammonby’s day when his left-arm seam accounted for Alex Davies, who edged a pull shot through to wicketkeeper James Rew having made 17. At halfway in their innings, Warwickshire were 144 for four.Shaikh and Smith looked to be tilting things the way of the visitors with a solid half-century stand, but Shaikh became their third player to fall in the forties when caught behind off Langridge to make it 205 for 5 with the required run-rate around eight an over.Vaansh Jani pulled a flat six off Ogborne, who responded by having him caught by the diving James Rew in the same over. That brought in Lintott, who wasted no time clearing the ropes off Green.Smith was content to play a supporting role in a match-clinching stand of 65 in 8.1 overs, which saw Lintot race to a maiden List A fifty off 34 balls, with seven fours and a six, before falling with just two runs needed.

Allrounder hits fifty and takes two parsimonious wickets as Vipers scramble last-ball single to tie

ECB Reporters Network15-Aug-2019Southern Vipers and Lancashire Thunder produced a thrilling tie under the Hove lights in the Kia Super League.On a slow pitch Thunder’s 132 for 7 didn’t look enough but by the seventh over of their reply Vipers had slumped to 24 for 4. Stafanie Taylor and Maia Bouchier appeared to be taking Vipers to victory but the game seemed to swing back Lancashire’s way again in the 19th over when Taylor was bowled sweeping Sophie Ecclestone, who then ran out Bouchier for 40 with a direct hit on the turn.Vipers needed 12 off the final over and were back in control when Amanda-Jade Wellington struck the first two balls from Emma Lamb to the boundary only to be stumped off the next. Tash Farrant scrambled two off the fourth delivery but was bowled attempting a reverse-hit off the fifth. Carla Rudd could only manage a single off the final ball to leave the scores level.Skipper Kate Cross had made the breakthrough in the second over when Danni Wyatt feathered an edge to the wicketkeeper before Suzie Bates played on to Ecclestone in the next over. Thea Brookes mistimed a drive to mid-off to give Cross a second wicket and Lancashire appeared to be in control when Tammy Beaumont squirted a delivery well outside off stump from Emma Lamb to point in the seventh over.But player of the match Taylor, who had earlier taken 2 for 23, and Bouchier turned things around in a terrific stand of 94 in 12 overs which got Vipers’ target down to 15 off 12. Taylor took her aggregate in four innings to 173 runs as she hit Sophia Dunkley for two sixes and also struck four boundaries in 51 from 43 ballsHaving won the toss Thunder found themselves in early trouble when they lost openers Tahlia McGrath and Sune Luus in the first two overs. McGrath steered Farrant’s third ball to backward point and Luus was run out by Wyatt’s accurate throw from deep mid-wicket as she came back for a second.Skipper Beaumont mixed up her bowlers effectively and Vipers were in control when New Zealand leg-spinner Wellington came on in the seventh over to pick up two wickets and reduce Thunder to 28 for 4. A promising start by Dunkley ended when she drilled a return catch back to the bowler and Georgie Boyce played across a quicker delivery to fall for a two-ball duck.Thunder fought back through Harmanpreet Kaur and Lamb, who shared 62 in seven overs for the fifth wicket and played with increasing confidence. Harmanpreet appeared to be moving through the gears when she drove Taylor over extra cover for six and hit the next ball for four but she was caught on the mid-wicket boundary for 34 off the next delivery. Lamb fell for 29 off 24 balls in the next over when she became Wellington’s third victim.Thunder were 94 for 7 in the 16th but Cross and Ecclestone put on 38 for the seventh wicket and they proved to be crucial runs.

With Mitchell Santner still recovering from a long-term knee injury, left-arm spinner who was domestic Player of the Year last season could be in line for debut

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2018New Zealand have picked uncapped left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel among the three spinners for the three-Test series against Pakistan in the UAE in October. Ajaz, who has been the top wicket-taker in domestic first-class competitions for the last three seasons, was picked in place of Mitchell Santner who continues to recover from a long-term knee injury. New Zealand also named squads for the three ODI and as many T20s they will play against Pakistan.Ajaz, 29, was named last year’s domestic Player of the Year and was a vital member of the Central Stags team that won their first Plunket Shield title in five years. He took 48 wickets at 21.52 and is among the three frontline spinners in the squad alongside Ish Sodhi and Todd Astle.”Ajaz has deserved his inclusion on the sheer weight of his domestic first-class form over the past couple of summers,” selector Gavin Larsen said. “With Mitch Santner not fully recovered yet from his knee surgery, it’s nice to have both wrist (Astle and Sodhi) and finger (Patel) spin options, given the likely conditions in the UAE.”Ajaz will leave for the UAE with the New Zealand A squad in early October and will be among those competing for the two open spots in the ODI and T20I squads each. The A squad features first-time selections such as fast bowlers Kyle Jamieson and Blair Tickner, and NZ Under-19s player Rachin Ravindra.One of the two A players who’ll be drawn into the T20I squad will replace Trent Boult, who will be on paternity leave after the Test and ODI series.Tom Blundell was named as the back-up wicketkeeping option in the Test squad for BJ Watling, who has been named in the ODI squad. Watling last played an ODI in October 2016 but is said to be in the plans for next year’s World Cup.Fast bowler Adam Milne returns to the T20I squad, while Tim Seifert, Mark Chapman and Lockie Ferguson will represent the A side in the T20s before moving to the international T20 squad to face Pakistan.Test squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Tom Blundell, Colin de Grandhomme, Todd Astle, Ish Sodhi, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, Trent BoultODI: Kane Williamson (capt), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Taylor, Nicholls, Latham, Watling, de Grandhomme, Astle, Sodhi, Southee, Henry, Boult, two to be added from NZ A/NZ T20 squadT20I: Kane Williamson (capt), Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, two to be added from NZ ANew Zealand A (for T20, 50-over and first-class matches against Pakistan A): Corey Anderson, Astle, Blundell, Tom Bruce, Chapman, Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Scott Kuggeleijn, Patel, Glenn Phillips, Raval, Rachin Ravindra, Seifert, Blair Tickner, Logan van Beek, George Worker, Will Young, Wagner, Watling

Gus Atkinson joins Jofra Archer, Sam Cook and Jamie Overton as alternative seam-bowling options in England’s 16-man squad

Matt Roller06-Jul-20254:11

Stokes: We weren’t able to deliver our skills when needed

England will consider making changes to their bowling attack after a gruelling workload in their 336-run defeat to India, and have added Gus Atkinson to the squad for Thursday’s third Test at Lord’s after time out following a hamstring injury.England’s three frontline seamers – Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Chris Woakes – have all bowled between 77 and 82 overs in the first two Tests of the series. Atkinson joins Jofra Archer, Sam Cook and Jamie Overton as the alternative seam-bowling options in the 16-man squad for Lord’s, and the tight turnaround between Tests could prompt changes.”It’s no secret that we have spent some time in the field and bowled some overs in the first two games, and we’ll have to see how everyone pulls up over the next two days,” Ben Stokes said. “With it being a quick turnaround, there probably will be a decision we have to make given how everyone does pull up after this game.”Related

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Archer has not played a Test match since February 2021, but bowled regularly during intervals at Edgbaston this week, and Brendon McCullum hinted he will make his comeback next week. “We’ll let this one settle, and when we get to [Lord’s] we’ll have a good think about it,” McCullum told the BBC’s .Asked about Archer’s availability, McCullum said, “He’s fit and ready to go. Obviously the other boys have had two Test matches on the spin now, so you’d anticipate you would make a change at some stage with the line-up, and Jofra is one we’ll look at.”Stokes added, “Everyone’s in consideration for the game at Lord’s.”England’s margin of defeat – 336 runs – was their third-heaviest since Stokes took over as captain on a full-time basis, but he insisted that it will not affect them moving forwards. “We’ve obviously had some unbelievable wins and some bad defeats,” he said. “I feel I’m quite good – and the team is – at staying level throughout those ups and downs.”That is so important in a series where we knew coming in that it wasn’t going to be easy… We have to wipe this one under the carpet as quickly as we can, because Lord’s day one will be coming around pretty quickly. We will have one or two days to get the bodies right and recover, and all of a sudden, we will be out there flipping the coin.”He also played down the significance of England’s inability to take 20 wickets at Edgbaston. “You do have to appreciate how well India played with the bat,” Stokes said. “[They were] obviously pretty favourable conditions if someone got in; two of our lads showed that this week… You are allowed to let your opposition play well, and they definitely did that.”

England squad for Lord’s Test against India

Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.

It will be the first women’s T20 tournament to be held in Bangladesh; could kick off at the end of the ongoing BPL

Mohammad Isam17-Jan-2025The BCB will be launching a maiden Women’s Bangladesh Premier League (WBPL); it is likely to be held soon after the ongoing men’s competition ends on February 7. According to Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, the BCB director, it will be a three-team competition, with each team playing the others twice for a total of six league games followed by the final.”The board has been thinking about the various ways that we can take women’s cricket forward,” Fahim said. “Whether we can do a T20 competition for women was in our thoughts. We have decided today that we will do the Women’s BPL.”Fahim said the BCB is in talks with some of the men’s BPL franchises regarding ownership of the women’s teams, and that a couple of owners have shown interest.”We have already spoken to a few BPL franchises, who have shown interest [in owning women’s teams],” he said. “We want to see how a women’s tournament has an effect on our T20 cricket. We are hopeful that it will help our women’s game progress.”Fahim said that only allow one overseas player will be allowed in the playing XI, with the squads having a maximum of 15 players each.”We won’t take many overseas players due to the financial constraints,” he said. “Four overseas players puts financial pressure on the teams; perhaps they don’t want to take that pressure. We want to give more opportunities to our domestic cricketers. We want to add competitiveness.”It will be the first women’s T20 tournament to be held in Bangladesh. Women cricketers in the country play the one-day league in Dhaka, and the BCB recently launched a women’s three-day competition.