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The PCB chairman remains steadfast about hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Nov-2024The ICC has called for a board meeting on November 29, hoping to get a clear answer on where and how the 2025 Champions Trophy will be played. With India not willing to travel to Pakistan and with Pakistan refusing to back down and adopt a hybrid model that allows India to play their games in a second country, it is likely members will be asked to vote on a solution. ESPNcricinfo understands the meeting will be virtual and a final decision could be taken after the ICC Board arrives at a consensus.While the window for the eight-team ODI tournament has been earmarked between February 19 and March, the ICC has not announced the dates as well or a schedule formally. Normally, for a global tournament, the ICC has in the past announced the schedule 100 days prior to the event.The reason for the delay is the Indian government’s refusal to allow Rohit Sharma’s team the permission to travel to Pakistan. That decision was communicated to the ICC a fortnight ago. The PCB, who were awarded the hosting rights for Champions Trophy in 2021, subsequently wrote to the ICC posing several questions around the exact reasons BCCI had given, and when they informed the ICC. According to a PCB official, they have not received a response from the ICC to date.The PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has remained steadfast about hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan, at three venues: Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. Last week he said he would be open to a dialogue with the BCCI to break the deadlock. An ICC spokesperson confirmed Friday’s meeting, but the PCB has made no comment so far.Related

• Champions Trophy: PCB promises to do 'what's best for Pakistan cricket'

• India withdraw from T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in Pakistan

• Hybrid model for Champions Trophy? ICC likely to take call on November 26

• PCB chief on Champions Trophy: 'I still have positive expectations'

The ICC Board comprises representatives from the 12 Full Member countries, three representatives from Associates, an independent director along with the ICC chairman and CEO. The meeting comes right at the end of the tenure of the current ICC chair Greg Barclay. This will be the last board meeting he chairs before, on Sunday (December 1st), he is replaced by Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary and a key figure in the Champions Trophy matter.Naqvi, the PCB chairman, is also a key figure in the Pakistan government, as its interior minister. Over the last couple of days he has been preoccupied in Islamabad in an effort to quell political protests by PTI, the party of former premier (and captain) Imran Khan.

Pakistan overcame a deficit of 421 but South Africa’s target of 58 was little more than a formality

Danyal Rasool06-Jan-2025South Africa marked their qualification for the WTC final in style, romping to a ten-wicket win over Pakistan. It is their seventh successive Test win, and came after two and a half days of toil with the ball before they finally prised Pakistan out for 478 in the third innings. A valiant century from Pakistan captain Shan Masood and numerous other contributions forced South Africa to bat again as the visitors overcame the second-highest first-innings deficit in Test history. However, the target – 58 – was little more than a formality, and South Africa took 7.1 overs to knock it off.But Pakistan made them wait for the win. When South Africa enforced the follow-on leading by 421 on Sunday afternoon, they did not anticipate having to bowl another 122.1 overs. Masood, unbeaten overnight on 102, carried on and tried to rebuild after a mammoth 205-run opening stand with Babar Azam. South Africa were frustrated for large parts of the day, most notably during an 88-run stand between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha in the afternoon. But Keshav Maharaj, who had been denied for most of the day, found the breakthrough, and regular wickets after that ensured a finish was on in the late-evening sunshine.Related

• Pakistan need to know what they want from Test cricket

• Youthful Maphaka finds – and gives – joy on challenging debut

Earlier in the day, Marco Jansen got nightwatcher Khurram Shahzad out early on before Rabada cleaned up Kamran Ghulam. Maharaj more or less bowled through the entire session, interrupted only when he switched ends at one point. His variations in pace and flight, as well as a ball that continued to turn, posed the most significant threat to the batters, but the wickets came to pace.Shahzad had done his job and never quite looked equipped to carry on too long. When a length ball from Jansen grew too big on him, he chipped it straight to Maharaj at point. Ghulam never quite appeared to settle, keeping the slip cordon interested throughout his innings. He should have been on his way without scoring when, in the same over as Shahzad fell, he slashed at a wide one but it burst through David Bedingham’s hands at first slip.Kyle Verreynne celebrates the key wicket of Mohammad Rizwan•AFP/Getty Images

That wicket was always coming though. Rabada’s increasing frustration at his wicketlessness and general indiscipline – he bowled another four no-balls this morning – was mounting. Just after overstepping, he found a beauty that nipped back off the seam into Ghulam, pegging back his middle stump. It was an excellent way to bring up his 50th Test wicket at Newlands, with the roar that followed it making clear how much it meant to him.Saud Shakeel and Masood continued to make South Africa work for each scalp, and yet South Africa could have had one more before lunch. Kwena Maphaka squared Shakeel up with a lovely delivery that straightened as it hit the pad, only for South Africa to opt against a review. As Shakeel received extensive treatment for the blow, Hawk-Eye showed it was hitting leg stump.Masood’s vigil at the crease ended in somewhat contentious circumstances. Maphaka got one to shape away off the seam that kept low before cannoning into the batter’s front pad. Umpire Nitin Menon felt it was missing off stump, but when South Africa reviewed, Hawk-Eye showed it hitting. It prompted a furious response from Masood, whose protests continued all the way along his slow walk off the crease and into the dressing room.It capped a bright first hour post lunch for South Africa. Shakeel had been dispensed with shortly after play resumed in much the same way he fell in the first innings: nicking off into the slips while drove at Rabada. With Masood departing, there was a danger Pakistan might crumple in a heap, as they have tended to recently.David Bedingham made short work of South Africa’s victory target•AFP/Getty Images

But Agha and Rizwan rebuilt once more. They wore off the sheen of the second new ball and kept the strike turning over. There were just three fours in the first 55 runs of the partnership as Pakistan looked to milk the tiring bowlers, but when Mulder erred, Agha was quick to put him away for two fours in three balls.The two carried on as Pakistan wiped out the deficit, but soon Rizwan chipped Maharaj to short cover, precisely where Bavuma had placed a fielder for the shot, and South African nerves began to loosen once again.Agha, having been reprieved by DRS, fell quickly after – two runs shy of his half-century – when a Maharaj delivery ripped and bounced, drawing a sharp catch for Aiden Markram in the slips. Mir Hamza came out and had a bit of fun, including a heave back over the bowler’s head for the only six of the innings. But it wasn’t built to last. Aamer Jamal reverse-swept Maharaj to slip before Rabada wrapped the innings up, and Bedingham and Markram sprinted off the field.Six years ago, at this very ground, Pakistan’s third innings ended on the third evening, with South Africa needing 41 to wrap the series up. Stumps were called, with the game concluding on the fourth morning.This time around, the South Africa openers did not let the match go into the next day. Bedingham provided a shot in the arm with an eye-catching little knock – an unbeaten 47 off 30 – that ensured it took South Africa just 43 balls to seal a win that, despite a very long wait in the field, was ultimately routine.

Takes over from Dani Hazell who has been in charge for four years

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2024Lisa Keightley has been appointed as the new head coach of the Northern Superchargers women’s team.Keightley, who was England Women’s head coach from 2019 to 2022, replaces Dani Hazell, who is leaving Superchargers at the end of her contract, after four years with the team.”The opportunity to be head coach of Northern Superchargers is a huge honour,” she said, “and I’m excited to build on the solid foundations laid over the past four years. The Hundred has been a game-changer. It has provided the women’s game with a brilliant platform and giving players the stage they deserve to showcase their skills.”Headingley has been a shining example of how fans have embraced this exciting competition, and I’m really looking forward to being there next year. Our goal as a team is to win the competition, and with the core squad we’re working to retain before deadline day, alongside the players we’ll recruit through the Hundred draft, I’m confident we have the potential to achieve that.”Related

• 'Nothing can describe that feeling when you've won a Test match with your team'

• Lisa Keightley defends England's youth policy after Tammy Beaumont's shock omission

• Lisa Keightley steps down as England Women's head coach

• Lisa Keightley joins WBBL side Sydney Thunder as head coach

• How women are joining the power-hitting game in T20s

Keightley is currently serving as head coach of Sydney Thunder in the WBBL and is part of Delhi Capitals’ coaching team in the WPL. She played nine Tests and 82 one-day internationals for Australia and was the first woman to score a century at Lord’s.Sanjay Patel, Yorkshire’s interim CEO, added: “We are delighted to welcome Lisa to the Northern Superchargers. With her extensive experience in both international and franchise women’s cricket, Lisa will play a key role in giving us the best chance to succeed and win the competition in 2025. We are excited to work with her as we look to promote a positive, entertaining, and winning brand of cricket across our teams.”I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Dani for her invaluable contributions over the past four years with Northern Superchargers Women. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours.”Northern Superchargers Chair, Kirsty Bashforth, said: “We’re excited for the next chapter as we enter the fifth year of the competition. This milestone brings international experience and new opportunities for growth. We look forward to seeing each team evolve and enhance the competition.”

Fast bowler played for Birmingham Bears last season, but has since become regular in New Zealand T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Mar-2025Zak Foulkes, the 22-year-old New Zealand fast bowler, has joined Durham for their T20 Blast campaign.Foulkes has made eight international white-ball appearances to date, having made his debut in April 2024. As a tall right-arm seamer, who hits the deck hard, seven of those have come in T20Is, in which he has claimed nine wickets at 26.33, with a best of 3 for 20 against Sri Lanka.Foulkes has previous experience in the Vitality Blast, having played seven games for Birmingham Bears last summer, claiming eight wickets.”I am really excited to be joining Durham for the Vitality Blast this season,” Foulkes said. “I have heard great things about the Club and can’t wait to get involved.”Marcus North, Director of Cricket, said: “We are very pleased to have recruited Zak for our T20 Blast season.”It was important we brought in a player who will provide us with a clear point of difference within our bowling attack and that is exactly what Zak brings.”At only 22, Zak has already shown across the international and domestic game how much of a dynamic and well-rounded player he is in the T20 format.
“We look forward to welcoming him to Durham this summer.”

Australia’s captain will play through the home summer which features a multi-format series against India

AAP23-Jun-2025Alyssa Healy has ruled out making this year’s ODI World Cup a farewell party, revealing recent injuries could persuade her to push back any retirement plans she might have had.Healy’s path back to cricket will be confirmed on Tuesday, with the wicketkeeper to be named as part of an Australia A squad to face India A in Queensland in August. The matches will be the Australia captain’s first since the Ashes success at the start of the year, when she missed games with a stress fracture in her foot and did not keep wicket in others.She has endured a difficult year fitness-wise, also missing the finals of last year’s T20 World Cup with the foot injury and having a knee issue end her WBBL season early.Related

• India to host Australia for three ODIs ahead of women's World Cup

• Women's ODI World Cup: India vs Pakistan on October 5 in Colombo

The 35-year-old then sat out ODIs in New Zealand and the WPL in India as a result of her injuries, but said she has been fit and able to play since March.Healy has often joked she had decided to retire from cricket five or six times before opting against it, and revealed that earlier this year she had an ideal exit scenario. But that will not be after the October-November World Cup, with a hunger for cricket while injured meaning her yet-to-be-revealed plans could be pushed back.”It’s probably shifted a little bit,” Healy told AAP. “It’s made me realise that I still want to do a little bit more than maybe what I thought. At the same time, sometimes there’s stuff in life that are a little bit more important than pulling on the green and gold. So it’s just a constant reassess.”But at the moment I definitely want to play a home summer. I want to bring the World Cup home, but also to play against India [in February-March].”Tuesday marks 100 days until Australia’s opening World Cup game against New Zealand, with the India tournament presenting a real challenge for the defending champions.Australia are gunning to be the first side to win back-to-back in the tournament in almost 40 years, with the team having faced a large transition since 2022.Forming a pathway to the ODI World Cup was part of Healy’s pitch when she took over the captaincy when Meg Lanning retired in 2023.”That was one of my goals, putting a timeline on it and saying ‘this is where I could take this group’, even not knowing what I was going to do personally,” Healy said. “It definitely was a big focus of mine, to get the group to a place to compete at this World Cup, and win the trophy.”It’s not so much about the captaincy [driving me], or ticking one more box. It’s just that I want to win a World Cup for Australia, and no one has gone back-to-back, which is a real motivator.”Healy has not kept wicket in a match since January, but was confident the Australia A series and subsequent ODIs in India would have her fit for up to nine World Cup matches in 32 days.”According to science, the ODI World Cups is one of the heaviest loads that we go through as cricketers,” Healy said. “My aim is to play every game of that World Cup. So to make sure I can do that’s important.”

They’re 1-2 down, and Reddy and Akash Deep are out. It’s all to play for between two thrillingly flawed teams

Alagappan Muthu22-Jul-20253:49

Who replaces Nitish Kumar Reddy in India’s XI?

Big picture: 2-2 or 3-1?

Anything can happen. It is the central allure of sport. And this series keeps going out of its way to highlight it. There have been mountains of runs, mid-pitch feuds, men standing tall, men breaking down, history created left, right and centre, and heartbreak to last lifetimes. Manchester would do well to stock up on tissues and saw off everything but the edge of the couch.India will look back at so many moments. The run-out that needn’t have been. The back-foot defence that wasn’t quite. Small things. And now that they have had a little time to digest how big their impact was at Lord’s, there may be an understanding that being 1-2 down is a reality waiting to be reshaped. It is perhaps why they are pressing Jasprit Bumrah back into action. He is known to have sweet-talked destiny before.England have someone like that too and he has had his four days’ bed rest. Ben Stokes ran himself into the ground last week. Watching him, his team-mates did the same. Jofra Archer didn’t care that he had only bowled 18 overs in first-class cricket in four years of Test-match exile. He was ready to go from 0 to 90mph. Shoaib Bashir didn’t let minor details like a broken left hand keep him from answering his captain’s call. He was happy to bowl England to victory.Related

• Manchester brings up old ghosts as India battle to stay alive

• Chapell: Gill must define the team he wants India to be

• The magician's wrist: How Bumrah does what he does

• High intensity, low reward, big impact – the Siraj spellbook

• Brook embraces 'no more nice guys' as England seek All Blacks mentality

Both these teams had much easier paths to victory open to them. Their flaws came in the way. Neither team is willing to let that define them. That’s why they are so good to watch. They aren’t perfect. But they are determined. With the series on the line and injuries forcing them to dig even deeper, there is every chance another spectacle awaits us at Old Trafford. Anything can happen. It is the central allure of sport. Because the people who are part of it just never give up.

Form guide

England WLWWL
India LWLLL

In the spotlight: Zak Crawley and Rishabh Pant

Zak Crawley has hit a bit of an introspective phase in his career. The man who began an Ashes series by smacking its first ball for four is starting to appreciate a new way of doing things. His 128 runs in this series have come off 261 balls. He isn’t used to playing like this but fortifying their defence is an important pursuit for a batter in this format. How does Crawley balance that growth with the pressure that is building on him from the outside? He played a significant part in England chasing down 371 in the first Test but right now his batting average for the series sits below even that of the bowler his team brings on as first change.3:30

Gill questions England’s conduct at Lord’s

Rollercoasters ain’t got nothin’ on Rishabh Pant. The best of him at Headingly wasn’t enough to win the game for India. One well-meaning mistake in the first innings became a huge turning point at Lord’s. He tried to make up for it in the second innings – even though his left hand was injured – but the pain was clearly too much. He struggled to keep hold of the bat, and this time it wasn’t the slightest bit funny. An eight-day gap between matches has allowed him to heal, which brings us squarely to the question: what’s in store for Pant at Old Trafford (besides taking penalties with Manchester United)?

Team news: Reddy and Akash out, Sudharsan and Kamboj in the running

England have already announced their XI with left-arm spinner Liam Dawson returning to Test cricket after an eight-year gap to take over as lead spinner from Bashir, who has been ruled out of the series.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Chris Woakes, 10 Brydon Carse, 11 Jofra Archer.Nitish Kumar Reddy and Akash Deep are injured and will not be playing a part in this game. That opens up space for a potential recall for B Sai Sudharsan, and either a surprise debut for Anshul Kamboj, who picked up all 10 wickets in a Ranji Trophy match last year, or a recall for Prasidh Krishna. There may also be consideration given to Shardul Thakur stepping in for Washington Sundar if the pitch is more seam-friendly.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Sai Sudharsan, 4 Shubman Gill (capt), 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Karun Nair, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Washington Sundar/Shardul Thakur, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Prasidh Krishna/Anshul Kamboj, 11 Mohammed Siraj0:52

Manjrekar: ‘Kamboj’s bowling style will suit conditions’

Pitch and conditions:

Manchester tends to produce some of the quicker pitches in England. Batters who can cope with the pace find value for shots (though not everyone does) and bowlers might see the bounce and carry as reason to bend their backs even with a soft Dukes ball. The weather is likely to present a little bit of a problem with showers expected on the first two days.

Stats and trivia: India up against it

• India have come back from losing two Tests in a series only twice – against West Indies in 1974-75 and in Australia in 1977-78. Both times they went on to lose the decider.
• Joe Root goes into Manchester as the fifth-highest run-scorer (13259) in Test cricket. By the time it ends, he could move to No. 2, above Ricky Ponting (13378)
• Shubman Gill came into this tour with 1893 Test runs. He has added 607 to that, improving his career tally by over 30%.
• Dawson comes into this game on the back of excellent form in first-class cricket with 12 of his 15 five-wicket hauls, including three ten-wicket matches, coming since 2021.

Quotes

“So far, the series has been great to play in and I presume it’s been pretty good to watch. The 2005 Ashes series was great to watch and I think we’ve gone all five days in all three Tests so far so it just proves that the quality of cricket has been outstanding. Two teams going toe-to-toe and not very much separating us at the moment. It’s been good to be a part of.
England captain Ben Stokes

Both men were named to captain their sides but had to pull out due to illness and injury respectively

Ashish Pant28-Aug-2025Shubman Gill has missed the 2025-26 season-opening Duleep Trophy encounter against East Zone, which began on August 28 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Gill was named captain of the North Zone team, but it is learnt that an illness has forced him to miss the quarter-final. He is expected to be in Bengaluru later in the week before departing for the Asia Cup, which begins on September 9 in Abu Dhabi. In his absence, Haryana top-order batter Ankit Kumar is captaining the North Zone side, while Services batter Shubham Rohilla has replaced Gill in the squad.Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who was named the Central Zone captain in their quarter-final against North East Zone, has also been ruled out after he complained of a groin niggle. Rajat Patidar, who was initially named the vice-captain, is now leading the side. Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar and Kuldeep Yadav are all part of the Central XI facing North East.There was a setback for the East Zone side as well, with regular captain Abhimanyu Easwaran ruled out due to fever. Allrounder Riyan Parag is leading East Zone in the Duleep Trophy opener.Gill had a sensational tour of England in his maiden series as captain, where he amassed 754 runs in five Tests at 75.40. He has also been named vice-captain of the Indian T20I side for the Asia Cup.Apart from Gill, there are two more Asia Cup-bound members in the North Zone side: Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, who will be in action with the ball later in the game.The two semi-finals will be played at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence ground from September 4, while the final will be staged from September 11 at the same venue.

Pakistan lost six wickets for 40 runs late in the chase to lose the match by 25 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025With 11 days to go for the World Cup, Pakistan and South Africa played out a high-scoring thriller in Lahore. There were three centuries: Tazmin Brits posted her career-best 171 not out, Laura Wolvaardt brought up her ninth ODI hundred, and Sidra Amin hit 122. After over 90 overs and a rain break, South Africa won the match and took a 2-0 unassailable lead in the series with a match to spare.Chasing a revised target of 313 in 46 overs due to rain, Pakistan lost their first three wickets for 101, with Omaima Sohail making a brisk 43 and laying a solid platform. From there, Amin and Natalia Pervaiz stitched a momentum-changing 146-run stand off just 111 deliveries to lift Pakistan to a strong position. When Amin was cleaned up by Chloe Tryon, attempting to slog to the midwicket region, Pakistan needed 66 from 49 balls, with Pervaiz batting on 55 off 46. However, South Africa struck again, thanks to Tryon, and that shifted the momentum in their favour.Pakistan lost captain Fatima Sana, Natalia Pervaiz (73 off 60), and Diana Baig in a span of just nine balls, as South Africa seized control late in the chase. The hosts eventually folded for 287 in 44.4 overs, losing their final seven wickets for just 40 runs. Nadine de Klerk led the bowling effort with 3 for 45.South Africa posted 292 for 3 after being asked to bat first, but were sloppy in the field. Sidra Amin, who went on to register her sixth ODI hundred, was dropped several times during her innings.Earlier, Brits and Wolvaardt got off to a steady start and converted it to a 260-run opening stand. Brits was the aggressor in the stand and reached her sixth ODI ton a few overs before rain interrupted play. After 41 overs, South Africa were 238 for no loss, with Wolvaardt unbeaten on 95. Once play resumed and the contest was reduced to 46 overs per side, Wolvaardt reached her ninth hundred in ODIs, and South Africa added 54 runs in the last five overs. Brits, who scored 101 not out in the series opener, remained unbeaten on Friday, scoring 20 fours and four sixes.

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Despite having spent the vast majority of last season on loan with Championship club Aston Villa, Robert Snodgrass has forced his way into the first team at West Ham United this season against all odds, and has proved himself to be a vital member of Manuel Pellegrini’s first-team squad.

His role

The Chilean coach has generally deployed the 31-year-old on the right wing this season, though his versatility has also allowed him to play on the left flank, in the No. 10 role, and even in a deeper midfield berth on occasion.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Part of Snodgrass’ new-found usefulness to the Hammers is founded in his ability to function as an attacking utility man. 

Whilst the likes of Felipe Anderson and Marko Arnautovic have earned plenty of media praise and garnered much of the attention, Snodgrass has become a vital member of the West Ham team under Pellegrini, which is mightily impressive given his career at the London Stadium appeared all but over when he was shipped off to Villa Park at the start of the previous campaign.

His importance

According to Transfermarkt’s stats, the 26-cap Scotland international has made 29 appearances in all competitions for the Irons this season, scoring four goals and registering seven assists. 24 of those outings have come in the Premier League, of which 17 have been starts, as per WhoScored.

Those numbers prove how central Snodgrass currently is in Pellegrini’s plans. 

The reason for his importance becomes obvious when his creative efficiency is taken into account. As per WhoScored’s stats, Snodgrass has averaged 1.6 key passes, 1.4 successful crosses and 1.1 dribbles per game. 

Whilst he keeps this up, Snodgrass will continue to have a future in Stratford.

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As reported by the Evening Times, James Tavernier has addressed transfer rumours linking him with a return to English football.

So what did he say?

The Rangers captain spoke of his passion for playing for the Ibrox Stadium club, insisting that he is committed to playing for Steven Gerrard’s side as they hunt down the Gers’ first Scottish Premiership title since 2011.

However, the 27-year-old right-back has admitted that “it’s always flattering to get linked with a Premier League club.”

He continued to state that “I love life up here and my family love life up here so I’m really comfortable.”

Whilst Tavernier certainly seems settled in Glasgow – and the skipper has the affections of the Ibrox faithful – serious interest from a Premier League club could seemingly test his resolve.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

What he meant

With his comments, the defender has reaffirmed his commitment to the Rangers cause, but at the same time he has left the door slightly open for a move back to England. 

The right-back has previously represented Newcastle United in the Premier League but only got a couple of first team chances at St James’ Park. The majority of his career in England was spent on loan stints with lower division sides such as Gateshead, Carlisle United, Sheffield Wednesday and Shrewsbury Town, amongst others.

Bradford-born Tavernier may feel that he has unfinished business in England, and the Premier League especially. He could, then, be tempted to give up on Rangers in favour of a second chance in the English top flight before the end of his career.