New Zealand wicket-keeper BJ Watling has been ruled out of the second Test against England at Edgbaston after failing to overcome a sore back, team management have announced. Watling’s withdrawal was made public less than half an hour before Thursday’s scheduled touch, with Wellington Firebirds wicket-keeper/batsman Tom Blundell taking the gloves and batting at six […]
Cricket
New Zealand captain Williamson out of 2nd Test against England
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the second and final Test against England at Edgbaston with a left elbow problem. However, the Blackcaps are confident he will be fit to lead the team in the inaugural World Test Championship final against India starting on June 18. Williamson, who captained New Zealand […]
Sri Lanka names 24-member squad for England tour
Sri Lanka’s cricket board Tuesday named a 24-member squad led by Kusal Perera for the six-match limited overs series in England even as a pay dispute remained unresolved. The Sri Lankan squad will leave early Wednesday to play three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches. Official sources said the players have refused a performance-based pay […]
Boris Johnson criticises suspension of England paceman Robinson over racist tweets
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson backed comments from his culture and sports secretary on Monday that English cricket’s ruling body went “over the top” by suspending Ollie Robinson, but just hours later it emerged a second England player had posted “historic offensive material” on social media. Oliver Dowden on Monday urged the England and Wales […]
Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur to skip Zimbabwe T20s
Bangladesh will be without Mushfiqur Rahim for the forthcoming Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe, an official said Tuesday, after the star batsman asked to sit out the games. Mushfiqur will still be available for the tour’s Test and three one-day internationals. “Mushfiq called me and said he would like to stay out of the T20 series […]
England suspension for Robinson over racist tweets ‘over the top’: minister
English cricket’s ruling body has gone “over the top” by suspending paceman Ollie Robinson over historical racist and sexist tweets, culture and sports secretary Oliver Dowden said on Monday. He urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to “think again” over the sanction for the 27-year-old. Robinson — who impressed with ball and bat […]
Ice vests, coconut water as Pakistan Super League feels heat in UAE
Pakistan Super League cricketers will have to contend with soaring temperatures and empty stadiums when the Covid-hit Twenty20 competition resumes far from home in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. With day-time temperatures hitting 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), some players will wear ice vests on the field, while bowlers have been told to drink coconut water, […]
England suspend Robinson pending racism probe
Ollie Robinson will miss next week’s second Test against New Zealand at Edgbaston after being suspended from all international cricket pending an investigation into racist and sexist Twitter messages, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced Sunday.Sussex quick Robinson made an impressive on-field England debut in the drawn first Test at Lord’s concluded Sunday.But […]
Wagner gets Burns as New Zealand press for victory over England
Neil Wagner saw off first-innings century-maker Rory Burns as New Zealand pressed for an enterprising win over England in the first Test at Lord’s on Sunday. Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson’s bold declaration at lunch on Sunday’s fifth and final day left England with a target of 273 in 75 overs to win the first […]
Sri Lankan cricket players refuse to sign reduced pay contracts
Sri Lanka‘s national cricket players Saturday refused to sign new pay contracts by a weekend deadline, but said they will take part in the tour of England later this month. A lawyer representing the cricketers said they did not agree with a new performance-based pay scheme designed by a cricket board panel that included former […]