Author: Kashish Chadha

Five-Test series against India in August-September could see England players be rotated as the hosts look to counter the issue of physical and mental fatigue during a busy cricket summer, hinted experienced paceman James Anderson. Anderson said England will be mindful of the fact that the India series features five back-to-back Tests with not much break in-between. England have adopted the rest and rotation policy for their busiest cricketers since the resumption of on-field play amid the COVID-19 pandemic last summer. The idea has been to avoid bio-bubble fatigue that players like Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler could face due to the strict…

The Pakistan Cricket Board decided to send as many as 13 PSL 2021 bound players and support staff back to their respective homes after an issue around visa delay. The news comes to the fore as multiple personnel from Karachi and Lahore weren’t allowed to travel to Abu Dhabi from the commercial flights via Doha.  The PCB will now be sending 13 of those individuals back, expecting “more delays” in the process of visas being issued to them. A sad development for all of those thirteen since they had been in a seven-day hotel quarantine and were looking forward to their UAE…

Kolkata Knight Riders spearhead Pat Cummins won’t be taking part in the remainder of the Premier League 2021 to be held in UAE, says a report in the Sydney Morning Herald. While the team hasn’t given any particular reasons for his unavailability, indications are that it’s a case of looking to avoid excessive bio-bubble fatigue ahead of the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. “David Warner and Pat Cummins could be rested from the West Indies tour because of family reasons – others could follow after a draining year in several bubbles – and Cummins, despite a multimillion-dollar IPL contract,…

Much to young Naseem Shah’s relief, the Pakistan Cricket Board has allowed the Quetta Gladiators quick to rejoin the bubble in place for the rescheduled PSL 2021 in Abu Dhabi. Naseem, who had arrived at the hotel facility arranged for the PSL 2021 contingent in Lahore with a negative COVID-19 test, was released from the competition bubble only three days back since he breached an important health regulation in place. The PCR report that Naseem had presented was from a test conducted on May 18. But since Naseem had taken a flight from Karachi to Lahore and had to have…

Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam and Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Mendis were involved in a verbal altercation during the third and final ODI on Friday. During the 17th over of the Sri Lankan innings in the first half, the heated exchange was observed where Shoriful tried to get under Mendis’ skin after he deceived the batsman with an off-cutter.  The bowler went near the batsman and gave him a mouthful, to which the latter also didn’t hold back and responded without mincing his words. The situation, though, was thankfully not allowed to deteriorate any further. As it often happens when players…

India’s dependable No.3 batsman, Cheteshwar Pujara, provided a glimpse of his team’s specially designed jersey for the upcoming WTC final against New Zealand. With Team India due to lock horns with the Kiwis in Southampton from June 18 for the ultimate glory, players have been giving a peek into the new cricket kit via their official social media handles on Twitter and Instagram. On Saturday, Cheteshwar Pujara shared a picture of the new jersey, featuring a tinge of blue with ‘ICC WTC Final 2021’ written below the batsman’s shoulder. In the picture, where he could be seen in his stance…

Newly-appointed South African Test captain Dean Elgar is determined to ensure Proteas are back to their absolute best during his tenure at the helm over the next two years. Elgar will begin his captaincy stint with the forthcoming tour of the Caribbean, where South Africa take on the West Indies in a two-match series, starting on June 10 in St Lucia. Speaking ahead of his team’s departure to St Lucia via Paris, Elgar admitted South Africa’s task to stand resurrected as a Test team won’t be any easy given their issues but also didn’t sound pessimistic about the journey ahead.…

Former England left-arm tweaker, Monty Panesar, feels India “must” play spin twins Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja together in their playing XI for the much-anticipated final of the World Test Championship against New Zealand. India will be taking on the Black Caps in Southampton in an ultimate clash, starting June 18 in Southampton, with the eye towards claiming the prestigious WTC trophy. And Panesar reckons India must pick Ashwin and Jadeja both, something they have rarely done before while playing in foreign conditions. Panesar, speaking to India Today, hailed Ashwin and Jadeja, who form one of the most threatening bowling duos seen in Test match cricket…

The Sultans will be taking on the Kings in the rescheduled Pakistan Super League 2021 at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (June 2). The fixture will resume both teams’ interrupted campaigns for the PSL 2021. When the tournament was postponed indefinitely in March due to a surge of COVID-19 positive cases among players and support staff, Karachi Kings were happily placed at the top, while Multan Sultans were placed in the bottom half of the standings. The Kings held the numero uno spot at the end of the Pakistan leg of the competition after winning…

England will host New Zealand in the opening game of the two-match Test series, scheduled to begin on Wednesday at Lord’s. The series offers the Black Caps a great opportunity to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the World Test Championship final against India, slated to be held in Southampton from June 18. For England, who were out of the race for the WTC final earlier in the year, it’s a fantastic chance to stand resurrected and plug holes in their game in home conditions before proceeding with the next cycle of the league intended to revitalise Test cricket. With New Zealand developing unprecedented riches in…