6:58 AM IST The BCCI will give freedom to the Indian players to decide for themselves whether to return to play as and when cricket restarts in the country. That is the assurance given by Rahul Johri, the BCCI chief executive, who said player safety would be given “paramount importance”. Johri also said the board
Cricket
11:01 PM IST Dave Cameron, the former president of Cricket West Indies (CWI), has threatened legal action against the board unless they hand over a copy of an audit critical of his period in office. The audit, requested by Cameron’s successor and conducted by PKF, suggests a lack of financial control posed a threat to
7:30 PM IST A 25-man Pakistan squad to tour England – yet to be picked – will remain under bio-secure conditions for up to three months starting from early June in Lahore to the end of the England tour in August. Players will stay at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore from early June
Disinfecting the ball during a match to be part of the future as the game? © AFP Disinfecting cricket balls during a match could be part of the future as the game looks to adapt to the risks posed by Covid-19. Maintenance of the ball has become one of the key topics as the sport
10:22 PM IST Umar Akmal has filed an official appeal against the three-year ban imposed on him by the PCB, challenging the length of the sanction and hoping to get it reduced. Akmal was expelled from all representative cricket after he he failed to report details of corrupt approaches made to him ahead of this
9:03 PM IST Valkerie Baynes A charity which provides mental health services to professional cricketers past and present faces a £250,000 funding shortfall because of the Covid-19 lockdown. As with many charities, the ban on mass public gatherings has forced the cancellation of most fundraising events for the Professional Cricketers’ Trust, the charity arm of
7:19 AM IST Allrounder Cameron Green has been termed a “scary” talent by his Western Australia team-mate Ashton Agar. Green, 20, who has been likened to Andrew Flintoff, is tipped as an international star in the making if he can overcome the back problems which prevented him from bowling for much of the 2019-2020 season.
11:01 PM IST Babar Azam, Pakistan’s new ODI captain, has likened the challenge of facing down Covid-19 to the decade-long absence of international cricket in his country. Until last year, Pakistan were forced to play home internationals overseas as a result of the 2009 terrorist attack and, with the prospect of matches being staged behind
9:08 PM IST An audit into the financial problems affecting West Indies cricket has found a “massive hole” in its coffers and, according to board president, Ricky Skerritt, sounded “an alarm bell” for its future. The report, compiled by external and independent auditors PKF, suggests Cricket West Indies (CWI) has suffered from overly optimistic revenue
1:10 PM IST Bangladesh bowling coach Ottis Gibson has urged Mashrafe Mortaza to retire from international cricket as he doesn’t see the bowler in head coach Russell Domingo’s plans for the 2023 World Cup. Mortaza, who stepped down from captaincy during Bangladesh’s last home series, against Zimbabwe in February, hasn’t made any announcements about retirement
11:20 PM IST On Sunday, the Indian government relaxed restrictions on sporting events, allowing them to resume behind closed doors in the country, and as far as cricket is concerned, it means the IPL could take place in 2020. The BCCI welcomed the government’s decision, but said it was premature to think about the IPL
4:22 PM IST ESPNcricinfo staff The PCB is “very optimistic” about the operational plans being put into place for this summer’s tour of England by Pakistan and has reached an agreement in principle after ECB assurances, as elite-level cricket plots a re-start after months of worldwide lockdown. The two boards held a meeting on Friday
10:36 AM IST ESPNcricinfo staff Chris Gayle has avoided sanction for his public criticism of Ramnaresh Sarwan and other Jamaica Tallawahs personnel, after the CPL Tournament Committee (CTC) said in a media release on Friday that it was satisfied with the batsman’s statement, even though he stood by his comments – calling Sarwan a “snake”
The closed net facilities in Victoria Park, London © Andrew Miller Club cricketers in England will be permitted to return to the nets for outdoor practice under strictly limited conditions, according to new guidance from the ECB, issued in the wake of the UK government’s partial lifting of the Covid-19 lockdown. The new measures apply
3:45 PM IST ESPNcricinfo staff India coach Ravi Shastri believes cricket should look at keeping world events on hold and instead prioritise domestic and bilateral cricket to get players back in the groove once sport resumes. Looking at it from India’s perspective, he prefers the IPL and bilaterals to take precedence once the federal government
May 15, 2020 ESPNcricinfo staff The COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic has led to the start of the English season being put back until at least July 1, and left many counties facing a potentially damaging shortfall in finances. Most are expected to take advantage of the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme. How has your club
11:53 AM IST Over the next week or so, professional cricketers around Australia will dig out their kit bags and embark on a lengthy pre-season, which will likely have a very different feel from the usual as sport adapts to the new normal following the Covid-19 pandemic. The centrally contracted Australia players come off annual
2:05 AM IST Alex Hepburn, the former Worcestershire allrounder, has launched an appeal against his conviction for rape last year. The appeal is scheduled to be heard in London on June 4. Hepburn was sentenced to five years in prison in April 2019 after his conviction on one count of oral rape after a retrial