Cricket

A buoyant Steven Smith has proudly announced his superb one-day innings against England was the best he has felt batting in six years. The bold claim from one of the country’s greatest batters will strike fear into West Indies and South Africa ahead of the Australian Test summer. Smith belted an unbeaten 80 from 78

Cricket Scotland has announced that it will offer paid contracts to players in its international women’s team for the first time. Scotland sit 14th in the ICC’s T20I rankings and missed out on qualification for February’s T20 World Cup in South Africa but will move towards professionalism as part of the board’s bid to make

Ravi Shastri believes there’s “no harm” in India exploring the possibility of having a new T20I captain to ease some load off Rohit Sharma, who currently leads them in all three formats. India have Hardik Pandya leading the T20I squad in New Zealand after the selectors rested the senior players following the World Cup in

West Indies, champions in 2012 and 2016, bowed out of the tournament before the Super 12s stages after defeats to Ireland and Scotland in their first-round group, an outcome which CWI said had “caused great disappointment and frustration among all West Indies cricket stakeholders” and saw Phil Simmons step down from his role as head

Following yet another season in which they failed to make the final four, Kings have rung in changes, releasing nine players at the end of the retention deadline day on November 15. Apart from Agarwal and Odean Smith, none of their other releases were major players in their first XI last season, and Kings go

Underlining the increasingly congested cricket calendar, newly-minted T20 World Cup champions England have had to snap out of revelry and attempt to somehow focus on a seemingly inconsequential three-match ODI series against Australia. Around 72 hours after partying into the wee hours of Monday, a slew of England’s title-winning heroes will be back on the

Mohammad Abbas, the Pakistan seamer, has signed a contract to appear for Hampshire as one of their overseas players for the next two seasons. Abbas has taken 91 Championship wickets at 16.83 for Hampshire since joining in 2021. He was part of a potent seam-bowling trio, alongside Kyle Abbott and Keith Barker, last summer as

After several years of delays, the first season of Major League Cricket has been announced for July 13-30, 2023 with a newly renovated venue outside of Dallas, Texas serving as the primary location for the 18-day tournament. The announcement coincided with the installation of the turf square at Grand Prairie Stadium, with further renovation work

One of the most enduring relationships between a franchise and a player in the IPL has ended. Five-time champions Mumbai Indians have released Kieron Pollard, their most senior player, to end a 13-year playing career that began in 2010, when they signed Pollard for an undisclosed sum via a tie-breaker that broke the deadlock between

After his starring roles in two gripping World Cup final victories, could Ben Stokes be persuaded to go for the hat-trick by coming out of ODI retirement in time for England’s defence of their 50-over crown in India next year? Matthew Mott, England’s white-ball head coach, is hopeful that he can be tempted. However, he

At the last T20I World Cup 12 months ago, Shan Masood was doing commentary work with ESPNcricinfo. Two months ago, he had never played a T20I for Pakistan. Yet, immediately after Pakistan’s five-wicket loss to England in the T20 World Cup final, he was the one sent out to the MCG press area to try

Sam Billings has pulled out of IPL 2023, where he was expected to be a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad, saying that his focus is on the longer format with Kent, his county. “Have taken the tough decision that I won’t be taking part in the next IPL,” Billings said in a tweet

Babar Azam‘s T20I side has always taken its fans on a ride, but the pain that lies at the end is beginning to feel familiar. Much like Pakistan’s agonising defeat in last year’s T20I World Cup semi-final and the Asia Cup final in September, Pakistan fell short of silverware in the T20 World Cup final

Ben Stokes has hailed a new legacy under Jos Buttler as England added the T20 World Cup to their 50-over title, becoming the first team in men’s cricket history to hold both trophies simultaneously. Stokes took England over the line with an unbeaten half-century for a five-wicket victory in the final at the MCG after

Kolkata Knight Riders have secured New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson and Afghanistan wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz via trades from IPL champions Gujarat Titans ahead of the auction for the 2023 season, slated for December 23 in Kochi. It is an all-cash trade, the details of which have not been disclosed by the IPL or the

David English, the larger-than-life “Godfather of English cricket” – whose Bunbury schools festival has helped to foster the careers of more than 1000 first-class cricketers, including more than 125 international players – has died at the age of 76 following a heart attack. English was a friend of the stars whose life story had to

Bangladesh Women have named four uncapped players – Rabeya Khatun, Disha Biswas, Dilara Akhter and Marufa Akter – in their 17-member squad for three T20Is and as many ODIs in New Zealand. Biswas is a seam-bowling allrounder, Rabeya is a legspin allrounder, Dilara is a wicketkeeper-batter, and Marufa Akter is a seamer. Rabeya, Biswas and

Big picture Qudrat ka nizam. Never mind the controllables and one-percenters that usually dominate post-match platitudes. Six weeks ago, after England had cruised back into the lead of their topsy-turvy seven-match series in Pakistan, Saqlain Mushtaq was roundly lampooned for suggesting that the “laws of nature” were ruling the fortunes of his team. And yet,