'He (Pandya) can command a spot in the top five on his batting alone. He could also be one of the top three seamers in any team if he was just a bowler.'
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada says he is fully committed to playing for South Africa after a difficult 2019/20 season in which he felt "out of place" and incurred a one-Test ban for overzealous celebration against England. The 25-year-old topped the International Cricket Council's Test bowler rankings in 2018 but was, by his own admission, below par in the last South African summer.
India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the home Test series against South Africa after suffering a stress fracture in his back and will be replaced by Umesh Yadav.
South Africa's Aaron Phangiso has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action just weeks before the left-arm spinner will represent the national side at the World Twenty20 in India. The 32-year-old was reported after helping his domestic Lions side into the final of South Africa's provincial 50-over competition on Wednesday when he took 2-38 in eight overs. "Phangiso's action will now be scrutinised further in accordance with the CSA regulations," governing body Cricket South Africa said in a statement on Thursday. "He is required to undergo independent analysis by a member of the ICC panel of human movement specialists and is permitted to continue bowling until the results of the testing are known."
India scripted history, clinching its maiden Squash World Cup title to become the first Asian country to achieve the feat after overwhelming Hong Kong 3-0 in the summit clash in Chennai on Sunday.
Sonny Baker's dream moment turned into an absolute walking nightmare after he went at the top of an unwanted record
South Africa have named six uncapped players in their 17-man squad for the first two Tests of the four-match series against England as new coach Mark Boucher seeks to revive the fortunes of the ailing side. Batsmen Pieter Malan and Rassie van der Dussen, fast bowlers Dane Paterson and Beuran Hendricks, all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius and wicketkeeper Rudi Second will all hope to make their debuts in the first Test starting in Pretoria on December 26.
Spain cannot meet Argentina and France will not face England before the World Cup final - provided they win their groups - after FIFA on Tuesday announced the draw procedure.
Pakistan and South Africa both signed off their Under-19 World Cup campaigns on a positive note with victories on Thursday.
Seeking to continue their confident start to the tournament, a well-balanced India will begin as firm favourites despite facing a tricky Bangladesh in their second match of the ICC U-19 World Cup, in Bulawayo, on Saturday.
Former coach Ravi Shastri praised Virat Kohli's tenure as India's captain, stating that he did he a 'magnificent job' both as a skipper and a batter.
South Africa thrashed Australia by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in their three-match One-day International series at Perth Stadium on Sunday.
Harry Brook could be in contention to replace Ollie Pope as Ben Stokes' deputy when England travel to Australia this winter.
England, Pakistan split points after rain washes out another Women's World Cup match.
How Mumbai Maidan coach Patwal's tough-love sessions gave Harmer his second wind
Amid India's recent struggles in Test cricket, former England spinner Monty Panesar has raised doubts over Shubman Gill's leadership, describing him as a 'complacent cricketer' and insisting that the burden of all-format captaincy is currently beyond him.
Fiery paceman Andre Nel returns to the squad as South Africa announced a battery of fast bowlers for their tour of England on Friday. The 30-year-old, who has played 34 tests, is the only addition to the squad that toured India in March and April, from which he was controversially omitted. Nel joins a six-man pace attack that includes the in-form Dale Steyn, the experienced Makhaya Ntini, the up-and-coming Morne Morkel, as well as Monde Zondeki.
India joined Australia, England, and New Zealand as ICC Women's Cricket World Cup winners, and, like the latter two, achieved this feat for the first time on home soil.
South Africa completed a sweep of their two match series against Sri Lanka as they strolled to a 10-wicket win on the third day of the second Test on Tuesday.
Rishabh Pant back in full flow as India step up nets ahead of SA opening Test
We wanted India to grovel: SA coach Shukri Conrad creates a stir
The league will showcase 59 matches. Eight franchises will battle over 36 days in South Africa and each franchise will play on a home and away basis with seven matches at home.
Jonny Bairstow struck a sublime unbeaten 60 to lead England to a dominant nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the first Twenty20 international in Southampton on Wednesday.
A venomous spell of fast bowling from Stuart Broad led England to an emphatic seven- wicket win over South Africa in the third on Saturday to clinch the series. Broad's brilliant return of 6-17 on a lively wicket skittled the Proteas for 83 in their second innings on the third day. England reached their modest victory-target of 74 with relative ease as captain Alastair Cook (43) top-scored in guiding them to 77 for three from 22,4 overs under gloomy skies. The tourists now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series, with the final game to be played in Pretoria. South Africa bowled out England for 323 in the morning session for a slender first-innings deficit of 10 runs, but were no match for the bounce and movement of a rampant Broad as they crumbled to their second lowest score since returning to international cricket in 1991.
South Africa dethroned England as the top team in the Reliance ICC Test Championship table following its 2-0 victory over Andrew Strauss' men in the three-match series which ended at Lord's Cricket Ground on Monday.
After being repeatedly ignored by England, controversial cricketer Kevin Pietersen is now looking towards his 'country of birth'- South Africa, to make a return to international cricket. The former England captain admitted he is eyeing a return with South Africa, a country where he was born and raised. The 35-year old however also pointed out that there's more than a year to go before such a possibility can even arise. Pietersen, who will be 37-year-old by the time he becomes eligible to play for South Africa, said he is in a great frame of mind and trains hard to remain fit. "The eligibility for South Africa is still (over) a year away. So we will have to wait and see, but it is definitely still an option," he said. "I am in a great frame of mind now. I enjoy myself and don't take life too seriously.
India have relied on their spin strength on rank turners to gain points in WTC cycles in the past but Gill has said he wants his side to play on tracks that offer equally to batters and bowlers.
South Africa will not risk the fitness of lead attack bowler Kagiso Rabada despite a return to their squad and he will miss out the second Test against Sri Lanka, which starts at The Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.
Cricket South Africa will appoint a team manager, who will select his own coaching staff and captains in the three formats of the game.
Jacques Kallis defied England with another composed century to lift South Africa to 279 for six on the first day of the third Test on Sunday.
India, England players wear black armbands to pay tribute to Wayne Larkins
Afghanistan unit will be heading into the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka with hopes of replicating their historic performance during the 2024 edition
Pant, who will lead India A, is returning after a three-month absence because of a foot injury which he sustained in July in England, and now the 28-year-old southpaw is aiming to get back to the national fold during the two-match Test series against the Proteas.
For Ian Smith, a player of Rishabh Pant's calibre walks into any T20 side and hence the former New Zealand stumper finds it baffling that the keeper-batter hasn't been picked for the upcoming World Cup starting in less than three weeks' time.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are expected to return to international duties in June when India host Afghanistan for a three-match ODI series.
Captain Dean Elgar said he always believed his young South African side could become a formidable team after they beat England by an innings and 12 runs within three days in the first Test at Lord's on Friday.
Anderson sustained a rib injury in England's 189-run win in the second Test at Newlands and underwent an MRI scan in Cape Town.
The issue has marred South Africa's return to international cricket for the first time since March and created debate over whether the squad should be seen to be more publicly supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement.
An enviable nine-year overseas record of 10 Test series wins in 14 rubbers by South Africa is under serious threat by India when the two teams face-off in the third and penultimate game of the current series at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha in Nagpur from Wednesday.
They weren't up for a windfall even after the trophy but life was certain to get a lot better as some sponsors and state governments stepped up to lift them financially.
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