Opener Ahmed Shehzad has been recalled to Pakistan's Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka after being dropped for the April-May series against Bangladesh on disciplinary grounds. Besides Shehzad, the selectors also recalled southpaw Shan Masood, another out-of-favour opener, who was ignored for the last few series and tournaments.
'All the young players might want to play the shorter format, but India should be looking to preserve him for the Test format.'
Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi and Madhya Pradesh's Saransh Jain, both uncapped players, have been drafted into the Indian Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka, replacing injured Jasprit Bumrah.
Former India spinner Murali Kartik has emphasised the need for consistency and a clearly defined role for Kuldeep Yadav in the Test side, especially as Ravindra Jadeja approaches the end of his career. Kartik believes Kuldeep, despite being a match-winner, has not received the sustained backing needed to flourish in Test cricket under previous regimes.
India captain Shubman Gill on Friday spent considerable time fine-tuning his game against that variation at the team's training session ahead of the upcoming second Test against Sri Lanka, in Colombo.
Sanath Jayasuriya has been named the interim head coach of the island nation's cricket team ahead of its white-ball home series against India beginning later this month.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will get a golden chance to improve upon his none too impressive first class numbers when East Zone take on the severely inexperienced North East Zone in the quarter-final of the Duleep Trophy.
With Sri Lanka's cricket team performing better under Sanath Jayasuriya, he is all set to get a contract extension.
Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella has been suspended by Sri Lanka Cricket following allegations of an anti-doping violation during the Lankan Premier League.
Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith hailed his side's resounding innings and 242-run victory over Sri Lanka in Galle on Saturday as "near flawless" after the visitors retained the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy.
The BCCI's fitness monitoring system is under scrutiny after pacer Harshit Rana was found overweight despite being cleared for selection for the England tour. This incident, coupled with other player injuries, has prompted the board to introduce stricter, uniform fitness benchmarks, including a fixed Bronco Test standard, to address inconsistencies and improve player fitness assessment.
Spinner Thandi Tshabalala is the sole new cap in South Africa's squad for the two-Tests series in Sri Lanka, starting next month.
Off-spinner Nishan Peiris picked up a six-wicket haul on debut as Sri Lanka crushed New Zealand by an innings and 154 runs.
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh believes the exploding popularity of T20 leagues, particularly the IPL, poses a significant threat to the future of bilateral international cricket, stating that '70 per cent (people are watching club cricket instead of international cricket)'.
New Zealand captain Tim Southee said playing two Tests at Galle, known as a spinner's paradise, was always going to be challenging.
Harmanpreet Kaur says a winning culture is taking shape in the Indian women's cricket team as they prepare for the Asia Cup and Asian Games.
Shubman Gill, India's Test captain, expresses comfort with his leadership role and highlights the team's progress. He acknowledges the challenge of qualifying for the World Test Championship final, requiring significant wins in upcoming matches. Gill also discusses the honour of leading India in its 600th Test and shares insights on playing conditions in Sri Lanka.
India's spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule defended Kuldeep Yadav's performance in the first Test, stating he remains in the team's plans despite a modest outing.
Sri Lankan fast bowler Nuwan Thushara has filed a case in the Colombo District Court seeking a court order to secure his playing rights in the ongoing IPL after Sri Lanka Cricket refused to grant him a No Objection Certificate due to "failed fitness tests".
'The Indian government is better prepared this time and has reached out to all contenders and not putting all eggs in one basket.'
Sai Sudharsan's brilliant 168 and useful contributions from Dhruv Jurel and Saransh Jain helped India A reach 541/8 and take a commanding 175-run lead over Sri Lanka A in the second unofficial Test in Galle.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad has been ruled out of England's second Test against Sri Lanka with a calf strain, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Friday. His place for will go to either Steven Finn or Tim Bresnan.
Jasprit Bumrah has started practicing with the red ball as he gears up for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka next month.
In-form Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez returned to Pakistan's 15-member squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka, starting in the United Arab Emirates, next week. Hafeez scored three centuries in four One-Day Internationals in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Thushara, who took his cricket board to court for denying him an IPL NOC, has apologised and is considering withdrawing his case.
Mohammad Abbas claimed four wickets as Pakistan controlled much of the opening day at Lord's, but England recovered through Cox, Smith and Atkinson to reach 248-9.
Sri Lanka's decision to bat first backfired when they were all out for 236 on Day 1 of the first Test.
IMAGES from the Day 4 of the 1st Test between England and Sri Lanka in Manchester on Saturday
Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra secured a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a season-best throw of 85.83m. Debutant Yashvir Singh surprised with a personal best of 85.41m on his final attempt, earning a bronze medal. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won gold with an 89.75m throw despite challenging cold and windy conditions.
Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will miss the Test series against Sri Lanka next month because of a knee injury. Pakistan team coach Intikhab Alam said Shoaib would need at least three weeks to recover from the surgery, ruling the 33-year-old out of the two home Tests being played between February 23 and March 6.
It is not easy to score two consecutive Test centuries unless one knows how to play the good ball on its merit and punish the bad ball to full effect.
England have named pace bowler James Anderson in place of Jade Derbach in their 12-man squad for the third and final Test of the series against Sri Lanka starting at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Thursday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that the contracts of assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate and fielding coach T Dilip have ended and will not be extended. The decision comes amidst dissatisfaction with their performance and unfulfilled roles. A new fielding coach is expected to be announced soon, with Subhadeep Ghosh tipped as the frontrunner.
Pakistan named four pace bowlers in their line-up for the first Test against Sri Lanka and three youngsters who have yet to make their Test debut. Pakistan captain Younis Khan said the 12 players selected for the match, which begins on Saturday, includes opener Khurrum Manzoor and pace bowlers Sohail Khan and Mohammad Talha, untried at Test level. Manzoor and Khan have played ODIs but Talha is yet to play at any level for Pakistan.
Auqib Nabi, a right-arm pacer from Jammu and Kashmir, has made history by becoming the first cricketer from the region to be named in India's Test squad, earning a call-up for the tour of Sri Lanka after a remarkable domestic season.
West Indies head coach Darren Sammy has revealed that pacer Alzarri Joseph declined selection for the upcoming two-Test home series against Pakistan, despite being chosen.
Sri Lanka put themselves in a good position on the third day of the opening Test against New Zealand after Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal made half-centuries but the hosts lost some of their momentum to reach 237-4 at stumps in Galle on Friday.
Cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers, widely considered the greatest all-rounder in the sport's history, has passed away at the age of 89. Tributes poured in from across the cricketing world, with former India captains Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli expressing their profound sadness and respect for the West Indies icon. The Lanka Premier League will also honour his legacy.
Rahmat Shah has been appointed as the new Test and ODI captain for the Afghanistan national cricket team, replacing Hashmatullah Shahidi. Shah, who previously served as vice-captain, will lead the team alongside Rahmanullah Gurbaz as vice-captain, starting with the upcoming series against Ireland. Shahidi's tenure saw significant victories and milestones for Afghan cricket, including strong performances in the 2023 World Cup.
Bangladesh savoured their first taste of Test cricket in Australia for 23 years on Thursday as they skittled the world's top-ranked side for less than 200 and went to stumps in command at 96 for one on the first day of the series-opener in Darwin.
