James Anderson bids goodbye to international cricket,

 The best photographs from Anderson's final day as an international cricketer at Lord's,

Anderson's final day as an international cricketer started with a guard of honour. He was applauded onto the pitch at Lord's by his England team-mates and the West Indies' line-up, with captain Kraigg Brathwaite shaking his hand as he walked on.

Bowling from the Nursery End - not his preferred end at Lord's - he struck with his seventh ball of the morning. It was a classic Anderson dismissal, suckering Joshua da Silva into playing across the line with an outswinger that angled in before swinging away late to take the outside edge.

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July 14, 2024

West Indies' Test problems not solved by money - Lara.

 West Indies great Brian Lara does not think their current issues in Test cricket would be resolved by solely investing more money.

They are eighth in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Test rankings, having been a dominant force in the 1980s when they set a then-record 11 consecutive Test victories.

In contrast they failed to win any of their three Test series in 2023, but did pick up their First Red-Ball Win Since 1997 earlier this year.

"If you put 100 million, 200 million dollars into the West Indies' bank account, is it going to change the way we play the game? I'm not sure," Lara Said.

"We are not harnessing the talent that we have."

A host of Windies players, such as Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope, are opting to play just white-ball cricket internationally, which enables them to play in franchise leagues across the world.

Other sports, such as athletics, are also big across the different nations in the Caribbean, which affects the talent pool available.

"Obviously, cricket has been diluted by the number of different sports and different opportunities for kids, but I still believe that corporate West Indies have got to get involved," said Lara.

"The West Indies Cricket Board hasn't done the right job in attracting these sponsors to ensure that at least grassroots, but also the academy, all the different things, the facilities, are up to standard. I think these things are very, very important."

Their current top five in the Test against England at Lord's had played 96 Tests between them prior to the game starting, but captain Kraigg Brathwaite accounted for 89 of those appearances.

In comparison England's top five had played in 259 Tests.

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July 12, 2024

Jayasuriya named Sri Lanka coach for England series,

 Sanath Jayasuriya has been appointed Sri Lanka's interim men's head coach after Chris Silverwood resigned in June.

Silverwood, 49, Stepped Down after the team's early group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup.

Former Sri Lanka captain Jayasuriya, 55, will coach the team on their three-Test tour of England in August and September.

That is as far as the arrangement extends for now.

"I have been asked to take over coaching and I am happy to do it," Jayasuriya told AFP.

This is Jayasuriya's first high-profile coaching role, having previously been a national selector for Sri Lanka. He has been serving as a cricket consultant for the team.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva said: "Sanath, with his wealth of international cricketing experience, is well positioned to guide the national team until we find a permanent solution."

As a player, all-rounder Jayasuriya represented Sri Lanka 586 times, competing internationally for the last time in 2011.

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July 09, 2024

England's autumn Test tour of Pakistan confirmed,

 

England will play Tests in Multan, Karachi and Rawalpindi on their three-match tour of Pakistan in October.

The first Test gets under way in Multan on 7 October, little more than a week after the home summer ends with the conclusion of the white-ball series against Australia,

England last played a Test series in Pakistan in 2022, when they became the first visiting team to secure a 3-0 series clean sweep.

That was England's first Test tour of Pakistan for 17 years, following an attack on the Sri Lanka team by gunmen in Lahore in 2009.

England's winter includes three more Tests against New Zealand in December.

The white-ball squad visit the Caribbean in November and India in the early part of 2025, in the build-up to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

England in Pakistan - schedule, fixtures & venues,

7-11 October – first Test, Multan.

15-19 October – second Test, Karachi.

24-28 October – third Test, Rawalpindi.

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July 06, 2024

Afghanistan women call on ICC to form refugee team,

 Members of the former Afghanistan women’s team have called on the International Cricket Council to help them form a refugee team based in Australia,

Formed in 2010, the Afghanistan women’s team disbanded in 2021 when the Taliban returned to power and banned women from universities, parks, sports and raided the homes of female athletes.

he ICC requires its full members, of which Afghanistan is one, to have a national women’s team, but the men’s team has retained its Test status and reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last week,

In a letter to ICC chair Greg Barclay, the Afghanistan women said: “Creating a team of Afghan refugees can give us a chance to play, coach and administer a cricket team without borders.

“The creation of this team will allow all Afghan women who want to represent their country to come together under one banner.

The Afghanistan women’s team was created nine years after the Taliban regime fell at the hands of a US-led military coalition.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) initially barred the women’s team from playing at several international tournaments, saying it received "Taliban threats".

Twenty-five female cricketers were handed contracts by the ACB in 2020. Less than a year later the Taliban returned to power, ending any progress towards Afghanistan playing an official women’s international.

More than 20 Afghan women’s cricketers managed to leave the country and are currently living in Australia.

“We are asking the ICC to assist us in setting up a refugee team in Australia, said the letter.

“Through this team we aim to represent all Afghan women who dream of playing cricket but are unable to in Afghanistan.

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July 02, 2024